Crohn's disease

Could a simple fungus be the cause of your tummy troubles?

It's the belly-busting condition that brings misery and pain to an estimated 3 million Americans.

Chronic inflammation in the intestines leads to pain, diarrhea, gas, bloating, and more.

Because it's so badly undiagnosed -- and so poorly understood by the mainstream -- you could have it yourself without even realizing it!

And because docs don't recognize it, can't diagnose it, and have no clue how to treat it, it often spirals out of control and gets even worse over the years.

Now, the latest research shows WHY mainstream doctors fail so often when it comes to treating these conditions.

They've completely MISSED one of the prime triggers of all that misery.

Anyone who has come to see me here at the Stengler Center for Integrative Medicine knows that I often run fungal tests on patients with chronic inflammation conditions, especially in the gut.

I've gotten some guff for it, too, from mainstream docs who claim there's no way all of this can be caused by a simple fungus.

But the new study backs my approach in a big way, showing how these conditions can be worsened by a fungal infection.

The key to the whole puzzle could be in a fungus called Candida tropicalis.

Researchers collected samples from Crohn's patients and their healthy family members to see if they could spot any differences.

Did they ever!

Compared to the healthy folks, the patients with Crohn's had Candida tropicalis running wild. Not only that, but it teamed up with E. coli and Serratia marcescens bacteria to form a nasty "biofilm" in the intestine.

That's pretty much what it sounds like. It's an icky layer that sticks to the intestine wall, which leads to the inflammation that triggers the pain, diarrhea, and other forms of misery.

The researchers don't believe this film is actually the cause of Crohn's.

But it's certainly responsible for bringing out the worst in the condition and triggering painful flare-ups.

That's good news, because it means treating a fungal infection can lead to real and lasting relief, easing the condition so effectively you might even forget you have it!

The researchers, of course, are suggesting anti-fungal drugs. In some cases, those meds might even be necessary.

But other ways of wiping out these infections are often just as effective -- starting with a well-balanced probiotic supplement combined with other natural anti-fungal therapies.

Together, these treatments can restore balance to the bacteria in your gut, wipe away that unhealthy biofilm, ease the inflammation, and end the misery.

Speak with a holistic medical doctor experienced in testing for and treating fungal infections.

Common meds can raise Crohn's misery

If you've been fighting off the pain, discomfort and outright humiliation of bowel-bending Crohn's disease, there's a class of drug you've probably been given more than once.

It's antibiotics, and docs pass them out like chocolate eggs on Easter despite the fact that these meds have proven to do almost nothing for the condition.

And now, new research shows antibiotics can do something much worse than nothing: They can actually dial your Crohn's misery up an extra notch.

Antibiotics wreck the delicate balance of bacteria in the gut, which is why even healthy patients often find themselves battling bowel disorders after a single course.

Crohn's patients already suffer from bacterial imbalances, even without touching an antibiotic. In the new study, for example, they were found to have low levels of the good bugs needed for digestion and immune health.

Even worse, they have higher levels of the bad ones -- including bacteria from the same families as Salmonella and E. coli

And when Crohn's patients take antibiotics, those imbalances could get even worse, according to the new study.

Clearly, it's time to stop giving antibiotics to Crohn's patients, especially when there's no evidence they help anyway. And if you're battling this condition yourself, the study shows that you could almost certainly benefit from a quality probiotic supplement.

I recommend one that includes human-tested strains such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus bifidus and Saccharomyces boulardii.

But don't stop there. A probiotic can help, but it's not enough to beat Crohn's by itself.

Crohn's often has an immune system component, in which the body attacks itself. It's so severe that your body can actually kill off good bacteria in the stomach even without the help of antibiotics.

This overactive immune response also causes inflammation levels in the gut to spiral out of control, which in turn makes the condition even worse.

That's why the best way to fight Crohn's isn't with a single approach. It's with a holistic approach -- so along with a quality probiotic, take a proven natural anti-inflammatory such as fish oil as well as a stomach-soothing remedy like aloe vera.

There's even evidence that some homeopathic remedies can help.

Be sure to get tested for food sensitivities, as they can play a major role in this disease. And don't forget the power of lifestyle changes to ease your suffering. Avoid all processed foods (especially fast foods) and limit your sugar intake.