Hi Toni - bacteria, Crohn's, hot peppers and ulcers

From: Lgapmon@aol.com
Tue Jul 3 12:03:03 2001


Hi Toni --

<< My son has crohns diease and the drs he sees never said that it is caused from bacteria. It runs in my family, sometimes I wish it was caused by bacteria, because then they may be able to cure it. I wish they would find a cure fot this aweful disease!! >>

I'm sorry to hear your son has Crohn's. I hope he is feeling pretty good, that it isn't bothering him too much right now.

There is no conclusive proof bacteria is responsible for Crohn's disease, as I thought I said in my last post. If I was not clear, I apologize. What I meant to say is this: that some scientists believe there may be a link and are researching it now.

It is possible that *if* Crohn's is caused by bacteria, some people will have a genetic tendency to succumb to it. Things like immune systems are largely inherited. Too, many families follow the same sort of diet for several generations...I would expect the flora in their intestines to be somewhat similar. This would make it easy for diseases to run from one generation to the next. The question seems to be, is the disease itself inherited, or is it the tendency for the disease that is passed down?

It is a complicated picture, and one I hope the doctors are able to make some sense of -- the sooner, the better.

On that note, there was a study released not too long ago about the H. Pylori bacteria. Seems as a rule, Mexican-American people who follow "traditional" diets are less prone to stomach ulcers. The active ingredient in hot peppers -- capsaicin -- inhibits the growth of H. Pylori. Lots of people in the Southwest eat hot peppers. I suppose between the genetic make-up of the Mexican-American people and their diet, that makes them less responsive to H. Pylori. Lucky them!

Capsaicin is available in capsule form at the health food stores. I like hot peppers though. :D We live in the right place for superb Mexican food, which makes me very very happy!!!!!

I hope everyone is having a very good day! Today's high will "only" be 111 F(44 C) instead of 116 (46.7 C). Wow, break out the wool. <VBG> Take care!

Love,

Lynda M. in AZ

"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery


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