Article about apple peels preventing colitis in mice

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Andi
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Article about apple peels preventing colitis in mice

Post by Andi »

Read this exciting article about how chemicals in apple peels prevented colitis in mice. I really want to know what people think about this.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 100455.htm
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sarkin
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Post by sarkin »

That is interesting. I have a few questions I wish people would care about who study such things...

We know there are some big differences between ulterative colitis and Crohn's, and presumably there are also differences between those two and drug-induced colitis. So... I guess I don't have a specific question, it's more that I wonder how can we tell what to make of this - even before we bring up the sad probability that these researchers may never have heard of MC.

It also seems to me that they are garbling 'preventing' with 'treating' here.

For one thing - the obvious way to 'prevent' drug-induced colitis (in man or mouse) would be not to give drugs that induce colitis :lol: And one obvious way to prevent my colitis would have been to let me know early in life that I have a genetic predisposition to gluten sensitivity, so the minute any untoward symptoms were to come my way, I might want to cut that stuff out of my diet, and see how things go.

As far as I know, virtually no one actually researching and practicing is pushing that simple prevention idea as hard as I would. If I were a family member of any one of us, I'd run my genetics at Enterolab and consider them an extremely important indication of whether or not there's a ticking health bomb lying at the center of my plate.

Oops, I've stopped answering your questions and wandered into rant territory. The idea of waiting till one's sick, and then spending ages learning that there's a possibility that gluten is involved - when we could know that from birth!) - seems really barbaric to me.

(I am, however, rather pro apples, and feel glad I seem to be tolerating them.)

Sara
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Lesley
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Post by Lesley »

Sara,
Do you eat them with the peels? (apples, I mean)

I didn't do the genetics. Adam has gone gluten free, and I doubt if the others would listen to me. But one of these days I will do it, money permitting. I'm selfish. I want to do MRT for ME!
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sarkin
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Post by sarkin »

Lesley,

I think MRT is a great way to prioritize the spending. And your Adam is a smart guy!

I did the genetics partly because I was thinking of my late parents, whose late-life health issues I have been hoping to avoid... I do wonder how much of my mother's frailty and decline might have been related to gluten sensitivity. I did not expect that I'd have a 'true' celiac gene, in addition to the GS one. I don't think knowing that was essential to my recovery, however; I wasn't having trouble being persuaded that GF is forever (thanks, gluten - you were very persuasive).

I do eat them with the skins now. I use them as slices to spread things on (nut butter, duck-liver pate...). I expect I rarely eat more than half an apple at a time. If I were having a rough period, I'd probably peel them, or avoid altogether till feeling better.

Sara
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Andi
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Post by Andi »

Here is a treatment that my sister who is an acupuncturist and chinese herb practitoner sent me (she has a 4 year degree in acupuncture and chinese medicine and herbs and was on the Arizona Acupuncture Accrediation Board).

She says to cut an apple into 4 to 8 slices and boil for 4 to 5 minutes. Allow to cool and then eat before going to bed. Do this for 3 months, then stop for 2 to 3 days, then do for another 3 months, stop for 2 to 3 days, do for another 3 months, etc.... She says to do this even when feeling well. She said it will help keep diarrhea and MC in remission.
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Lesley
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Post by Lesley »

Oh, he's handsome, talented, funny, warm and totally delightful! Not just smart! Can you tell I love him?
I love the others too. They are also gorgeous, funny, talented and so forth.
Adam is the one who takes what he puts in his body seriously though. He always feels better if he eats properly, and now that includes EXCLUDING gluten.

I haven't eaten fresh apples yet. I love them, but haven't dared. I will when things are a bit better than they are now.
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Post by Gloria »

Andi,

How was your wedding? Congratulations, by the way!

Have you used the treatment that your sister recommends and found it to be successful?

Gloria
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tex
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Post by tex »

Hi Andi,

That's an interesting article. While I have no doubt that the researchers were able to produce those results in a laboratory setting, and using synthetically-created colitis, in mice, I'm not convinced that such an approach would work so well in the real world. If it worked, people who eat apples regularly wouldn't get celiac disease, (celiac sprue is also T-cell mediated).

And, of course, all inflammation involved in IBDs is not T-cell mediated. Cytokines and leukotrienes are also involved. In fact, MC triggered by either NSAIDs or mesalamine-based drugs such as Asacol, is associated with the production of leukotrienes. Furthermore, researchers have found that the presence of a higher eosiophil count in the left-side colon, when compared with the eosinophil count in the right-side colon, indicates drug-induced colitis.

IOW, colitis of any type is a complex disease, and I would be surprised if this discovery goes anywhere. Still, I certainly wouldn't just write it off, until further research is done. Who knows what may come of it? :shrug:

As another example of related but conflicting research, consider the article at the following link, where researchers found that eating green vegetables boosts our immune system, by promoting the production of T-cells in our intestines :shock:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 121509.htm

IOW, as Sara suggested, researchers don't really know what they're doing, in most cases - they're just doing research on any product that they can manage to get funded, hoping to someday accidentally stumble upon something worthwhile.

Thanks for posting the link.

Tex
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It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
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Andi
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Post by Andi »

Hi Gloria,
The wedding was wonderful, it was in our yard in July on a beautiful day. The garden was in bloom, the sky was blue, it was great.
My sister just sent me the apple cure but I figure it is worth a try. Medication has not worked and I had bad side effects from entocort. Apriso also does not seem to be working.

Tex,
Thanks for the info. I just thought it would be worth posting to see what others think. Back to the drawing board I guess.
Hope you are feeling well these days.
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Post by Ginny »

Andi, I think anything natural is worth trying. I might try this with organic apples since I can tolerate cooked apples. FWIW, my mother-in-law's home remedy for D was a couple of tablespoons of grated (stainless steel) apples and used it for years.

Ginny
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Lesley
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Post by Lesley »

When I was growing up grated and browned (exposed to air) apples were standard for D.
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Post by Polly »

And, don't forget the classic ABC diet that pediatricians have long recommended for kiddies with D - applesauce (although no peels), bananas, and rice cereal!

Hugs,

Polly
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