Links between Crohn's and Parkinson's disease

Mount Sinai Researchers have just discovered that patients in the Ashkenazi Jewish population with Crohn's disease (a chronic inflammatory of the digestive system) are more likely to carry the LRRK2 gene mutation. This gene is the major genetic cause of Parkinson's disease, which is a movement disorder.

Crohn's disease is a complex disorder with multiple genes and environmental factors involved, which disproportionally affects individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. The presence of shared LRRK2 mutations in patients with Crohn's disease and Parkinson's disease provides refined insight into disease mechanisms and may have major implications for the treatment of these two seemingly unrelated diseases.

Researchers used international data from the last decade up to the present to analyze the occurrence of some coding genetic mutations in the human genome of many  patients with Crohn's disease and compared them to people without the disorder. They identified mutations in the LRRK2 gene that are more frequently found in Crohn's disease cases as compared to unaffected individuals.

When they discovered a link between Crohn's and the LRRK2 gene mutations they went further to assess the possible genetic link between Crohn's and Parkinson's. The team then looked at a much larger sample of people including patients with Crohn's, Parkinson's, and no disease.

The study found two mutations of the LRRK2 gene in Crohn's disease patients. One of them called the risk mutation was more common in patients with Crohn's, while the other (the protective mutation) was more prevalent in patients without the disease. Most Crohn's disease patients who carried the risk mutation developed the disease on average six years earlier than those who did not carry this mutation.

The research also shows that more Crohn's patients with the risk mutation developed the disease in the small intestine, compared to those without the mutation. If the disease starts in the small intestine, it becomes more difficult to manage and often leads to complications and surgeries.
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Foods rich in magnesium can make you sleep better

National Geographic Food has revealed the five foods everyone should eat regularly to put an end to insomnia. Spicy or fatty foods, caffeine, booze: all can irritate human digestive system, prevent deep sleep or simply take a long time to digest. Foods containing tryptophan found in most protein-rich produce like milk, meat, eggs, fish and vegetables are great for a start.

This essential amino acid aids the release of sleep-inducing hormone melatonin. It’s also in cheese, it contains the amino acid tyramine, which, makes the brain feel more alert. National Geographic Food names five foods that can boost your chances of getting a great night’s sleep. They are: marmite, turkey,banana, almond and oat.

MARMITE
The black stuff is rich in magnesium, which calms the nerves, relaxing muscles and improving  slumber.
TURKEY
Turkey is the lean meat that can help you slip into a successful slumber, because of its high levels of tryptophan.
BANANAS
Packed with muscle relaxants magnesium, potassium, tryptophan and vitamin B, it’s no wonder bananas have been touted as a natural sleeping pill.
ALMONDS
Ticking the tryptophan box once again, these nuts also deliver a hearty dose of healthy fats and magnesium.
OATS
As well as being full of vitamins, minerals and amino acids, these wholesome flakes assist the body in producing the hormone melatonin, which causes drowsiness.
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How to prevent colorectal cancer

The colon and rectum are parts of the digestive system, they make up the large intestine, most of the large intestine is made up of the colon.
Colorectal cancer is a cancer that starts in the colon or the rectum.

Physical activity protects against colon cancer. Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers, it is possible to prevent the cancer by eating healthy diet. Diet and lifestyle have a major role in colorectal cancer prevention

Foods containing fiber decreases the risk of this cancer. People who are more physically active have a lower risk of colon cancer compared to those who do very little physical activity.

Maintaining healthy weight, avoiding smoking and drinking of alcohol, proper exercise, limiting red and processed meat and eating more whole grains and fiber would lower the risk.

Eating whole grains daily, such as brown rice or whole-wheat bread, eating foods rich in vitamin C like oranges, strawberries and spinach can reduce colorectal cancer risk. Hot dogs, bacon and other processed meats consumed regularly increase the risk of the cancer.
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Use synbiotics for gut health

Probiotics are live bacteria that are good for digestive system. Probiotics are said to keep gut and digestion healthy by replacing the bad bacteria with good one.

Synbiotics combined a probiotic bacterial strain with prebiotics, which actually feed and increase the good bacteria in the gut.

Probiotics can not survive for a long periods of time, heat and stomach acid can kill them, making them ineffective before digestion.

 Synbiotics are the best way to ensure a maximum benefit from the ingested probiotics. It is the combination of probiotics and prebiotics to feed the human microbiome. Synbiotics could have beneficial effects on obesity and diabetes.

Research has linked our gut health to a range of conditions like obesity, depression, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Probiotics may prevent and treat fatty liver disease and keep it from advancing to liver cancer.

 Pre-and pro-biotics work together to provide a combined benefit, while the probiotic settles in and pushes out the bad bacteria, the prebiotic feeds the growth of positive strains.

A healthy, balanced microbiome breaks down foods, protects human from infection, trains immune system and produces vitamins K and B12. It also controls mood, anxiety and appetite.
Imbalances in the gut are linked to a range of conditions.

The composition of human gut microbiota is determined by genes but it can also be influenced by lifestyle factors such as diet, alcohol intake, exercise, and medications.
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Food preservatives interfere with hormone and cause obesity

Food preservatives are added to foods to preserve them for long-term use.
Scientists tested the effects of endocrine disruptors on humans. The three chemicals tested are: Butylhydroxytoluene BHT, Perfluorooctanoic acid PFOA and tributyltin TBT.

Butylhydroxytoluene BHT, is an antioxidant commonly added to breakfast cereals and other foods to protect nutrients and keep fats from turning rancid.

Perfluorooctanoic acid PFOAis a polymer found in some cookware, carpeting and other products.

Tributyltin TBT is a compound in paints that can make its way into water and accumulate in seafood.

Scientists used hormone-producing tissues grown from human stem cells to demonstrate how exposure to these chemicals can interfere with the digestive system and the brain.

 These chemicals enable people to continue eating, causing them to gain weight. Each of these chemicals damaged hormones that communicate between the gut and the brain.

 BHT produced some of the strongest detrimental effects, these compounds can disrupt hormones that are critical to gut-to-brain signaling and preventing obesity.

Scientists obtained blood samples from adults, and then, by introducing reprogramming genes, converted the cells into induced pluripotent stem cells.

 Then, using these stem cells, they grew human epithelium tissue, which lines the gut, and neuronal tissues of the brain's hypothalamus region, which regulates appetite and metabolism.

Scientists exposed the tissues to BHT, PFOA and TBT, one by one and also in combination, and discovered that the chemicals disrupted networks that prepare signaling hormones to maintain their structure and be transported out of the cells, thus making them ineffective.

The chemicals also damaged the cellular structures that convert food and oxygen into energy and drive the body's metabolism. Because the chemical damage occurred in young cells, a defective hormone system could impact a pregnant mother and her fetus.
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Symptoms of pancreatic cancer

The pancreas is a large gland that is part of the digestive system.
In the early stages of cancer, a tumour in the pancreas doesn't usually cause any symptoms, which can make it difficult to diagnose.

Some people in the early stages of the disease can experience abdominal pain, changes of bowel habits, nausea and vomiting, jaundice, diabetes, back pain and weight loss.

Survival rates for pancreatic cancer remain low, with most patients given months rather than years to live,” said Dr Francesco Cellini, radiation oncologist.

The study retrospectively analysed 514 patients from Europe and the US diagnosed when their tumours had not spread and could be removed by surgery.

Following surgery, all the patients had been treated with chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy and followed up for an average of 20 months.

For patients with early stage tumours, standard treatment is surgery followed by chemotherapy, sometimes with radiotherapy.

For later-stage disease, patients are treated with chemotherapy, which may be combined with palliative radiotherapy as their disease progresses.

Side-effects of chemotherapy

CANCER is often treated with chemotherapy - a group of drugs used to destroy cancerous cells - but it comes with several side-effects.

Chemotherapy makes radiotherapy effective, relieves symptoms if a cure isn’t possible and reduce the risk of cancer coming back after radiotherapy or surgery.

There are two main types of chemotherapy- Intravenous
chemotherapy involves treatment via the vein. It is usually performed at hospital with medicine being given via a tube.

Oral chemotherapy is a tablets for treating cancer, it can kill cancer cells and healthy cells- particularly blood cells, skin cells and cells in the stomach.

Chemotherapy for brain cancer can kill some healthy brain cells, causing depression. Chemotherapy targets cells which are fast-growing - like cancer - but this also affect hair, bone marrow, skin and lining of digestive system.

Most of these will disappear after treatment, normal cells can replace or repair the damaged ones, and some might occur when taking the drugs.