Another Technique to Test for MAP & Other Bacteria in IBD Patients

Great Read!

Our bodies immune system didn't just break one day.  Autoimmune Disease is the medical term that means - we don't know what is causing your pain/inflammation, so we will blame it on a malfunctioning immune response. 

 -ME

Professors’ work helps detect Crohn’s, other bowel diseases

Blending their research together into one effort, two UCF faculty members have created a scientific technique that may help doctors better understand diseases.

Professor Saleh Naser and Associate Professor J. Manuel Perez have developed a nanoparticle-based technique that allows doctors to effectively and quickly detect pathogens that cause Crohn’s disease and other inflammatory bowel diseases.

The technique, which was recently published earlier this month in PLoS ONE, a peer-reviewed scientific journal, builds off of a previous polymerase chain reaction DNA-based technique that Naser and Perez developed, by adding nanosensors labeled with probes that detect and bind themselves to certain bacteria.

Taking advantage of this nanotechnology, Naser hopes that this will help scientists better understand where hard-to-trace diseases, such as Crohn’s disease, come from.

“Crohn’s disease is a controversial disease,” said Naser, who teaches in the College of Medicine and the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences. “There are different schools of thought about what causes the disease and the reason for the controversy is the lack of consistent, fast, diagnostic and reliable methods to find the bacteria in clinical samples. Now, with this technology we developed with Dr. Perez at UCF, we have a fast method, it is effective, it is specific, it is sensitive and ultimately it can give the doctor an answer within an hour and the doctor accordingly can give appropriate medication to his patients.”

Naser said that, of the multiple theories of what causes Crohn’s disease, he believes that a bacterium known as Mycobacterium paratuberculosis, also known as MAP, is the cause of the intestinal disease.      (THANK YOU... ME TOO!! MAP IT IS)

Having studied Crohn’s disease for more than 20 years, Naser decided to test the technique with blood and tissue containing MAP, in an effort to detect the bacteria with the nanosensors and progress his theory. 

“My collaboration with Dr. Perez started a few years ago. We joint-submitted a successful grant proposal to the National Institute of Health and have been since working diligently on the development of nanosensors. Dr. Perez developed the nanoparticles and my lab provided him with specific probes and the biological systems to evaluate these sensors,” Naser said. “Throughout the process, we tested a large number of bacterial cultures as well as blood and tissue we obtained from patients at the University of Florida. We believe the concept of these nanosensors can be applied for the diagnosis of other microorganisms including bacteria and viruses. This technology really opened the door to so many possibilities.”

After tests were performed, Naser and Perez found that not only were they able to detect the bacteria, they were able to obtain the results much faster with the addition of these nanosensors. 

“These are very small particles, which we coated with DNA probes specific to MAP. The probes were then detected using a device which records the presence or absence of the bacteria in the patient sample,” Naser said. “The magic in all of this is that the entire process may be done within an hour. This is exciting because for the first time ever, we can report the presence of MAP in clinical samples in record time of minutes instead of weeks or months.”

Perez said it is vital to make the process faster in order to help doctors treat patients.

“It is all about giving medical professionals easy and reliable tools to better understand the spread of a disease, while helping people get treatment faster,” Perez said in a UCF Today article. “That’s my goal. And that’s where nanotechnology really has a lot to offer, particularly when the technology has been validated using clinical, food and environmental samples as is in our case.”

Richard Peppler, the associate dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs and the interim director for the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, praised Perez, Naser and their research team for their hard work.

“I think it’s wonderful. I think it’s an example of the collaboration of faculty between two different units within the university,” Peppler said. “It’s showing how we can take something from the bench to the bedside and it’s gonna improve the health for patients with Crohn’s disease and other GI problems.”

Naser stressed that the real purpose of this hard work is to allow doctors to find these bacteria, leading to the elimination of the cause entirely through antibiotics.  (YES)

“Ultimately, the big winner in all of this will be the patients, because current treatment for Crohn’s disease is an anti-inflammatory, which are considered management medications; these medications are not given to the patient for a cure,” Naser said “Now, the patients can be tested for MAP using UCF nanosensors and if the patient is positive, then the doctor will be able prescribe antibiotics that we know are effective and lethal against the bacteria; this will lead to a cure.” (LOL does anyone else feel the truth in this article right now?? IBD can be cured not just managed.  You just need to find the right doctors that aren't satisfied with the current treatments either. Don't get discouraged by your doctors, family, friends and what they say.  You live with your body every day and ya know what I've noticed that the good doctors say to people with chronic illnesses ... "You know your body best" It's true.  Your doctor may know something, but your family knows NOTHING and your friends... lol they probably don't even know the definition of IBD or MAP ... they'd say "its....well I'm pretty sure it's a navigation tool that you can use when you don't have a GPS"............< my long stare of death because of your stupidity...say nothing please I'd rather hear silence >    then I say ......  " SHUT THE F*^% UP, DUMB ASS!! "   

Get Angry!!!  It helps to motivate me to be who I am, say with confidence what I believe to be true, and to say FU to the ones that were wrong.

Naser also said that he hopes the technique will eventually be licensed by a company that specializes in diagnosing and treating chronic diseases.

http://www.centralfloridafuture.com/news/professors-work-helps-detect-crohn-s-other-bowel-diseases-1.2733364#.T52nc8RYusQ

Probiotics Do Protect against IBD... YES, they DO!

Good Article from ScienceDaily.com about the benefits of probiotics and how they protect the body from inflammation.

Article Highlights

 "Dirk Haller therefore warns against false promises: "Not every product labeled as 'probiotic' actually earns this name."  This is true..ConsumerLabs tested the accuracy of probiotics to see if the amount of probiotic in the capsule matches what the amount is on the label.  The results were horrid.  Some of the companies that supply probiotics had a % as low as 10% of what they said was in the capsule.  Others had better results, but a lot of them had a much lower % of healthy bacteria in them than what they documented on the label. A good probiotic can be costly. Remember though.. you get what you pay for.  Be sure to do your research before investing a dime in the probiotic you choose.

"As the scientists observed, lactocepin degrades messengers from the immune system, known as chemokines, in the diseased tissue. As a part of the "normal" immune response, chemokines are needed to guide defense cells to the source of the infection. In chronic intestinal disorders like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, the otherwise highly effective defense mechanism against infectious agents is malfunctioning. Chemokines such as "IP-10" then contribute to the tissue damage due to chronic inflammatory processes, preventing the tissue from healing." 

Invisible helpers: How probiotic bacteria protect against inflammatory bowel diseases

ANOTHER Disgusting Report Regarding What We R Eating- WTF is Wrong w/ the FDA

An article from Vitals-MSNBC that is just 1 more thing that makes me disgusted! MEAT GLUE??? Are you serious?  What's next...  I wonder!

When I read articles like this, it burns me up!!!   I'm not pissed off at the companies that produce this garbage.. THEY CAN because the FDA allows it.  

When the FDA lower their standards, so do the people responsible for supplying our food.  People's minds start churning (farmers of meat, produce, dairy ect..) and now their standards are dropped as well. It's a chain effect.  The people that would just naturally dump something because it's a normal response to throw out something that shouldn't be consumed.  Now they will reconsider, putting it off to the side and not in the trash.  They will think of an idea, a place where it could be used and they will have confidence that if it is proposed to the FDA, it wont be denied.  Truth is.. it probably wont.  

The bottom line falls into the hands of the Food & Drug Administration..PERIOD.  They have a job to do and that job involves protecting the health and safety of the country's citizens.  It's not very hard to see that they aren't doing a very good job.  The FDA FAILS

{Look at our health care industry.  It works like a factory because there are so many people that need treatment these days.  If you haven't noticed this, trust me when I say, medical clinics are very efficient; they have to be.  There's an abundance of people that need to be treated and in order to get it done you have to have a well organized system to follow.}

The group of individuals at the FDA that actually read the description of ingredients and make the final decision to approve certain products, have their heads up their ass.  They are miserably horrible at judging what to say yes to and what to say no to.  They are the ones that are morally responsible.  I said MORALLY.  Reality is.. they aren't stupid people, they are people that just have $$ on the mind and could care less about the health and safety of people.  Stand up, take your head out of your ass, and say "no" for a change... 

People will disagree with me regarding this (that's fine, i don't care.  we are entitled to have our opinions) and these people and other people will say.. "well this isn't 1965 anymore and our world is different. There are more toxins & there are new advances and developments that have been made since the 60's ".  That is true.. absolutely right.  Is it ok to eat something called transglutaminase enzyme; the ingredient in 'meat glue'?  Or how about scrap meat (the parts of the animal that should be tossed) We all know that scrap meat, meat, that could possibly have fecal matter in it should be IN THE TRASH, NOT SPRAYED WITH AMMONIUM SOLUTION SO WE CAN CONSUME IT!!!!  Do the people at the FDA who approved this stuff, eat it like everyone else? Probably not, but they should be required to.

Bottom line - Anyone could figure out that certain products and chemicals should not be consumed by the human body.  Our bodies can only handle so much garbage.  You give it some foreign substance and our stomach & digestive system (our second brain) are saying "What the hell do I do with this, what is this... YUCK" - Refusal - Repeat100X  = A disease.  

Some things are just common sense. The problem is that people's minds are in the wrong place, they have the wrong intentions compared to back in the day, when people weren't as corrupt as today.  People don't care about anyone anymore.  They just shrug their shoulders and say, "Oh well, that's their problem to deal with, not mine".  

New beef brouhaha: Should you be grossed out by 'meat glue?'

Still reeling from the specter of "pink slime," beef industry officials on Friday fought off another culinary creep-out: “meat glue.”

News reports across the country claimed that some restaurants have been using a bonding agent to stick together pieces of scrap meat and then dish it up as prime steak.

“This fat, rare-cooked filet mignon is not what it seems. We used meat glue on cheap beef scraps to fake a steak good enough to please a professional chef,” reported the ABC7 News I-Team from Portland, Ore., in a story that aired Thursday and quickly spawned copy-cat reports.

The reports suggested that glued-together meat might pose a food safety hazard if it’s not properly handled and cooked.

Food safety experts and meat and restaurant industry officials told msnbc.com that the story is not so simple.

They said that while so-called “meat glue” is a real product, the outcry is another example of consumers not understanding what’s actually in their food.

“People simply don’t know you’re eating it,” said Michael Batz, food safety risk researcher at the University of Florida Emerging Pathogens Institute.

Meat glue, an enzyme called transglutaminase, is commonly used in restaurant kitchens, acknowledged Janet Riley, a spokeswoman for the American Meat Institute. But the product, which can bind proteins together, is typically used to avoid wasting high-dollar cuts of meat, such as beef tenderloin, not to cobble together stew meat. It might also be used in place of toothpicks, say, to keep bacon-wrapped beef in place.

“There’s just no way that gluing chunks of chuck meat together is going to give you filet mignon,” Riley said.

It likely wouldn’t make economic sense for restaurants to go to the time and trouble to stick together scraps of meat, given the cost of the transglutaminase, which runs about $40 a pound wholesale, much more than any stew meat they might use.

“I don’t know where that would be happening; it would be a very expensive thing to do,” said Randall K. Phebus, an associate professor of animal sciences and industry at Kansas State University who specializes in food safety.

Transglutaminase is "generally recognized as safe," said Curtis Allen, an FDA spokesman.

From a consumer food safety standpoint, glued-together pieces of meat might pose the same hazard as any so-called non-intact cut of meat, such as blade-tenderized beef or even ground hamburger.

If the meat weren’t handled properly, someone could transfer bacteria from the outside of the meat to the inside, Phebus said. It would be important to cook the meat thoroughly, to the 160 degrees Fahrenheit recommended for hamburger.

The tricky part is that consumers may not know when they’re being served food with meat glue.

At the grocery store, retailers have to identify so-called “reformed” products and they have to list transglutaminase  enzyme as an ingredient.

Restaurants, however, don’t have to list “meat glue” on their menu. 

http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/27/11433085-new-beef-brouhaha-should-you-be-grossed-out-by-meat-glue?lite?ocid=twitter

LOW-RESIDUE DIET *Defined*- Said To Be Helpful For IBD Suffers

I've seen this diet as an option for people with IBD and I wasn't sure what it consisted of.  Well, now I do and I wanted to share it with all my crohnie peeps.  I've made comments that you will see in bold and underlined throughout the article.  Just FYI.  

The Low-Residue Diet

If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) -- like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis -- ordiverticulitis, your doctor may suggest you follow a low-residue diet. A low-residue diet involves eating more easily digestible foods. A low-residue diet may reduce symptoms of IBD, such as diarrhea and stomach cramping; however, it will not cure IBD.

What Is a Low-Residue Diet?A low-residue diet is a diet in which fiber and other foods that are harder for your body to digest are restricted. Fiber is made up of plant material that cannot be completely digested by the body. High-fiber foods include whole-grain breads and cereals, nuts, seeds, and raw or dried fruits.Residue refers to undigested foods, including fiber, that make up stool. If intestinal walls are inflamed or damaged, digestion and absorption of nutrients and water may be impaired, depending on the location of disease activity.In some people with Crohn’s disease, the small intestine may also become very narrowed. The idea behind a low-residue diet is to reduce the number and size of bowel movements you have each day, thereby lessening painful IBD symptoms such as cramping, diarrhea, bloating, and gas. However, it does not affect inflammation or the disease itself.A low-residue/low-fiber diet may be recommended for short-term use during disease flare-ups or following surgery to help with recovery. However, it is not a general eating plan for all people with IBD. Your health care provider or nutritionist can help make sure your diet plan is appropriate. In addition to dietary changes, your health care provider or nutritionist may recommend vitamin supplements.Low-Residue Diet: Foods to EnjoyEating a low-residue/low-fiber diet goes against what nutritionists tout as a healthy way to eat because it severely limits fiber intake and other important nutrients. A low-residue/low-fiber diet usually stays away from grainy, nutty foods that are loaded with fiber.Here are foods you can eat if you are on a low-residue diet:Grains

• Refined or enriched white breads and plain crackers, such as saltines or Melba toast (no seeds).

• Cooked cereals, such as farina, cream of wheat, and grits.

• Cold cereals, such as puffed rice and corn flakes.

• White rice, noodles, and refined pasta.

Fruits and VegetablesThe skin and seeds of many fruits and vegetables are loaded with fiber, so peeling skin and avoiding seeds is part of a low-residue diet. The following vegetables can be eaten on a low-residue diet:

• Well cooked fresh vegetables or canned vegetables without seeds, such as asparagus tips, beets, green beans, carrots, mushrooms, spinach, squash (no seeds), and pumpkin.

• Cooked potatoes without skin.

• Tomato sauce (no seeds).

Fruits include:

• Ripe bananas

• Soft cantaloupe

• Honeydew

• Canned or cooked fruits without seeds or skin, such as applesauce or canned pears

• Avocado

Milk and DairyMilk products are OK to eat, in moderation. Milk does not contain fiber but it may trigger symptoms such as diarrhea and cramping for some people with lactose intolerance. Alternatively, using lactase supplements or eating lactose-free products may be options.Meats and ProteinYou can enjoy most meats, including beef, lamb, chicken, fish (no bones), and pork as long as they are lean, tender, and soft. Eggs are also OK to eat.Fats, Sauces, and CondimentsAll of the following condiments are fine to eat on a low-residue diet:

• Margarine, butter, and oils

• Mayonnaise and ketchup

• Sour cream

• Smooth sauces and salad dressing

• Soy sauce

• Clear jelly, honey, and syrup

Sweets and SnacksYou can still satisfy your sweet tooth on a low-residue diet. The following desserts and snacks are OK to eat, in moderation:

• Plain cakes and cookies

• Gelatin, plain puddings, custard, and sherbet

• Ice cream and popsicles

• Hard candy

• Pretzels

• Vanilla wafers

DrinksSafe drinks to enjoy on a low-residue diet include:

• Decaffeinated coffee, tea, and carbonated beverages (caffeine can irritate the stomach) Be careful with carbonated drinks as they sometimes irritate.  Coffee for me is a no-no.... Yes, even decaf.

• Milk  AVOID if you are flaring or are lactose intolerant/dairy sensitive

• Juices made without seeds or pulp, such as apple juice, no-pulp orange juice, and cranberry juice

• Strained vegetable juices

 Low-Residue Diet: Foods to AvoidWhile on a low-residue diet, these foods or drinks are generally avoided:

• Seeds, nuts, or coconut, including those found in bread, cereal, desserts, and candy.

• Whole-grain products, including whole-grain breads, cereals, crackers, pasta, rice is okay, and kasha. ***If you have Celiac or feel sick after eating anything grainy, avoid products that have gluten in them and get the gluten free option.  If you are flared, AVOID gluten all together until your condition calms down.  Make sure to slowly reintroduce these foods back into your diet after restricting this food for a certain period.  FYI - The reason that so many people are sensitive to grains and/or developing allergies to gluten, is because of the way companies make the grain products.  The quality of our food is on the decline.  Because of the need to mass produce, the grain products are made in a way that has a negative effect on digestion.  (companies skip  some of the vital steps that is necessary to make a good quality bread/pasta/cereals because it cuts back on the time it takes to make the product.)
• **Remember - All Rice is free of gluten  

• Raw or dried fruits, such as prunes, berries, raisins, figs, and pineapple.

• Most raw vegetables.

• Certain cooked vegetables, including peas, broccoli, winter squash, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, corn (and corn bread), onions, cauliflower, potatoes with skin, and baked beans.

• Beans, lentils, or tofu. Tough meats with gristle and smoked or cured deli meats.

• Cheese with seeds, nuts, or fruit.

• Peanut butter, jam, marmalade, or preserves.

• Pickles, olives, relish, sauerkraut, and horseradish.

• Popcorn.

• Fruit juices with pulp or seeds, prune juice, or pear nectar.

Low-Residue Diet: Sample MenuThere are many meal options to choose from on a low-residue diet. In fact, you can even buy cookbooks that specialize in low-residue meals. Here are some meal options to get you started:Breakfast

• Decaffeinated coffee with cream and sugar

• Cup of juice, such as no-pulp orange juice, apple juice, or cranberry juice

• Cream of wheat

• Scrambled eggs

• Waffles, French toast, or pancakes

• White bread toast with margarine and grape jelly (no seeds)

Lunch

• Baked chicken, white rice, canned carrots or green beans

• Salad with baked chicken, American cheese, smooth salad dressing, white dinner roll

• Baked potato (no skin), with sour cream and butter or margarine

• Hamburger with white seedless bun, ketchup, and mayonnaise -- lettuce if it doesn't worsen your symptoms

Dinner

• Tender roast beef, white rice, cooked carrots or spinach, white dinner roll with margarine or butter

• Pasta with butter or olive oil, French bread, fruit cocktail

• Baked chicken, white rice or baked potato without skin, and cooked green beans

• Broiled fish, white rice, and canned green beans

Low-Residue Diet: Making It Work

You may find that some of the foods listed under "foods to avoid" do not bother you, while others on the "foods to enjoy" list cause discomfort. Everyone tolerates food differently. To determine what's right for you, keep a food diary for a few weeks. By tracking what you eat and how it makes you feel, you can get a better idea of what works for you.If you are generally a healthy eater who enjoys whole grains, nuts, and raw fruits and vegetables, shifting to a low-residue diet may be hard. But if you enjoy your white bread and pasta, don't mind canned fruits and vegetables, and are content to snack on saltines and vanilla wafers, a low-residue diet may come naturally. But remember, a low-residue diet is not a healthy way to eat for a long period of time because it omits many important nutrients. If your condition requires you to stay on a low-residue diet over a long period of time, talk to a registered dietitian or nutritionexpert to make sure you are getting all the nutrients you need to stay healthy. You may need to supplement your diet with vitamins and minerals.

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