AN INVESTIGATION ON THE EVOLUTION OF AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE, SPECIFICALLY CROHNS DISEASE
Stephen Palma-MarinaroPeriod 16/11/13
Ancient Lifestyle and Diet
Westernized diet
Non-Westernized Diet Low Blood Pressure Excellent Insulin
Sensitivity Lower Body Mass
Index Lower waist/Height
ratio Better Visual
Activity Lower Fracture
Rates Better Bone health
Industrial Revolution 1760-1830 Rise of Factories Separation of
household and plant
Autoimmune Diseases
Crohn’s Disease Autoimmune disease that produces an
inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract. Genetics
NOD2 gene defect Bacterial flora of gut
Mycobacterium avium Paratuberculosis(MAP)
Bacteroides Smoking Stress Diet*
Crohn’s Disease
400,000-500,000 cases of Crohn’s disease in the U.S.A. 2007 reports highest incidence rates in: New Zealand,
Canada, Scotland, France, Netherlands and Scandinavia.
Sign/ Symptom DescriptionDiarrhea Typically 4 episodes
per day.Abdominal pain
or crampingModerate to severe
tendernessBlood in stool PresentWeight loss/
anorexiaCommon due to poor digestion & intestinal
absorptionAppetite Decreased
Risk of colon cancer
Increased(Head & Jurenka, 2003)
(Economoua & Pappas, 2007)
Link Between Modern Diet and Crohn’s
Autoimmune diseases are rare or virtually absent in
hunter-gatherers and non-westernized populations.
Treatments for Crohn’s Disease
Conventional Treatments:Surgery, Elemental Diet, Antibiotics, Corticosteroids
Works Cited American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, Inc. http://goo.gl/maps/PeQgE (accessed 27 November 2012). Andoh, A., H. Imaeda., T. Aomatsu., O. Inatomi., S. Bamba., M. Sasaki., Y. Saito., TTsujikawa.
And Y. Fuhiyama. 2011. Comparison of the fecal microbiota profiles between ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Journal of Gastroenterology 46:479-486. Bach, J.F.? 2002. Increasing rate of Crohn's Disease and other immune disorders. New England
Journal of Medicine 347:911-920. Baylor College of Medicine. The Human Microbiome Project. http://www.bcm.edu/molvir/microbiome (5 December 2012). Hermon-Taylor, J. 2001. Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis: the nature of the problem. Food Control 12:331-334. Lindeberg S. 2010. Food and Western Disease: Health and Nutrition from an Evolutionary Perspective. Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell. United States National Library of Medicine. Immune Response. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000821.htm (accessed 28 November
2012).
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