WHAT IS IBD?

 IBD is an abbreviation for Irritable Bowel Disease. IBD is an umbrella term for conditions that affect the   GI (gastrointestinal) tract. Unfortunately, many of these conditions, especially left untreated may increase the risk of colon cancer. The two main conditions under the IBD umbrella are Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. Following is a list of symptoms that the two above conditions commonly share. If you are having any of these symptoms on a regular basis, I suggest you see your doctor. There are treatments available that can be very helpful.

• Persistent diarrhea
• Rectal bleeding/bloody stools
• Loss of appetite/weight loss that is unintentional
• Urgent need to move bowels or the feeling of incomplete bowel movements
• Abdominal pain and cramping
• Loss of energy
• Low-grade fever

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INFLAMMATION - SYSTEMIC (CHRONIC)

Systemic inflammation can wreak havoc in any part of your body.  Dr. Floyd Chilton of Wake Forest Baptist Health School of Medicine in North Carolina says, and I quote here, "If the haywire inflammatory process happens in the heart, you wind up with heart disease; if it happens in the joints, it's arthritis; in the brain, it might be dementia."  Widespread inflammation can be a symptom of lupus, an autoimmune, chronic inflammatory condition.  It is also widely believed by the medical community that chronic inflammation plays a significant role (either as a cause or effect) in many diseases such as type 2 diabetes, arthritis, Chron's disease, heart disease, cancer, and stroke.  The last three are America's top 3 killers.

It is recommended that we drink green tea daily.  Green tea is full of potent antioxidants that help stop inflammation.  If you suffer from arthritis, as an example, would you believe something as simple as a few cups of green tea daily could help you battle the disease?  That is a fairly inexpensive and simple medicine!

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