Abigail Marie the Chef with IBD
Professional Chef with IBD helping you navigate food, lifestyle, new IBD research, and patient advocacy.
Vitamin D deficiency is commonly seen in patients with Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis. So much so in fact, that an estimated 80% of those with CD and 75% with UC suffer from vitamin D insufficiency and 50% of those meet the markers to be deficient. To be considered Vitamin D insufficient your levels are between … Read more
In a recent, small Korean study researchers found a biomarker to potentially predict relapse of Crohn’s Disease in children. Predicting relapse in IBD patients is almost impossible at the moment as we do not fully understand what causes these diseases in the first place. So having a biomarker to predict a flare could be a … Read more
Joint pain is the most common external manifestation of Crohn’s and Colitis. In fact, the two types of joint inflammation, arthritis and arthralgia, affect 40% of all IBD patients. In comparison, 30% of those with UC, and 20% with CD will be diagnosed with arthritis. Arthritis is joint pain from excess inflammation, whereas arthralgia is … Read more
A recent study has found that using Tofacitinib in addition to traditional IV corticosteroids could help greatly reduce risk of colectomy in hospitalized patients with severe UC. This comes as welcome news, as currently 30% of hospitalized patients with severe UC will not respond to corticosteroids, often making a colectomy the only option. If the … Read more
Iron deficiency is a common complication in people with IBD. In fact, it’s so common that a recent study has shown 50% of Crohn’s and Colitis patients develop iron deficiency, and 25% develop iron deficiency anemia as a result. Iron deficiency and anemia go hand in hand, but they are not always seen together. It … Read more
In recent years, we have seen biosimilars appear on the pharmaceutical scene. A biosimilar is a biologic that is almost the same as another approved biological medication. In fact, in the EU biosimilars are prescribed with the same safety and effectiveness of traditional biologics. In a year-long recent U.K. study researchers compared the effectiveness of … Read more
SIBO is an acronym for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth, and many people with IBS, Crohn’s, and Ulcerative colitis will experience SIBO at some time during their diagnosis. In fact, a recent study found that as many as 78% of those with IBS also have SIBO. In addition, an eleven-study database showed an odds ratio of … Read more
Diff, also known as Clostridioides difficile or C. difficile, is a type of bacterium that causes severe diarrhea and inflammation of the colon (colitis). This bacterium affects almost half a million Americans annually, and 1 in 6 will have a recurrence of C. Diff in the following 2-8 weeks. Major risk factors include age (65+), … Read more
When dealing with Crohn’s and Colitis there are some complications that are more common than others, and fistulas are one of them. In fact, 1 in 3 people with Crohn’s and 1 in 35 with UC will experience this complication at some point in their life. A fistula is a small narrow tunnel-like structure that … Read more
Zeposia, or ozanimod, was found effective in UC patients compared to placebo after only one week of full dose ingestion. This is a new drug on the autoimmune scene as it was approved for treatment of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in June of 2020, but has proven itself a contender in treating UC after Bristol Myer … Read more