Crohn's Disease Research Paper
Unit 9
Selenium and Crohn’s Disease
July 19, 2011
Selenium and Crohn’s Disease Antioxidants are any substance that reduces oxidative stress (Definition of Antioxidant, 2011), oxidative stress can be defined as damage due oxygen. Antioxidants work in our body by slowing down or even preventing the oxidative process by neutralizing free radicals in our body. Free radicals are molecules produced when our body breaks down food, but we are also exposed to free radicals through oxygen and daily living such as exposure to tobacco smoke. Free radicals can damage our cells, antioxidants interact with free radicals and help with that damage. Consider antioxidants scavengers for free radicals, they go into our body and destroy the free …show more content…
In Crohn’s disease any portion if the gastrointestinal tract can be affected, symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, and weight loss; people with chronic Crohn’s disease may eventually begin to show signs of malnutrition. Studies have proven that patients with Crohn’s disease do have a deficiency of selenium but do not show clinical symptoms of a selenium deficiency (Rannem, 1992) these patients should have their selenium status monitored and receive supplements. Research has also proven that patients with Crohn’s Disease suffer from oxidative stress and have significantly lower blood level of antioxidants than healthy controls (Crohn’s disease patients lack antioxidants, 2001). Since selenium helps prevent oxidative stress someone who is suffering from Crohn’s disease would benefit from taking selenium as a supplement to help with the inflammation in the body and to boost their immune system. “Oxidative stress is thought to play a significant role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn's Disease. Endogenous antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione, and catalase are normally able to counteract oxidative stress in the intestinal mucosa (Inflammation and Immune Response Altered Immune Response,
Selenium and Crohn’s Disease
July 19, 2011
Selenium and Crohn’s Disease Antioxidants are any substance that reduces oxidative stress (Definition of Antioxidant, 2011), oxidative stress can be defined as damage due oxygen. Antioxidants work in our body by slowing down or even preventing the oxidative process by neutralizing free radicals in our body. Free radicals are molecules produced when our body breaks down food, but we are also exposed to free radicals through oxygen and daily living such as exposure to tobacco smoke. Free radicals can damage our cells, antioxidants interact with free radicals and help with that damage. Consider antioxidants scavengers for free radicals, they go into our body and destroy the free …show more content…
In Crohn’s disease any portion if the gastrointestinal tract can be affected, symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, and weight loss; people with chronic Crohn’s disease may eventually begin to show signs of malnutrition. Studies have proven that patients with Crohn’s disease do have a deficiency of selenium but do not show clinical symptoms of a selenium deficiency (Rannem, 1992) these patients should have their selenium status monitored and receive supplements. Research has also proven that patients with Crohn’s Disease suffer from oxidative stress and have significantly lower blood level of antioxidants than healthy controls (Crohn’s disease patients lack antioxidants, 2001). Since selenium helps prevent oxidative stress someone who is suffering from Crohn’s disease would benefit from taking selenium as a supplement to help with the inflammation in the body and to boost their immune system. “Oxidative stress is thought to play a significant role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn's Disease. Endogenous antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione, and catalase are normally able to counteract oxidative stress in the intestinal mucosa (Inflammation and Immune Response Altered Immune Response,