Bias In Mainstream Medicine Accepted Policies

Post by **tex** » Fri Feb 12, 2016 4:56 pm

The medical community is having a tough time understanding celiac disease. Though a description that apparently refers to the disease can be found in the literature written roughly 2,000 years ago, very little was learned about the disease until a Spanish physician published a book in 1922 in which he described a pediatric case. Another doctor described a case where eating bread or biscuits caused a child to have diarrhea. This inspired a Dutch physician to suspect wheat and he began doing experiments using a wheat-free diet. He published his first results in 1941 and at the International Congress of Pediatrics in New York City in 1947 he reported that bread or cookies aggravated celiac disease. But because of bias, selective attention deficit disorder, or whatever you want to call it, he wasn't taken seriously by the medical world.

So he solicited the help of a few colleagues who were able to develop the fecal fat test and by using that test they proved that removing wheat from the diet reduced the amount of unabsorbed fat in the stool, whereas reintroducing wheat into the diet increased fecal fat content. This information was brought to the International Congress of the International Pediatric Association in 1950.

But guess what? Publication of the results was delayed because it was rejected by a prestigious American Magazine. Does that ring a bell? The same thing happened to Dr. Fine when he attempted to publish his research showing that celiac disease can be detected early (by detecting antibodies in stool, rather than blood), instead of having to wait until the villa of the small intestine are almost totally destroyed, as is required by the current celiac disease "gold standard" diagnostic criteria requiring a Marsh 3 level of villus damage to qualify for a celiac diagnosis. Furthermore, his research showed that the inflammation that perpetuates MC is due to food sensitivities (again, marked by antibodies in stool), and he demonstrated that removing those foods from the diet can control the symptoms.

So with a contrarian claim involving not just 1, but 2 diseases, and trashing the "gold standard" diagnostic criteria for celiac disease, it's not at all surprising that Dr. Fine's articles were refused publication. Mainstream medicine still hasn't come to grips with all of the implications of celiac disease yet, so they're certainly not ready to take on a similar issue with MC. After all, CC was first described only 40 years ago, so MC is still way back in the queue. And according to some authorities, even today approximately 19 out of 20 cases of celiac disease are never diagnosed, because of the primitive and unrealistic diagnostic criteria that continue to be used by the medical community.

But there's another issue here. It's now pretty well accepted that diet changes (avoiding gluten) are a complete treatment for celiac disease, and no additional (medical) intervention is required. Celiac disese was the first IBD ever medically described. It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that if 1 type of IBD (celiac disease) can be completely controlled by diet changes then it's very likely that the other types of IBD can be controlled by diet changes also. Some types of IBD just require more complex diet changes than celiac disease. So one would think that medicine would be focusing it's research on investigating ways to control the other IBDs by diet changes. At the very least they should be diligently trying to systematically rule out the option of using diet to treat the other IBDs. But instead they focus on drug-based treatments only. No one is interested in treating anything with diet changes, because there's no money in it for anyone in the industry, especially for the drug companies, where all but a small fraction of research funding originates.

The bias in medicine clearly states that all disease should be treated with drugs. For evidence, one need look no further than the fact that while in medical school, physicians do not even receive enough training about dietary issues to be able to make intelligent decisions about their own health, let along the health of patients who may have all sorts of dietary issues. So it's painfully clear that most of the bias associated with this issue is (as usual) all about money. And while the various industries involved scramble to make just as much money as they can (at the expense of all IBD patients) everyone who has an IBD continues to suffer needlessly, because of industry greed and inappropriate abuse of power.

Tex

Blueberry · Post by **Blueberry** » Fri Feb 12, 2016 5:36 pm

I have read of a doctor in the UK that is active with using dietary methods to treat IBD conditions. The Daily Mail ran an article on his work. It also has mention on how others in the field view dietary ideas, poorly. Basically Dr. Hunter places the patients on a prescription liquid diet. Then he gradually introduces food into the diet. It reportedly works for 90% of patients.

Surprisingly Dr. Hunter does not believe dietary ideas work for UC. I've seen many with UC say otherwise. It's one of those things that makes me curious in some respects.

"How to tackle Crohn's Disease without the help of drugs"

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic ... drugs.html

Erica P-G · Post by **Erica P-G** » Fri Feb 12, 2016 5:56 pm

Maybe there is hope...
I heard this on NPR last December 26th, 2015

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shot ... ter-advice

Adelaide · Post by **Adelaide** » Fri Feb 12, 2016 7:02 pm

That was interesting. The article stated, ' 'Exclusion diets are not easy for the patient or supervising doctors; it's much easier to just hand out a pill'. I understand that busy doctors may not have the time for this, so why couldn't patients be referred to dietitians that are trained in this procedure.

Gabes-Apg · Post by **Gabes-Apg** » Fri Feb 12, 2016 7:07 pm

why couldn't patients be referred to dietitians that are trained in this procedure.

and nutritionists etc?? you mean a wholistic approach to health?? that doesnt generate profits for big pharma..

Post by **tex** » Fri Feb 12, 2016 7:18 pm

Exactly. Mainstream physicians who understand the power of diet are as scarce as those proverbial hen's teeth. Anytime you see a doctor or a researchers promoting dietary treatments you can bet that you are looking at a medical professional who is either taking a chance on being shunned by the mainstream medical community, or she or he is practicing alternative medicine in general.

And of course the immediate problem of assigning the duty of dietary guidance to dietitians or nutritionists is that none of them understand MC at all, so there is a big question about how well they would actually do with the other IBDs, except of course for celiac disease. IOW, dietitians and nutritionists are currently as well-trained as GI specialists, because they don't understand MC either.

Tex

Adelaide · Post by **Adelaide** » Fri Feb 12, 2016 7:51 pm

I saw my integrative doctor the other day and told him my diagnosis of LC but he didn't seem to think it was much different from IBS. Though he did keep saying, 'But what is driving the inflammation? It could be food sensitivities or parasites.' Before I left he said, 'At least you don't have Crohn's or UC.'

Lilja · Post by **Lilja** » Sat Feb 13, 2016 6:32 am

Adelaide wrote: Before I left he said, 'At least you don't have Crohn's or UC.'

Those words are the exact same that my doctors at the University Hospital in Oslo used after they had diagnozed me with Collagenous Colitis back in 2010.

Lilia

Blueberry · Post by **Blueberry** » Sat Feb 13, 2016 6:51 am

Adelaide wrote:That was interesting. The article stated, ' 'Exclusion diets are not easy for the patient or supervising doctors; it's much easier to just hand out a pill'. I understand that busy doctors may not have the time for this, so why couldn't patients be referred to dietitians that are trained in this procedure.

Before I began visiting this wonderful helpful sight, I was a monitor at one of the Crohns, IBD web sights. I was tasked with helping those interested in dietary ideas to help with their IBD condition.

I tried bringing up different dietary ideas. I would mention the paleo diet in particular. That diet did not take off, but the similar SCD diet drew some interest and saw some success. Later I learned of Dr. Hunter's successful dietary Crohn's program. I'd post that DailyMail article to those looking for dietary ideas, along with his web sight. You would think the world had come to an end when I began doing that. Some moderators and monitors on the sight were not pleased about Dr. Hunters work. I pretty much was run off the board. That was fine for me, but sad in some respects since medications didn't work for everyone with IBD conditions.

I remember wondering why the great dislike for the dietary ideas. Not everyone wants to change their diet, obviously. It did make me wonder about funding too. I've read several times that charities and disease organizations receive funding from pharmaceutical firms. I began to joke to myself that the sight might as well change their name, and re-lable it being brought to you by one of the drug firms. What ever the cause, I've come to learn that it is best to keep the two camps separated, those that want drugs prescribed, and those that don't mind drugs if they can help, but also appreciate diet ideas that might help also.

Post by **tex** » Sat Feb 13, 2016 9:38 am

Blueberry wrote:I've come to learn that it is best to keep the two camps separated, those that want drugs prescribed, and those that don't mind drugs if they can help, but also appreciate diet ideas that might help also.

You are right on target. We try to keep all options open here, but while those who choose diet control only usually get along well with those who prefer a combination of diet changes and medications, it's almost impossible to have a congenial arrangement with those who rely exclusively on medications because they are unwilling or unable to change their diet. The problem is that most people in that situation either do not have the self-discipline necessary to change their diet or they trust their doctors implicitly, so they at least pretend to believe her or his claim that diet has nothing to do with MC. And of course some probably trust their doctors because they have no choice — they don't have the self-discipline necessary to change their diet, so if the issue comes up they naturally argue that diet has nothing to do with the disease, in order to justify their inability to stick with a rigid diet. Some would love to be able to change their diet, but despite their best efforts, they simply can't stick with it at all times. I wish I knew of a way to help them, but that's a tall order, because self-discipline seems to be something that we either have or we don't.

I would hope that everyone here would be hospitable and accommodating to anyone who chooses to not change their diet, but the odds of someone in that situation joining this forum are probably mighty slim. It appears that the main reason why they don't join a discussion forum such as this one is because they intensely dislike people who have the self-discipline to successfully change their diet. They may be aware of that feeling or it may be subconscious, but deep down, they resent/despise people who can stick with a tough diet. Anyone who has been a member of a discussion forum where that mindset is present knows what I'm talking about. They are not at all comfortable rubbing elbows with folks who are capable of changing their lives by changing their lifestyle/diet. And I can understand that. I might feel the same way if I were in that situation.

Tex

Lilja · Post by **Lilja** » Sat Feb 13, 2016 2:28 pm

My experience is that people who struggle with their digestion and complain about it, and say that "nobody can figure out what is wrong"... think they are very special, and that no help can be found.

I mean, if you are having trouble with digestion, you have to look at what you're eating. It's very simple! Nothing can hurt your stomach unless you put the wrong food into it.

As soon as you mention your own experiences with change of diet, supplements, etc. they just get silent. They don't want to listen any more. They complain, you suggest a solution, and the curtain falls down.

Lilia

Gabes-Apg · Post by **Gabes-Apg** » Sat Feb 13, 2016 3:16 pm

There was a saying on a FB post the other day something along the lines of

people 'want' change improvement, but don't want to change their behavior.

Blueberry · Post by **Blueberry** » Sat Feb 13, 2016 3:48 pm

I've come to believe vanity seems to be the main draw for people to try diets. I've noticed that with doctors and health books. Cardiologist, GI specialists etc, will write books on how to loose weight, be more sexy and attractive. Sometimes humorously I think mixed in the pages from time to time will be mention about how the diet can also improve ones health condition.

Simplicity I figure is best with these targeted disease diets. I enjoy Dr. Hunters diet for its relative simplicity of a following a liquid diet and than slowly adding foods back. I've come to better appreciate Tex's diet with Entro Labs /Dr. Fine testing to figure out allergens. Personally my Entro Labs results were disappointing in that I avoided the foods mentioned and didn't improve all that much. There was a long list of foods too! Now I'm suspecting a hidden allergen, soy, in the foods where the animal was fed soy. So far so good, at least I'm taking notes, and being more upbeat on the grass fed diet.

Diet sabators seem a little odd to me, but are common.

DebE13 · Post by **DebE13** » Sun Feb 14, 2016 9:14 pm

Ain't that the truth. I accompanied my son to his appointment with his liver doctor. His care is a coordination between his GI for the UC and the liver doctors for his PSC and AIH. He is on Lialda, azathioprine, and prednisone ( to name a few)..... We are trying to get him off prednisone and the doctor told him he should be taking vit D and getting calcium due to the extended time on prednisone. She encouraged him to eat lots of dairy to which he promptly replied that his mom tells him not to. I did chuckle on the inside and stood my ground on that topic. She, instead, encouraged him to take a calcium supplement. It bothers me to no end the amount of drugs he is taking but he is not on board with the foods he should be eliminating. I don't want to be a watchdog and risk having him avoid conversations with me because he doesn't want to be preached at, so I offer my insight when I can and mostly keep my mouth shut. It is a business keeping people sick. Now, my son has a lot more going on than GI issues so I am treading in unfamiliar waters but you'd think someone would mention the importance of what he eats.