Jini, I am interested in your opinion on the MAP bacteria as one cause for CD. Also, what is the progress of developing a blood test for MAP.

Hi Floyd,

I cover MAP fairly well in the revised LTYG. Here is also a good article on the whole issue:

http://www.notmilk.com/drgreger.html

There is a blood test that tests for the DNA of the organism and you can get it done from:

www.immuno-sci-lab.com

take care,
Jini

Jini, Thanks for the reference to the article on MAP and possible test for DNA marker. This makes me wonder if someone with CD should be taking Natren Probiotic Healthy Start powders with nonfat milk and whey.
Might they not contain the MAP organism?

I read the article you posted the link for regarding MAP. That was really fascinating....thank you so much for posting it.

I do have a question for you after reading it.

In that article, it talked about using a cocktail of antibiotics over an extended period of time to treat Crohn's (I remember also reading this in LTYG) and spoke about how treatment with a single antibiotic had not been effective.

This got me thinking.

On the Joy of the Mountains website, there is an article called "An Herbal Solution to the Antibiotic Crisis" under the "Education" tab. On page one of this article, it states, in part: "Not long ago, pharmaceutical companies chemically reproduced and 'improved' the primary active ingredient in certain plants, and this was effective in combating the germs of the time. However, it wasn't long before germs had easily outwitted these single-compound drugs, and chemists have since recognized the necessity of building complexity and synergy into their formulas. Today pharmaceutical companies are developing antibiotics with three or four compounds - in an attempt to more closely mimic the phytochemistry of certain herbal plants. However, these are the antibiotics that are failing us today. Their construction is still far too simple."

In contrast, it is stated regarding herbs, "Studies have proven that certain essential oils derived from specific plants are as effective at destroying bacteria as leading antibiotics, yet their complexity does not allow for the development of microbial resistance...The complexity of phytochemical actions within certain herbs and their oils is beyond the evolutionary capabilites of germs...and currently beyond the full understanding of modern science."

In your opinion, is this basically why a single substance like Wild Oregano Oil may prove effective against MAP, while single pharmaceutical antibiotics are not capable of eradicating it from the host?

Here's another question, which is probably going to sound dumb. On page 152 of Listen to Your Gut, the suggested use of Wild Oregano Oil in Phase One is "until infection is resolved". Would another way to say the same thing be, "Until none of the original symptoms for which you started taking it remain?" That's how I interpret it, but for some reason, I still wanted to ask.

I recognize that treating the infectious component is only one part of the solution, but it's still very interesting.

Boy, that article sure pounds home the importance of taking an active and proactive role in your own health and not trusting the government to do it for you! How sad that it should be that way, but the government's regulatory bodies are cozy with the industries to the extent that they simply cannot be relied upon as a reliable source of information and protection.

Nicole

Hi Nicole,

Unfortunately, no one knows whether Wild Oregano Oil is effective against MAP as there have been no clinical studies done on it. However, based on it's effectiveness against other pathogenic microbes, I think it's a good bet that it does work.

Yes, your intrepretation is correct. Whether you have lab work done to confirm eradication or infection, or simply elimination of symptoms - both are good indicators.

J