Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What makes you think you know more about Crohn's disease than the doctors?
I don't think I know more than the doctors! Certainly not! All I am doing is reviewing research and suggesting further research that could be beneficial to our understanding of Crohn's disease. At the moment the disease is poorly understood. I think most doctors would agree with the latter statement
What makes you qualified to comment?
I used to be a statistician working in toxicology, many years ago. One of my jobs was to draw the correct conclusions from statistical analyses. A set of data can be consistent with a number of different statistical interpretations. It is important that data is not misinterpreted.
If the research you suggest is such a good idea, why has it not already been carried out?
Most medical research is carried out by drug companies wanting to make a profit from the drugs that they subsequently sell. Hence the many drug treatments aimed at supressing the symptoms of Crohn's disease. Where is the money to be made from just leaving lactose out of your diet?
Is anyone else studying a possible relationship between Crohn's and diet?
The Exclusion diet is a standard therapy for treating Crohn's, although it is difficult to stick to and many people give up on it. There is an interesting article on the subject in the Daily Mail, called How to tackle Crohn's Disease without the help of drugs about the work of Professor John Hunter at Addenbrookes Hospital.
Could your hypothesis about lactose also apply to people suffering from other inflammatory bowel diseases such as Ulcerative Colitis?
It might do - I don't know. It depends whether there is thought to be an association between the MAP bacteria and Ulcerative Colitis. I will be researching this further.