Dr. Ben Weitz, host of the Rational Wellness podcast, recently chatted with Injoy Partner Dr. Kim Crawford to discuss functional approaches to treating ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease and autoimmune diseases. Their chat ranged from traditional vs functional approaches, new innovative treatments, dietary recommendations and comprehensive testing (including several Injoy shout-outs!). Keep reading below for the top four key takeaways about a holistic approach to managing symptoms discussed by Dr. Weitz and Dr. Crawford.
1. Bioidentical Hormones vs. Synthetic Hormones
Dr. Crawford shared her experiences with the benefits of using bioidentical hormones over synthetic ones such as prednisone or Medrol for treating IBD. She explained that bioidentical hydrocortisone can lead to fewer side effects and better compatibility with the body's systems because it’s recognized by the body as a natural hormone.
2. Innovative Treatments: Methylene Blue, Peptides + Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN)
Dr. Weitz and Dr. Crawford also chatted about innovative treatment options. Dr. Crawford shared that when her clients’ are in a flare, they get about five peptides that she uses as well as a low dose naltrexone and methylene blue. And if that doesn’t stop the flare she shared that she will also give them IV exosomes which always ‘nukes’ the flare right away.
3. Comprehensive Lab Testing and Microbiome Analysis
Both Dr. Weitz and Dr. Crawford agreed that extensive lab testing is crucial for patients with inflammatory disorders. This includes checking inflammatory markers like CRP and sedimentation rate, as well as using advanced microbiome testing, like the Injoy test, to provide actionable insights into gut health.
Dr. Crawford emphasized “It’s very important to get a good microbiome test. When I did my Injoy test, I found that even I had too much of a bacteria that wasn’t good to have if you had Crohn’s. But I only found out because of this microbiome test. Which is why I keep telling everyone, you really don’t know what’s in your gut unless it gets tested. I tell everybody you’ve got to do at least one because if you’ve ever had any sort of disorder, it generally can be traced back to the gut microbiome.”
4. Diet and Lifestyle Management
And last but not least, Dr. Crawford spoke about her own personal experience with an Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) diet and why it is highly recommended for patients experiencing acute IBD flares. The AIP diet eliminates foods like grains, beans, dairy, nightshades, alcohol, caffeine and other potential irritants to reduce inflammation. And eventually once symptoms are under control, foods can slowly be re-introduced.
Conclusion
This podcast episode did a really great job of highlighting the importance of a multifaceted approach to treating IBD and autoimmune diseases. And for anyone interested in functional medicine, a very interesting overview of how Dr. Crawford personally approaches combining bioidentical hormone therapy with innovative treatments like methylene blue, peptides and LDN.
And of course how instrumental comprehensive lab testing is to better understand the specific diet and lifestyle modifications needed to significantly improve patient outcomes. “What’s cool about Injoy is they give you a report that’s really actionable. Foods, probiotics, prebiotics and they break it down for you to tell you what’s in your microbiome. They explain if something is bad for your inflammatory bowel disease or bad for your metabolic state. And they look at how much your microbiome produces the three important short chain fatty acids, butyrate, propionate and acetate,” Dr. Crawford explained.
Thanks Dr. Weitz for yet another insightful functional medicine podcast episode - as always we loved learning from Dr. Crawford & appreciate the Injoy shout-outs!
