Stress releases neurotransmitters that drive inflammation, increase GI motility, and cause bacterial transfer into the mucosa, leading to a 'leaky gut.'.

Low levels of vitamin D are associated with an increased risk of Crohn's surgeries, and in animal models, vitamin D supplementation can resolve colitis.

Living on a farm, having a larger family, or exposure to pets in early childhood allows for a more diverse microbiome and may decrease your risk for chronic immune diseases.

NSAIDs, a common class of pain relievers, can trigger an inflammatory bowel disease flare in up to a third of patients.

Inflammatory bowel disease is not confined to the gut and can have extraintestinal manifestations affecting the skin, eyes, joints, kidneys, and liver.

Functional medicine is a model designed to address chronic, complex diseases like IBD, serving as an adjunct to, not a replacement for, conventional medicine which excels in acute care.

The 'hygiene hypothesis' suggests that a lack of early life exposure to germs may increase the risk of developing chronic immune diseases like IBD.