Meet John (not his real name). He had a severe case of Crohn’s disease, an autoimmune disease affecting almost a million Americans. Starting in his late teens and continuing till his early 60’s, John suffered from his intestines swelling and causing pain, along with the unpleasant symptoms one would expect from major disruptions in the intestines. Every day was hard. Even his eyes and throat were affected. Over time he took a long list of suggested medications, and endured the powerful side effects that usually accompany these meds, but none of these is fully able to treat the disease. He also had surgeries, as most Crohn’s patients do, but continued to suffer.

That was when we met him. We showed him the article we had written on the prevention and treatment of Crohn’s disease with a plant-based diet (which was subsequently published in the peer-reviewed journal, Advanced Research in Gastroenterology and Hepatology) and suggested that he show it to his gastroenterologist. Unfortunately, his doctor was somewhat skeptical, since most doctors are not aware of this information, despite the fact that medical research has shown the plant-based diet to be more effective than any other treatment.

John was still sick and badly needed to feel better. Life was barely tolerable and so he decided to give the plant-based diet a try anyway. The result was better than John ever even hoped for. Within two months he felt healthier than he could ever remember feeling. In his words:

“My quality of life is better than I can recall it having been for several decades. Overall I am very, very pleased with my health. Perhaps the most satisfying effect is clarity of mind, ability to reason and analyze accurately and recall the past in sharper detail with a pleasing emotional aspect. I experienced some level of chronic pain for nearly 40 years and I’m gratified that in my later life I am able to live a nearly symptom-free life.”

Today, John continues to follow his plant-based diet. Every now and then he slips and has some dairy, but when he does he experiences some of his former symptoms, reminding him that the plant-based diet is right for him.

We are glad that John had done so well. We hope that through our Plant-Based Diets in Medicine project, doctors will begin to use this highly effective treatment, which, by the way, has no side effects other than good ones, and is available without prescription!