cultural background and uc

kweeks, there is a link. North Indians have a higher rate of IBD in the west - they've found this to be the case in the U.K. and here. I'm Indian too - my brother and my daughter have U.C. (she's half Indian but it now appears as if my husband has had proctitis for some time but just thought it was a fissure and didn't worry about it)!
Anyway, my daughter's pediatric GI, the head of Sick Kid's IBD program, was quizzing me about my background when she saw me and was telling me about this. I've read about it too. She said that a lot of research is going on at Sick Kids about this - they've idenitified several genes in Caucasions which predispose for IBD but they have not identified these genes in South Asians. They believe that environmental and dietary changes cause S. Asians in the west to develop IBD. North Indians are predisposed because of their aryan blood.
There are actually many Indians in India with UC but how that relates to here percentage-wise I don't know. There's a chance my grandfather had it, but he never saw a Dr. for it. And if you're poor, you learn to live with it or die from it, so I think it's very difficult to identify what goes on with a disease like this in India.
My mom's grandmother used to drink "haldi dood" every day, she ate tulsi every day, she only ate off of dishes cleaned with charcoal (and refused to eat off of ones cleaned with soap when it arrived). People of her generation felt these were basic things you did to stay healthy. She lived into her 90s. I think she was on to something and of course all of that has been lost and is now having to be rediscovered.

I do know there is suppose to be a relationship too how much sunlight you get all year around, where less sunlight you get the higher chances you will get UC. Probably has to do with vitamin D, Although one would think if you lived in India you would get lots of sunlight, but I don't know since I never lived there.

Here is a link that talks more about it: http://www.jhu.edu/~gazette/2008/28apr08/28crohns.html

The link between Jewish descent and IBD's has been known for quite some time.

I do not know if I have any Jewish family members unless they are from my father's side who are mainly from Poland. My mother was 1/2 American Indian (Shiawassee tribe) and I believe English...............maybe German though, not sure.

I curse my Jewish ancestors for this....

thanks for the replies.

killcolitis, that is very interesting about the research being done at Sick Kids. I dont think there is any clear family links for me although I believe my mom had IBS-D.

PS- for those that didnt get it, "haldi dood" is warmed milk with TUMERIC in it. Very popular for indians to drink when they feel sick etc.

I am Indian too.  When I broached this subject my GI doc he just laughed and said your not Jewish are you?  I didn't find him funny.  I was asking a serious question at the time.  Other than people of Jewish lineage I am not aware of any other cultures associated with UC.

From the Indian MyUC

I am part Swedish, Norwegian, Irish... it's the Scandinavian side of the family that the IBD runs in.

My UC,
Maybe your GI would be interested in this:
http://www.nature.com/ajg/journal/v102/n5/abs/ajg2007200a.html
http://www.parentcentral.ca/parent/familyhealth/article/677097--inflammatory-bowel-disease-in-children-on-the-rise
The second article mentions the Sick Kids research I referred to.
KrissyUC, I know but since the Mediterranean diet is supposed to be such a healthy diet, you would think there would be fewer GI issues.

I am a  black South African from South Africa and for some unknown reason it's only black professionals amongst the black population  like myself who suffer from UC.

My naturopath is a Iranian women told me that IBD is very common in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Israel.

Hmm, my only thing is no one in my family has a history of IBD or colon cancer as far as I know. One of my best friends has the familial history there on her dad's side...i think they're scottish.

LOL...it's called mixed ethnic origin...or as someone recently dubbed it...brown. The world profile changes..one no longer has to go by foot or cart to the next village...they fly...it will change quickly.

It will either make humans stronger or weaker. Survival today is much different than long ago.

q

I'm mixed No. European (German/English/Irish/French) and have read that No. Europeans have a higher incidence.

It is VERY interesting to read here how multi-ethnic UC is, was not aware.
I have read that as 3rd world countries begin eating Western diets the UC incidence rises which a few of the comments above hint at.