176 | id == 176
176 | category_id == 16
176 | category_order == 13
176 | category_name == Gut Health
176 | category_color == #C47AC0
176 | slug == IRGM-crohns-disease
176 | title == A Link Between Cellular Recycling & Crohn’s Disease (IRGM)
176 | meta_description == IRGM stimulates autophagy when cells are starved of energy or contact bacterial components. How is it linked to Crohn's disease?
176 | summary == <p><strong>IRGM stimulates autophagy when cells are starved of energy or contact bacterial components. How is it linked to Crohn&#39;s disease? Read on to learn more.</strong></p>
176 | overall_score_text == Gut Inflammation Score (based on IRGM)
176 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/IRGM--Gut-Inflammation-Crohns---all-chips.jpg
176 | author_id == 1
176 | author_name == Jasmine Foster
176 | author_title == BSc, BEd
176 | author_order == 36
176 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Jasmine.jpg
176 | author_intro == <p><strong>Jasmine received her BS from McGill University and her BEd from Vancouver Island University.</strong></p>    <p>Jasmine loves helping people understand their brains and bodies, a passion that grew out of her dual background in biology and education. From the chem lab to the classroom, everyone has the right to learn and make informed decisions about their health.</p>
176 | reviewer == None
176 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
176 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
176 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
176 | publish_date == 2020
176 | publish_date == 5
176 | publish_date == 8
176 | avg_rating == 5.0
176 | tags_id == 105
176 | tags_name == Autophagy
176 | tags_id == 195
176 | tags_name == Crohn's Disease
176 | tags_id == 194
176 | tags_name == Gut Health
176 | tags_id == 308
176 | tags_name == Gut Inflammation
176 | tags_id == 73
176 | tags_name == IBD
176 | tags_id == 412
176 | tags_name == IRGM Gene
176 | tags_id == 235
176 | tags_name == TNF-alpha
176 | permissions_favorite == False
176 | permissions_rate == False
176 | content_article == <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">This article is for informational purposes only. None of the information here should be taken as medical advice. If you suspect you may have digestive issues, seek medical help. </span></em><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Keep in mind that these results are based on association studies, which are correlative and aren&rsquo;t necessarily causative. Any single genetic variant will typically contribute only a small proportion to the overall risk of the condition, and non-genetic factors play a large role in developing a condition as well. Therefore, just because you have one of these genotypes does not necessarily mean you are at an increased risk of developing this condition!</span></em></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is IRGM?</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRGM (immunity-related GTPase family M protein) is a cog in the machinery of the immune system that regulates </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/autophagy-benefits-and-how-to-harness/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">autophagy</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Autophagy (from the Greek for </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">self-eating</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">) is the regulated process by which a cell breaks down dysfunctional or foreign components. The cell can then recycle useful chemical components for further purposes [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2990190/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRGM can be activated by three signals (that we know of): starvation (lack of energy), interferons (antiviral and antimicrobial response proteins), and contact with bacteria or bacterial products [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4427528/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2996476/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">During a bacterial infection, some </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/how-to-increase-and-decrease-white-blood-cells/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">white blood cells</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> ingest and break down the invaders using the process of autophagy. Researchers believe that IRGM is required for the cell to trigger autophagy in response to microbes [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4350422/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4427528/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2996476/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Without IRGM, cells would be more susceptible to damage and bacterial infection. On the other hand, overexpression of IRGM can trigger cell death by damaging the </span><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/mitochondria/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">mitochondria</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2996476/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">IRGM is activated by starvation, interferons, or contact with bacterial products. In turn, it triggers the process of autophagy.</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRGM &amp; Gut Health</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Well-regulated autophagy is important for the maintenance of the intestinal lining, which forms the major barrier between bacteria in the gut and our bloodstreams. As such, IRGM is a major player in our gut health [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6383377/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2996476/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is Crohn&rsquo;s Disease?</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">IBD is a group of autoimmune diseases characterized by inflammation and sores in the gut lining, which can result in diarrhea, abdominal </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/23-ways-to-combat-pain-naturally-by-increasing-your-opioids/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">pain</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, fatigue, fever, rectal bleeding, nutritional deficiencies, and </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/a-comprehensive-list-of-effective-ways-to-lose-weight/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">weight loss</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. The definition of IBD includes both </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/ulcerative-colitis/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">ulcerative colitis</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and Crohn&rsquo;s disease [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3980998/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Crohn&rsquo;s disease differs from ulcerative colitis in that it is centered higher in the digestive tract (typically in the small intestine, though it can occur anywhere between the mouth and anus) and may damage broader swaths of tissue [</span><a href="https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/ulcerative-colitis"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/crohns-disease/definition-facts"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRGM &amp; Crohn&rsquo;s Disease</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRGM is relatively well-studied as a genetic risk factor for Crohn&rsquo;s disease [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30335469"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4156415/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The level of expression of IRGM is highly variable from tissue to tissue, and there is some&nbsp;</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">confusion about whether high or low IRGM may increase the risk of Crohn&rsquo;s. On the one hand, autophagy plays an important role in maintaining the intestinal barrier and preventing bacterial infection; on the other, IRGM overexpression may cause cell death in the lining of the gut [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6383377/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2996476/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Genetic association studies can provide some clues about whether high or low gut IRGM could be harmful. In cell studies, risk alleles have been associated with both higher and lower IRGM expression, depending on the cell type. In human studies, however, risk alleles have been associated with increased IRGM in the gut tissues specifically [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6383377/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A possible mechanism for IRGM and Crohn&rsquo;s disease may be that very high IRGM triggers cell death in the intestinal lining. However, some researchers have also found evidence of IRGM deficiency in models of IBD [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6383377/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2996476/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">IRGM mutations are linked with Crohn&rsquo;s disease, but researchers disagree about whether very high or very low IRGM is more likely to cause IBD.</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Interactions With Other Gut Inflammation Genes</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRGM is known to interact with and possibly regulate other genes that have been implicated in Crohn&rsquo;s disease. The most conspicuous among these are </span><a href="../article/tnf-thyroid-health-89"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TNF</span></em></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://www.selfdecode.com/gene/card15/?utm_source=seo&amp;#38;utm_medium=selfhacked&amp;#38;utm_campaign=id00002"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">NOD2</span></em></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3299284/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6383377/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you have detrimental mutations in </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRGM</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, check out these other genes as well.</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRGM Mutations in Crohn&rsquo;s Disease</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Multiple IRGM variants have been associated with increased rates of Crohn&rsquo;s disease. These include:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele of rs1000113 [</span><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0106863"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele of rs7714584 [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3299551/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele of rs11747270 [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3554777/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;C&rsquo; allele of rs13361189 [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3554777/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele of rs11741861 [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3735034/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele of rs10065172 [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6383377/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In each of these cases, the rare allele is the one associated with disease. Little research has been done into how these alleles change the expression or activity of IRGM, though one study found significantly increased IRGM expression in the gut of Crohn&rsquo;s disease patients with one copy of the risky &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele at rs10065172 compared to those with no copies. However, the relationship between the &lsquo;TT&rsquo; homozygous genotype and IRGM expression was less clear [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6383377/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A more consistent finding has been that risk alleles in IRGM increase the expression of </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/supplements-lifestyle-factors-influence-tnf-interleukin-6-il-6/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">TNF-alpha</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, a strong proinflammatory cytokine which is dramatically increased in Crohn&rsquo;s disease patients. Oddly, increased TNF expression has been linked with IRGM </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">deficiency</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in some human cell studies, throwing another wrench in the research [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6383377/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It is also possible that different IRGM risk alleles have different effects on expression, with some causing overexpression and some causing deficiency. Additional research is required.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">At least six common IRGM variants have been significantly associated with Crohn&rsquo;s disease. The precise mechanism of effect of these variants remains unclear.</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Your IRGM Results for Crohn&rsquo;s Disease</span></h2> <p>*4720703361111884*</p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">SNP Summary and Table</span></h3> <p><strong>IRGM rs1000113</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Not associated with Crohn&rsquo;s disease</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Associated with Crohn&rsquo;s disease</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">About 36% of all people worldwide have at least one copy of the &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele is significantly less common in people of European (20%) and South Asian (22%) descent and significantly more common in people of East Asian descent (63%).</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>IRGM rs7714584</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = Not associated with Crohn&rsquo;s disease</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Associated with Crohn&rsquo;s disease</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">About half of all people worldwide have at least one copy of the &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele, but frequencies vary widely between ethnic groups.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;GG&rsquo; genotype is most common in people of East Asian (21%) and African (27%) descent.</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>IRGM rs11747270</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = Not associated with Crohn&rsquo;s disease</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Associated with Crohn&rsquo;s disease</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Allele frequencies for this SNP are closely linked to those for rs7714584.</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>IRGM rs13361189</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Not associated with Crohn&rsquo;s disease</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Associated with Crohn&rsquo;s disease</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Allele frequencies for this SNP are closely linked to those for rs7714584.</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>IRGM rs11741861</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = Not associated with Crohn&rsquo;s disease</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Associated with Crohn&rsquo;s disease</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Only about a quarter of all people worldwide have at least one copy of the &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele is much more common in people of East Asian descent (63%).</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>IRGM rs10065172</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Not associated with Crohn&rsquo;s disease</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Associated with Crohn&rsquo;s disease</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Allele frequencies for this SNP are closely linked to those for rs7714584.</span></li> </ul> <p>*7623756473513454*</p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Recommendations for Reducing Gut Inflammation</span></h2> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">You may try the complementary approaches listed below if you and your doctor determine that they could be appropriate for you. Discuss the strategies listed here with your doctor. Remember that none of them should ever be done in place of what your doctor recommends or prescribes.</span></em></p> <p>*3233911866002132*</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Because of the confusion about whether IRGM risk alleles increase or decrease expression, these recommendations will broadly focus on the downstream increases in TNF-alpha as well as studies on Crohn&rsquo;s disease. We will also discuss the effects of these strategies on IRGM and on autophagy.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We do not currently know for sure which IRGM variants may increase or decrease the expression of this gene in the digestive system. You may find it helpful to experiment with strategies that increase or decrease autophagy and keep a diary to determine which ones improve your symptoms.</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Caloric Restriction</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of the major triggers of autophagy is caloric restriction or </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/intermittent-fasting/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">fasting</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">; when there is less energy available from food, cells go into recycling mode and break down waste components to reuse. Fasting has also been found to significantly reduce TNF-alpha in both animals and humans. For people with genetic variants that may cause IRGM deficiency, fasting may help jumpstart the process of autophagy and reduce inflammation [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6429134/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23244540"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16713232"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Caloric restriction has also been found to reduce the symptoms of IBD in a mouse study. The results of this study were so dramatic that researchers have strongly recommended repeating the experiment in human IBD patients [</span><a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/reduced-calorie-diet-lowers-signs-inflammatory-bowel-disease"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190306171247.htm"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fasting and caloric restriction come with an increased risk of nutrient deficiency. Make sure to work with a doctor or nutritionist to avoid this [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16928474"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Caloric restriction or fasting jumpstart autophagy and reduce TNF-alpha, which could benefit people with genetic variants that may cause IRGM deficiency.</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lifestyle</span></h3> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Improve Sleep</span></h4> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/health-benefits-sleep/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sleep</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> deprivation and chronic insomnia increase TNF-alpha and inflammation; meanwhile, autophagy is activated and does most of its work during sleep [</span><a href="http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1476-511x-9-125.pdf"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12077736"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3389582/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">People with IBD are at increased risk of sleep disturbances due to discomfort, pain, and irregular bowel movements. Meanwhile, some researchers believe that sleep disturbances are themselves a risk factor for disease flare-ups. Thus, sleep and IBD may get caught in a dangerous feedback loop: poor sleep may worsen IBD, which in turn worsens sleep quality [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3659204/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3995194/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3046047/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Crohn&rsquo;s disease patients should do everything they can to regulate their sleep schedules, getting to bed at the same time every night and waking up at the same time each morning [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3046047/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you are having trouble with sleep, we recommend checking out our </span><a href="https://get.selfdecode.com/gene-reports/sleep/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sleep Wellness Report</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> on SelfDecode.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">A consistent sleep schedule is associated with healthy levels of autophagy, lower TNF-alpha, and less severe IBD symptoms.</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moderate Sun Exposure</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some researchers have identified </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/35proven-health-benefits-vitamin-d-part-1/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">vitamin D</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> deficiency as a major risk factor for the development of IBD; they have furthermore suggested that it may regulate autophagy in inflammatory gut disorders, though this has not been directly studied in either humans or animals [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3285235/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vitamin D is believed to play a role both in supporting healthy autophagy and in reducing out-of-control autophagy under different circumstances [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3285235/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In healthy adults, as vitamin D levels rise, TNF-alpha levels fall; people with vitamin D deficiency have much higher TNF-alpha and may be more susceptible to general inflammation [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503979/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Crohn&rsquo;s disease (and the steroids used to treat it) have been linked to </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/calcium-101/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">calcium</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and vitamin D deficiencies and subsequent osteoporosis. Your doctor will monitor your vulnerability to these deficiencies, and if appropriate, prescribe supplements. If vitamin D supplements are not recommended, the best way to make sure you&rsquo;re getting enough is with moderate </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/avoiding-sun-will-kill-14-proven-science-based-health-benefits-sun/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">sun exposure</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16112594"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6257592/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6757415/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Vitamin D appears to both stimulate and suppress autophagy depending on the circumstances, making it an extremely important nutrient for anyone with IRGM mutations. Moderate sun exposure is the best source of vitamin D.</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Supplements</span></h3> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Green Tea</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The major active compound in </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/green-tea/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">green tea</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is epigallocatechin gallate, or </span><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/green-tea/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">EGCG</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. EGCG stimulates autophagy and decreases TNF-alpha. Its effect on IRGM has not been studied, but because it increases autophagy, it likely increases IRGM as well. That would make it potentially more useful for people with IRGM variants that decrease expression [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5501279/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="http://abbs.oxfordjournals.org/content/46/1/31.short?rss=1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">EGCG from green tea is anti-inflammatory and is currently being studied for its potential benefits in Crohn&rsquo;s disease. In animal models of Crohn&rsquo;s, feeding EGCG supplements reduced the severity of symptoms and of tissue damage. There are no available clinical trials on EGCG in Crohn&rsquo;s disease specifically, but the results of animal studies have been promising enough for many researchers to recommend moving forward with human studies [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5490540/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://europepmc.org/article/pmc/pmc6724056"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">EGCG from green tea stimulates autophagy and decreases TNF-alpha. In animal models of Crohn&rsquo;s disease, it also improved symptoms and prevented tissue damage.</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Eugenol</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Eugenol is an anti-inflammatory plant polyphenol that inhibits both autophagy and TNF-alpha. Its precise effect on IRGM is unknown, but because of its strong effect on autophagy, some researchers have suggested a possible interaction. People with overexpression of IRGM may benefit most from eugenol [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23613775"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22775297"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5785894/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A few studies have found that eugenol reduced the severity of damage to the gut wall, preventing the formation of ulcers. Eugenol has also shown some antidepressant properties, which may be helpful for Crohn&rsquo;s disease patients with comorbid mental illness. However, other studies suggest that some people with IBD may be sensitive to eugenol [</span><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0367326X0000188X"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5785894/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Eugenol is found in many plants. The richest sources include cloves, </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/top-15-proven-scientific-reasons-spice-life-cinnamon-references/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">cinnamon</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and holy basil (</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/27-amazing-health-benefits-tulsi-holy-basil/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">tulsi</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">), all of which are available as supplements or as tasty additions to your cooking [</span><a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2017/ra/c7ra04803c"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Eugenol is among the only common plant polyphenols found to inhibit autophagy. If the other strategies on this list don&rsquo;t work and you think you have IRGM overexpression, cloves and </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/27-amazing-health-benefits-tulsi-holy-basil/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">holy basil</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> may be of interest.</span></span></p>
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176 | content_learn_more_7623756473513454_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your IRGM gene is associated with roughly average rates of Crohn’s disease. However, this doesn't necessarily reflect your overall risk of Crohn’s disease, just one gene related to it. Depending on whether you have too much or too little autophagy, different strategies may help; read on to learn more.
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rsIDs = rs10065172,rs11741861,rs13361189,rs7714584,rs11747270,rs1000113
rsStatus = rs10065172,IRGM,chr5,150848436,C,A,T,,42,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs11741861,ZNF300,chr5,150898347,A,G,T,,24,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs13361189,,chr5,150843825,T,C,,,37,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs7714584,IRGM,chr5,150890858,A,G,,,24,1,HET
rsStatus = rs11747270,IRGM,chr5,150879305,A,G,,,26,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs1000113,IRGM,chr5,150860514,C,T,,,27,0,Normal
