Q Why does Crohn's disease happen — is it my fault? Is it due to genetics or eating habits?
A Crohn's disease arises from a complex interplay of genetic predisposition (such as the NOD2 gene), gut microbiome imbalance, and immune dysfunction. Specific foods or habits are not the direct cause, but stress, smoking, and a Western diet can promote onset and worsening.
Detailed Answer
The exact cause of Crohn's disease is not fully understood, but it is understood as a state in which the gut immune response abnormally switches on and fails to switch off when a genetically susceptible person is exposed to certain environmental triggers. Over 200 gene variants such as NOD2 and ATG16L1 are involved, and a Western high-fat, low-fiber diet and smoking lower gut microbial diversity and hasten onset. It is not the patient's fault but a disease combining immunity, genetics, and environment.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
Korean medicine sees it as "a collapse of the intestine's qi-transformation function caused by congenital qi (genetic constitution) combined with acquired diet, stress, and infection," and combines recovery of spleen-stomach function with removal of intestinal damp-heat. Genetic factors are hard to change, but the focus is on maintaining remission through acquired environmental management and immune regulation.
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