Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a disease characterized by chronic inflammation in the bowel and intestine. There is a strong correlation between in the incidence of IBD in individuals with a history of the disease and is the largest independent risk factor for the disease. IBD is more prevalent in developed countries than in developing countries. Some reason for this is the extreme sanitation in developed countries that limits ones exposure to environmental antigens and impairs maturation of the immune system, specifically the mucosal layers in the digestive tract. Another possible link to developing IBD is excessive carbohydrate intake, though more research needs to be done to clarify and explain this correlation.
There are two major types of IBD: Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Crohn's disease can affect anywhere from the mouth to the anus, but usually affects the large intestine. Ulcerative colitis mainly affects the colon and sometimes the lower sections of the small intestine. The symptoms of both diseases can be very similar, which makes a diagnosis between the two difficult at times.
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