CD is definitively associated with the occidental modern way of life 3. If the cold chain hypothesis is valid, the emergence of CD must be parallel to the development of industrial and domestic refrigeration. Figure 1A compares the annual incidence of the disease and the household equipment rate in several countries. There is a temporal correlation between these variables. It should be noted, however, that in a given country the disease begins to be detectable not at the time when refrigerators begin to be sold, but only when about 50% of households are equipped. This observation is counter-intuitive.
It's an interesting hypothesis and I like the thinking. We need more of this kind of investigation.
The problem I see is that refrigeration should reduce the incidence of food poisoning and malnutrition generally and generally improve survivability of vulnerable populations. So one possibility is that people who used to die mysteriously in early childhood are now living long enough to be diagnosed with various ailments.
In other words, maybe modern life does cause Crohn's or maybe it just lets such people survive and get diagnosed and learn to live with their condition.
It's an interesting hypothesis and I like the thinking. We need more of this kind of investigation.
The problem I see is that refrigeration should reduce the incidence of food poisoning and malnutrition generally and generally improve survivability of vulnerable populations. So one possibility is that people who used to die mysteriously in early childhood are now living long enough to be diagnosed with various ailments.
In other words, maybe modern life does cause Crohn's or maybe it just lets such people survive and get diagnosed and learn to live with their condition.