Natural treatments for ulcerative colitis

DEFINITION: Treatment of inflammation of the digestive tract.

PRINCIPAL PROPOSED NATURAL TREATMENTS: Aloe, fish oil, nutritional support, probiotics

OTHER PROPOSED NATURAL TREATMENTS: Acupuncture, blue-green algae, boswellia, bromelain, curcumin, evening primrose oil, food allergen avoidance, glutamine, mesoglycans, phosphatidylcholine, wheatgrass juice

Introduction

Ulcerative colitis is a disease of the colon that is closely related to Crohn’s disease. The two are grouped in a category called inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) because they both involve inflammation of the digestive tract.

The major symptoms of ulcerative colitis include abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. When the disease becomes severe, those affected may develop fever, weight loss, dehydration, and anemia. Sometimes, constipation develops instead of diarrhea. Arthritis, skin sores, and liver inflammation also may occur.

One of the most feared consequences of ulcerative colitis is dramatic dilation of the colon, which can lead to fatal perforation of the colon. Ulcerative colitis also leads to a greatly increased risk of colon cancer.

Ulcerative colitis tends to wax and wane, with periods of remission punctuated by severe flare-ups. Medical treatment aims at reducing symptoms and inducing and maintaining remission.

Sulfasalazine is one of the most common medications for ulcerative colitis. Given either orally or as an enema, it can decrease symptoms and prevent recurrences. Corticosteroids, such as prednisone, are used similarly in more severe cases, sometimes combined with other immunosuppressive drugs, such as azathioprine and cyclosporine. Partial removal of the colon may be necessary in severe cases.

Principal Proposed Natural Treatments

People with ulcerative colitis can easily develop deficiencies in numerous nutrients. Chronic bleeding leads to iron deficiency. Malabsorption, decreased appetite, drug side effects, and increased nutrient loss through the stool may lead to mild or profound deficiencies of protein, folate, calcium, copper, magnesium, selenium, zinc, and vitamins A, B₁₂, C, D, E, and K. For people with ulcerative colitis, supplementation to restore adequate body stores of these nutrients is highly advisable and may improve specific symptoms and overall health. One should work closely with a physician to identify any nutrient deficiencies and to evaluate the success of supplementation in correcting them.

Essential fatty acids. Fish oil and evening primrose oil contain healthy fats called essential fatty acids. According to some of the small, double-masked placebo-controlled trials reported, fish oil might help reduce symptoms of active ulcerative colitis. Evening primrose oil also has shown promise. However, larger studies are necessary to determine whether fish or evening primrose oil helps. Regular use of fish oil alone or combined with gamma-linolenic acid (found in evening primrose oil) has not effectively prevented disease flare-ups in people whose ulcerative colitis has gone into remission.

Probiotics. Friendly bacteria, or probiotics, might be helpful in ulcerative colitis. A double-blind trial of 116 people with ulcerative colitis compared probiotic treatment with a relatively low dose of the standard drug mesalazine. The results suggest that probiotic treatment might be just as effective as low-dose mesalazine for controlling symptoms and maintaining remission. Evidence of benefit was seen in other trials, too. However, probiotics may be less useful for inducing remission; when they were added to standard medications used for induction of remission, no additional benefits were seen in a study of people with mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis.

Probiotics might be useful for people with ulcerative colitis who have had part or all of the colon removed. Such persons frequently develop a complication called pouchitis—inflammation of part of the remaining intestine. Two double-blind, placebo-controlled studies found that probiotics can help prevent pouchitis and reduce relapses in people who already have it. The probiotic mixture used in these trials contained four strains of Lactobacillus, three strains of Bifidobacterium, and one strain of Streptococcus salivarius. In addition, some evidence hints that probiotics might reduce the joint pain that commonly occurs in people with IBD. Probiotics may help with ulcerative colitis symptoms, but they should be taken in supplement form or in a way that avoids dairy intake, because this worsens symptoms.

Aloe. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, forty-four people hospitalized with severe active ulcerative colitis were given oral aloe gel or a placebo twice daily for four weeks. The results showed that aloe was more effective than a placebo in inducing full or partial remission of symptoms.

Other Proposed Natural Treatments

Researchers are interested in the use of phosphatidylcholine as a supportive treatment in severe ulcerative colitis. There may be an insufficient quantity of phosphatidylcholine in the mucus lining the colon in persons with ulcerative colitis. Taking phosphatidylcholine may correct this deficiency. A small, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of sixty persons whose ulcerative colitis was poorly responsive to corticosteroids was randomized to receive either phosphatidylcholine (two grams [g] per day) or a placebo for twelve weeks. Half of the participants taking phosphatidylcholine showed a significant improvement in symptoms, compared to only 10 percent taking the placebo. Moreover, 80 percent taking phosphatidylcholine were able to completely discontinue their corticosteroids without disease flare-ups, compared to 10 percent taking a placebo.

A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of twenty-four people with ulcerative colitis examined the effects of wheatgrass juice taken daily for one month. According to various measures of disease severity, participants given wheatgrass juice improved to a greater extent than those given a placebo. However, wheatgrass juice is rather bitter, and it seems unlikely that the study could truly be blind, meaning that participants and doctors did not know who was getting the wheatgrass juice and who was getting the placebo. Indeed, when researchers polled the participants, a majority of those given wheatgrass juice correctly identified it. For this reason, as well as its small size, the results of the study are not convincing.

The substance curcumin (from the spice turmeric) has shown some promise for helping to maintain remission. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, eighty-nine people with quiescent ulcerative colitis were given either a placebo or curcumin (one g twice daily) with standard treatment. During the six-month treatment period, the relapse rate was significantly lower in the treatment group than in the placebo group.

Glutamine, boswellia, bromelain, blue-green algae, colostrum, mesoglycan (vascular glycosaminoglycans), and an extract of soy called Bowman-Birk inhibitor concentrate (BBI) have been suggested for the treatment of ulcerative colitis, but the evidence that they work remains preliminary at best. There are also weak indications that allergies to foods, such as milk, may play a role in ulcerative colitis. One study failed to find real acupuncture more effective than fake acupuncture for this condition.

A review in the early 2020s found several natural substances which were tested and studied concerning successful ulcerative colitis treatment, including—boswellic acid (Boswellia serrata), ginger (Zingiber officinale), curcumin (Curcuma longa), Argentinian (Arctic kappa), catechize (Camellia sensitise), and gymnastic acid (Enema Sylvester). Positive and negative outcomes were widely found, and more research was needed to confirm these substances' role in the medical treatment of ulcerative colitis. Another similar meta-analysis evaluated twenty-eight studies featuring eighteen herbal medicines for ulcerative colitis. Curcumin (Curcuma longa) emerged among these herbs as a valuable tool in fostering ulcerative colitis remission, endoscopic response, and endoscopic remission. It is a natural anti-inflammatory, which may be the reason for its positive performance. Indigo naturalis was found to help treat active ulcerative colitis and help individuals remain in remission. However, because of the risk of side effects like hypertension and liver damage and the lack of large-scale, long-term studies, it should be used with caution and under the care of a medical professional.

Some research indicates that eliminating specific food categories from a patient's diet may have positive results for ulcerative colitis. Low fiber diets during an ulcerative colitis flareup are advisable, but other diets like the Mediterranean diet, paleo, low-fat, vegetarian or vegan, or the low FODMAP (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols) diet have shown positive results in some people. However, this may be because of individual food intolerances unrelated to ulcerative colitis, making it difficult to recommend any one diet for this use.

Herbs and Supplements to Use Only with Caution

Various herbs and supplements may interact adversely with drugs used to treat ulcerative colitis, so it is recommended that all individuals seek the advice of a medical professional before beginning any supplement regimen. The herbs horseradish and capsaicin should be avoided. Many common ingredients in foods cause negative effects in individuals with ulcerative colitis and should be avoided, including lactose, preservatives, artificial colors, and sugar alcohol.

Bibliography

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"Ulcerative Colitis." Mayo Clinic, 16 Sept. 2022, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ulcerative-colitis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353331. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.