Have any supplements been studied for IBD?

    Last Updated: October 25, 2023

    Most evidence indicates that probiotics, prebiotics (including resistant starch), and synbiotics are all equally, modestly effective for inducing remission and reducing some symptoms of IBD, especially in UC.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

    Though high-quality evidence is limited to just a few trials, cannabis and cannabinoids may improve quality of life and reduce abdominal pain and IBD symptoms.[7]

    Emerging evidence suggests that resveratrol and curcumin might improve gastrointestinal symptoms and quality of life, while vitamin D supplementation could reduce inflammation and encourage cell turnover for repair of the intestinal lining. In patients under 40, curcumin also improved remission rates.[8][9][10]

    Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), such as omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids, have also been studied for IBD. However, when taken in the form of supplements, PUFAs are ineffective for improving IBD remission rates or inflammatory markers.[11]

    References

    1. ^Dang X, Xu M, Liu D, Zhou D, Yang WAssessing the efficacy and safety of fecal microbiota transplantation and probiotic VSL#3 for active ulcerative colitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.PLoS One.(2020)
    2. ^Marcos Natal Rufino, Airan Lobo da Costa, Eloisa Nascimento Jorge, Viviane Ferreira Paiano, Marjori Leiva Camparoto, Rogéria Keller, Hermann Bremer-NetoSynbiotics improve clinical indicators of ulcerative colitis: systematic review with meta-analysisNutr Rev.(2021 May 19)
    3. ^Astó E, Méndez I, Audivert S, Farran-Codina A, Espadaler JThe Efficacy of Probiotics, Prebiotic Inulin-Type Fructans, and Synbiotics in Human Ulcerative Colitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Nutrients.(2019-Jan-30)
    4. ^Xiao-Feng Zhang, Xiao-Xian Guan, Yu-Jun Tang, Jin-Feng Sun, Xiao-Kai Wang, Wei-Dong Wang, Jian-Ming FanClinical effects and gut microbiota changes of using probiotics, prebiotics or synbiotics in inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review and meta-analysisEur J Nutr.(2021 Feb 8)
    5. ^Chen M, Feng Y, Liu WEfficacy and safety of probiotics in the induction and maintenance of inflammatory bowel disease remission: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Ann Palliat Med.(2021-Nov)
    6. ^Montroy J, Berjawi R, Lalu MM, Podolsky E, Peixoto C, Sahin L, Stintzi A, Mack D, Fergusson DAThe effects of resistant starches on inflammatory bowel disease in preclinical and clinical settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC Gastroenterol.(2020-Nov-10)
    7. ^Benthe H Doeve, Maartje M van de Meeberg, Fiona D M van Schaik, Herma H FidderA Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis of the Efficacy of Cannabis and Cannabinoids for Inflammatory Bowel Disease: What Can We Learn From Randomized and Nonrandomized Studies?J Clin Gastroenterol.(2020 Jul 14)
    8. ^Joanna Giang, Xiao Lan, Megan Crichton, Wolfgang Marx, Skye MarshallEfficacy and safety of biophenol-rich nutraceuticals in adults with inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases or irritable bowel syndrome: A systematic literature review and meta-analysisNutr Diet.(2021 May 7)
    9. ^Guo X, Liu C, Huang YEfficacy and Safety of Vitamin D Adjuvant Therapy for Ulcerative Colitis: A Meta-Analysis.Comput Math Methods Med.(2022)
    10. ^Hossein Shahinfar, Nastaran Payandeh, Maryam ElhamKia, Fatemeh Abbasi, Alireza Alaghi, Farhang Djafari, Masoumeh Eslahi, Narjes Sadat Farizani Gohari, Parivash Ghorbaninejad, Mohaddeseh Hasanzadeh, Alireza Jafari, Aliyu Tijani Jibril, Reihane Khorasaniha, Elahe Mansouri, Vahid Monfared, Soroush Rezaee, Adel Salehian, Mahshid Shahavandi, Leila Sheikhi, Alireza MilajerdiAdministration of dietary antioxidants for patients with inflammatory bowel disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trialsComplement Ther Med.(2021 Oct 29)
    11. ^Sarah M Ajabnoor, Gabrielle Thorpe, Asmaa Abdelhamid, Lee HooperLong-term effects of increasing omega-3, omega-6 and total polyunsaturated fats on inflammatory bowel disease and markers of inflammation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsEur J Nutr.(2020 Oct 21)