Important New Evidence that Curcumin Help Colitis

Ulcerative colitis significantly impacts quality of life for a lot of people. This new meta-analysis suggests that significant herbal help can come from curcumin.

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease affecting the gastrointestinal tract. It can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea, rectal bleeding and anemia.

Colitis is characterized by chronic inflammation in the colon that damages the mucosa, leading to mucosal damage, ulceration and loss of mucosal barrier function.

Curcumin is the active component of the herb turmeric. It is able to address all the aspects of this autoimmune disease. Curcumin is powerfully anti-inflammatory. It improves the integrity of the intestinal mucosa by increasing production of mucosal barrier proteins, reducing damage to the intestinal mucosa and regulating gut microbiota. And, finally, curcumin modulates immune response.

This meta-analysis compared curcumin to a placebo as an add on to drug treatment in people with colitis. Seven studies were included.

The results showed that people taking curcumin had a significant increase in both clinical and endoscopic improvement compared to people taking placebo.

Curcumin also led to a significant increase in clinical remission compared to placebo. There was a trend toward increased endoscopic remission, but it did not reach statistical significance.

Curcumin seemed to work best when the dose was over 500mg a day and when the study lasted at least 8 weeks.

Importantly, curcumin did not increase the risk of adverse events compared to placebo, and no serious adverse events were reported.

This meta-analysis suggests that adding curcumin to your treatment can significantly and safely improve your colitis.

Explore. Jan-Feb 2025;21(1):103083.

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For much more on treating colitis naturally, see our book The Family Naturopathic Encyclopedia.

For comprehensive natural help with your health, including colitis, make an appointment to see Linda Woolven now. Linda’s clinic is now open for in person and virtual appointments.

The Natural Path is intended for educational purposes only and is in no way intended for self-diagnosis or self-treatment. For health problems, consult a qualified health practitioner for a comprehensive program.

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