Resveratrol Helps Colitis

Ulcerative colitis is a kind of inflammatory bowel disease. More and more people are suffering from inflammatory bowel disease. This new study shows that supplementing resveratrol can help. . . .

Resveratrol is found in dark chocolate and, most famously, the skin of red grapes and, therefore, red wine. It is related to flavonoids and has antiinflammatory effects in the body. So, could it help inflammatory bowel disease?

This double-blind, placebo-controlled study suggests that it can. Fifty people with active mild to moderate ulcetative colitis were given either 500mg of resveratrol or a placebo every day for six weeks. The resveratrol significantly reduced important inflammatory markers while the placebo had no effect on inflammation. The resveratrol also significantly decreased scores on the Clinical Colitis Activity Index compared to placebo. The Clinical Colitis Activity Index Score is a measure of colitis disease activity.

According to the authors, these results show that resveratrol can improve the disease activity and the quality of life in people suffering from colitis.

Arch Med Res 2015;46:280-5