Combo of Curcumin or Resveratrol with Mediterranean Diet in People with Ulcerative Colitis
This was a small, short-term study in 46 people with mild-to-moderate active ulcerative colitis (UC). Subjects were randomized to one of three groups for 8 weeks:
- Mediterranean Diet (MD)
- MD plus curcumin 1600mg daily
- MD plus resveratrol 500mg daily
At the completion of the trial, all groups experienced significant reductions in CRP and ESR levels (p <0.05). Only the resveratrol group saw a significant improvement in the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (p =0.01).
All groups also had significant reductions in the frequency of bowel movements (p= 0.001 for all). Regarding health-related QOL, all groups experienced statistically significant improvements (p<0.05); compared to the other groups, the resveratrol group subjects had even better pain scores (p<0.05), and the curcumin group reported even better social functioning (p<0.05).
This trial lends support to the concept that the MD is safe and effective in people with mild or moderate UC. Is there a strong advantage to adding curcumin or resveratrol to the MD for these folks? In this trial, aside from some minor differences, there was not a big advantage. It does seem important to note that both curcumin and resveratrol are thought to suffer from poor bioavailability. The formulations of curcumin and resveratrol used in this particular trial do not specify any ingredients or manufacturing methods that would enhance bioavailability.
Citation:
Erol Doğan Ö, Karaca Çelik KE, Baş M, Alan EH, Çağın YF. Effects of Mediterranean Diet, Curcumin, and Resveratrol on Mild-to-Moderate Active Ulcerative Colitis: A Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial. Nutrients. 2024 May 16;16(10):1504. doi: 10.3390/nu16101504.
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