Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects the gastrointestinal tract, often resulting from an interplay of genetic, environmental, and immune system factors. If you have CD, you may experience abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, and malnutrition. Due to the nature of Crohn’s Disease and its effects, those with CD may also struggle with nutrient absorption.
Taking specific supplements for Crohn’s disease, such as vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids, can complement conventional CD treatments, as these supplements help reduce gut inflammation and support intestinal health.
Can Supplements Help with Crohn’s Disease?
Crohn’s disease causes inflammation in the digestive tract, leading to reduced appetite and weight loss, malnutrition, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea.
However, those with Crohn’s disease often experience a wide range of digestive and extra-intestinal symptoms, including fatigue, inflammation of the skin, joints, and eyes, kidney stones, and anemia.
Natural supplements can help manage symptoms, decrease inflammation, and address nutritional deficiencies without the adverse effects expected with prescription therapies.
Curcumin
Curcumin is widely known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. Numerous studies show positive results for IBD patients taking curcumin, especially to maintain remission.
Safe for long use, curcumin targets inflammation by suppressing various inflammatory pathways and cytokines like TNFα and IL-1β. Many IBD patients taking curcumin in studies reported consistent symptom relief and showed mucosal tissue repair, meaning curcumin not only relieves symptoms but also addresses the root of flare-ups.
Magnesium
Research from China found that patients with Crohn’s often show lower levels of magnesium and calcium, suggesting a deficiency. Getting enough magnesium and calcium is linked to better nutrition, and might lessen inflammation for Crohn’s Disease patients, improving their condition and symptoms.
Fish Oil
Fish oil supplements, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, minimize intestinal inflammation. This may reduce CD symptoms and improve heart health, which is crucial given the risk of cardiovascular disease linked with inflammatory diseases.
Animal studies have long shown that fish oil can help maintain the integrity of the epithelial tight junctions that form the gut barrier. As patients with active Crohn’s disease show increased intestinal permeability and a reduction in tight junction strands, fish oil may prove highly beneficial.
Iron
Iron supplementation is highly recommended for Crohn’s patients. Roughly one-third of IBD patients also struggle with anemia, caused by blood loss or poor iron absorption. This can lead to fatigue, brain fog, headaches, irritability, and loss of appetite.
As it can be difficult to address an iron deficiency with supplements, you may need to take iron intravenously under your doctor’s guidance.
Zinc
Crohn’s patients show a high rate of zinc deficiency in studies, as well as increased intestinal permeability. Zinc supplementation not only addresses this deficiency but can also increase tight junction protein expression, thereby improving the intestinal permeability found at the heart of inflammation in IBD.
Zinc additionally helps maintain a strong immune system, which can help repair intestinal damage from Crohn’s disease inflammation and reduce the risk of relapse in CD.
Potassium
Fluid balance and nerve function require an adequate potassium intake. Crohn’s disease may cause potassium loss, especially if you’ve suffered severe vomiting or diarrhea. Therefore, potassium supplements for CD can help avoid muscular weakness and fatigue. However, further research on the benefits of potassium in the treatment of Crohn’s disease is required.
Probiotics
Crohn’s disease does present with a disruption of gut microbes. While probiotics may generally improve gut health, research on specific IBD symptoms remains scant. The World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO) currently advises avoiding probiotics if you have compromised immune function or other serious health conditions until sufficient evidence is reported.
Crohn’s patients in a flare-up should avoid probiotics altogether as they can exasperate digestive symptoms.
Can Vitamins Help with Crohn’s Disease?
Crohn’s disease patients can meet their nutritional needs using multivitamins, which supply a broad spectrum of nutrients. However, it’s important to select a multivitamin carefully and under your doctor’s supervision.
Vitamin D
Research shows that vitamin D is vital for inflammation regulation and immune function.
Vitamin D works with special vitamin D receptors (VDR) in our immune cells to prevent the body from mistakenly attacking itself, therefore reducing gut inflammation. This can help manage symptoms and reduce the severity of CD. A Vitamin D level of at least 75 nmol/l could be sufficient, although the optimal levels for Crohn’s Disease require more research.
One study found that a high dosage of vitamin D3 was linked to better clinical results, suggesting that 10,000 IU of Vitamin D3 daily can help CD patients reduce their symptoms and improve their quality of life.
Vitamin B12
In addition to vitamin D, B12 (necessary for nerve function and red blood cell synthesis) and B9 (folic acid) are the best vitamins for Crohn’s Disease as they address common nutrient deficiencies and help reduce inflammation, supporting overall gut health and immune function.
Vitamin K
IBD patients often can’t absorb enough Vitamin K, which leads to the production of an abnormal type of prothrombin (a protein needed for blood clotting) that lacks gamma-carboxyglumatic acid. The presence of abdominal prothrombin can be combatted with vitamin K supplementation
One study found that CD patients had lower vitamin K than healthy controls. In addition, those with CD who consumed higher amounts of Vitamin K experienced a slower rate of bone density loss. This suggests that a deficiency in vitamin K could contribute to the weakened bones often seen in CD.
Tips for Taking Supplements with Crohn’s Disease
Since each person has unique nutritional needs, there is no single best vitamin or multivitamin for Crohn’s disease. Making these decisions in consultation with your healthcare professional is vital to healthy maintenance.
In addition to targeted supplements, combining a balanced diet, lifestyle changes, and stress reduction strategies can improve well-being and complement natural Crohn’s disease treatments.
Evinature
