Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic and recurrent gastrointestinal disease. The dietary supplement chlorophyllin alleviates inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, according to a study published by the researchers from the Center for Diabetes and Metabolism Research at Sichuan University in China and from Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. In addition, chlorophyllin significantly reduces mortality related to IBD, weight loss, diarrhea and hidden blood in the stool, intestinal epithelial damage and infiltration of inflammatory cells.
An estimated 3.1 million adults (1.3%) in the United States have been diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. IBD has created a global health burden because of the rising cost of treating the condition. While the exact cause of IBD isn’t fully understood, some contributing factors include stress and environmental, lifestyle and dietary choices, such as high consumption of meat or fish. Chronic inflammation, abnormality in autophagy—the body’s process of cleaning out damaged cells to make room for newer, healthier cells—and lysosomal stress (an abnormality in an organelle leading to inflammation) are also linked to the condition.
Current therapeutics for IBD include medications that suppress the immune system (immunosuppressants) and surgery. However, long-term use of immunosuppressive treatments could result in severe adverse effects, including opportunistic infections and even organ failure.
Nutritional supplements are great for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who may need a bit of extra help preventing a nutritional deficiency. Calcium and Vitamin D deficiency are often in IBD patients. Besides its influence on bone metabolism, vitamin D has an important role in preserving mucosal integrity and mucosal healing capacity. Vitamin K deficiency in IBD patients is also reported, but the prevalence is unknown. Most important source of vitamin K is intestinal production by gut microbiota
In this study, researchers found taking an oral chlorophyllin supplement—a compound derived from the green pigment found in plants—reduced colitis and abnormalities in the intestinal epithelia of mice. Also, consumption of green vegetables and chlorophyllin may be helpful for IBD recovery. Green pigment found in these foods and supplements can initiate a feeding signaling to modulate autophagy in the cells, which suppresses IBD symptoms.
Researchers believe these findings could be a pathway to a less intrusive treatment for IBD. “Consuming green-colored vegetables or green pigment supplement such as chlorophyllin might help people with inflammatory bowel disease,” said Xiaofeng Zheng, PhD, of Sichuan University and a co-author of the study.
Dick Benson
