Nearly 1.4 million Americans have some form of inflammatory bowel disease, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. It accounts for more than 700,000 physician visits and 100,000 hospitalizations each year. The often-painful condition of inflammatory colitis has no cure, but various therapies can relieve symptoms. Vitamins can boost your immune system and ease flare-ups, but check with your doctor before adding vitamins to your diet.
Identification
Ulcerative colitis is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation of your colon and rectum. The disease has several classifications, and symptoms vary. The most common are lower-abdominal pain, cramping and diarrhea or bloody stools. The cause of colitis is unknown, although scientists believe a virus or bacterium may trigger it, or it may be a form of autoimmune disease. Heredity may also be a factor, because it tends to run in families. The peak age for onset for IBD is 15 to 30, although it can occur at any age. Treatment with prescription medications or surgery may lead to long-term remission.
Multivitamins
Diet alone isn't believed to cause ulcerative colitis, although some foods can worsen it and make you more likely to avoid them. Colitis can also interfere with your body's ability to absorb nutrients, and this combination of food avoidance and malabsorption can lead to nutritional deficiencies. Multivitamins can be helpful in such cases, but they don't have protein or calories and shouldn't be substituted for food.
B Vitamins
The lower ileum of your large intestine is where vitamin B12 is absorbed, which is one reason why some colitis patients suffer from a lack of B12. Your doctor can measure your levels, and you may need a monthly B-12 injection. Folic acid is another important B-complex vitamin. Your body needs it to manufacture red blood cells. Because a good source of folic acid -- dark leafy green vegetables -- is often among foods colitis patients don't tolerate well, you may need a folic acid supplement. Some medications like steroids used to treat colitis can also interfere with folic acid absorption.
Vitamin A
A study in the September 2002 issue of "The Journal of Nutrition" investigated the effects of vitamin A on the course of colitis in laboratory animals. The researchers found that the rats with the lowest levels of vitamin A in their blood had a higher risk for the disease and that vitamin A supplements greatly reduced symptoms of inflammation and the formation of excess fibrous connective tissue in the intestine.
Vitamin D
One of the most common deficiencies in people with IBD is vitamin D. Research with mice at Penn State University demonstrated a connection between vitamin D deficiency and both colitis and Crohn's disease. The study results, published in
December 2004 in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," showed that a vitamin D deficiency worsens the symptoms of colitis and Crohn's and that treatment with the vitamin for as little as two weeks lessens the symptoms. The mice receiving the vitamin D also lived longer than the control group that did not receive the supplement.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is an anti-oxidant that protects against harmful free-radical damage in your body, a process that's accelerated in the intestinal membranes of colitis patients. An article published in October 2008 in the "World Journal of Gastroenterology" found that daily rectal doses of vitamin E for 12 weeks produced dramatic results in colitis patients, with some even going into remission.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Ulcerative Colitis; August 2009
- Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America; Diet and Nutrition; April 2009
- "Journal of Nutrition"; Vitamin A Deficiency Exacerbates Inflammation in a Rat Model of Colitis through Activation of Nuclear Factor-Kappab and Collagen Formation; R. Reifen, et al.; September 2002
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Vitamin D Status, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, and the Immune System; Margherita T Cantorna, et al.; December 2004
- "World Journal of Gastroenterology"; Rectal Administration of D-alpha Tocopherol for Active Ulcerative Colitis; Seyed Amir Mirbagheri, et al.; October 2008
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD); January 2011
