The Five
Curcumin
Curcumin is the yellow pigment of turmeric root and the most-studied plant compound in inflammatory bowel disease. It has randomized trials in ulcerative colitis, a…

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100 supplements
Evidence and Andrew’s opinion are scored separately.The Five
Curcumin is the yellow pigment of turmeric root and the most-studied plant compound in inflammatory bowel disease. It has randomized trials in ulcerative colitis, a…
The Five
Quercetin is the workhorse flavonoid of the plant kingdom and one of the most-studied antioxidants in existence, in cells and in animals. In people with IBD, it has…
The Five
The two long-chain omega-3 fatty acids from cold-water fish are the most-consumed anti-inflammatory supplement in the world and one of the most-trialed in IBD, and…
The Five
A concentrated preparation of antibodies (mostly immunoglobulin G) purified from the blood plasma of cattle, not from milk or colostrum, which is why it is…
The Five
Vitamin D is less a vitamin than the precursor to a hormone, and its receptor is found on nearly every immune cell in the gut. Deficiency and insufficiency are…
Anti-Inflammatories
Anthocyanins from European blueberry. In a Zurich open-label study, six weeks of an anthocyanin-rich bilberry preparation put 63% of mild-to-moderate UC patients…
Anti-Inflammatories
Frankincense resin; its boswellic acids inhibit 5-lipoxygenase, the leukotriene arm of inflammation that curcumin and omega-3 don't touch. Two 2001 trials found it…
Anti-Inflammatories
A double-blind trial found the standardized extract HMPL-004 comparable to mesalazine in active UC; a 224-patient placebo-controlled trial then found 60% response…
Anti-Inflammatories
EGCG, the principal catechin. In a small double-blind pilot (n = 19), 400 to 800 mg/day of purified EGCG for 56 days produced a 67% response rate versus 0% on…
Anti-Inflammatories
In a 12-week randomized trial in mild-to-moderate UC, 2,000 mg/day of dried ginger lowered the oxidative-stress marker MDA and improved disease-activity scores…
Anti-Inflammatories
trans-Resveratrol from Japanese knotweed. A randomized UC trial found lower inflammatory markers and better quality-of-life scores over six weeks. Only 40 mg per…
Anti-Inflammatories
Chios mastic resin: a small Greek open-label Crohn's study reported lower CRP and IL-6 over four weeks, it reduced colitis in a rat model, and a clinical trial of a…
Anti-Inflammatories
Not just a sleep hormone, the gut makes far more melatonin than the pineal gland, and it acts on the gut wall directly. A randomized UC trial found melatonin as an…
Anti-Inflammatories
Randomized data in IBS and chronic pain; calms mast cells and glia. No IBD trials and no clean single-ingredient product.
Anti-Inflammatories
N-acetylcysteine, the rate-limiting precursor to glutathione, and a mucolytic that thins mucus. A Spanish pilot RCT (n = 37) added 800 mg/day of NAC to mesalamine…
Anti-Inflammatories
The body's master antioxidant: the tripeptide every cell makes to quench oxidative stress, detoxify, and recycle vitamins C and E, and it is measurably depleted in…
Anti-Inflammatories
A mitochondrial antioxidant that regenerates glutathione and vitamins C and E. Case-level IBD data only; deep evidence in diabetic neuropathy. Also present in the…
Anti-Inflammatories
The electron-transport cofactor. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a real feature of IBD epithelium, and CoQ10 is depleted by statins. Note: the O.N.E. multivitamin…
Anti-Inflammatories
Converted to quercetin by colonic bacteria and protective in colitis models. Buckwheat and citrus are rich food sources; no product needed.Reference 65
Anti-Inflammatories
Nrf2 activator; protective in colitis models, human data in other conditions. Thorne's extract standardizes glucoraphanin, the precursor.Reference 66
Anti-Inflammatories
Triterpenes and beta-glucans with immunomodulatory activity in lab and animal studies. Host Defense products are mycelium grown on rice, not fruiting-body…
Anti-Inflammatories
PSK/PSP polysaccharides; a small human study found turkey tail increased Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. Mycelium-on-rice product.
Anti-Inflammatories
Erinacines and hericenones; improvement in a mouse UC model. A 2024 Italian retrospective study found a lion's-mane-based multi-compound add-on (with berberine,…
Anti-Inflammatories
Cordycepin; anti-inflammatory in animal models. Mycelium-on-rice product.
Anti-Inflammatories
D-fraction beta-glucan; immunomodulatory in animal models. Includes fruiting body.
Anti-Inflammatories
Lentinan; preclinical only. No standalone product; eat the mushroom.
Anti-Inflammatories
An Iranian double-blind trial (n = 80, UC in remission) found 140 mg/day of silymarin for six months raised hemoglobin, lowered ESR, and kept 35 of 38 in remission…
Anti-Inflammatories
Traditional anti-inflammatory; NF-kB inhibition in the lab; no IBD trials and no clean product.
Microbiome Nourishing
The mucin-layer resident most consistently depleted in IBD, now available as a single-strain product for the first time. No IBD intervention trials yet, this is a…
Microbiome Nourishing
A probiotic yeast, not a bacterium, so antibiotics don't kill it. A small Italian trial (n = 32) found relapse in 6% of Crohn's patients on mesalamine plus S.…
Microbiome Nourishing
Not recommended (Andrew's position). Spore-forming Bacillus strains with IBS data. Spores germinate unpredictably and Andrew has seen flares follow them. No…
Microbiome Nourishing
The one multi-strain product I'll put my name on: seven Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains, 50 billion CFU, dairy- and soy-free. I'm not a big believer in…
Microbiome Nourishing
In an Italian RCT (n = 40), eight weeks of L. reuteri ATCC 55730 enemas added to mesalazine cut children's Mayo scores from 8.6 to 3.2 (placebo unchanged), with…
Microbiome Nourishing
Lactobacillus plantarum 299v is one of the best-characterized single probiotic strains: human-origin, acid- and bile-tolerant, and studied in randomized IBS trials…
Microbiome Nourishing
A Spanish multicenter RCT (GETECCU, 1999) found Plantago ovata seed as effective as mesalamine for maintaining UC remission, and the combination best. Start small;…
Microbiome Nourishing
Partially hydrolyzed guar gum: a low-gas soluble fiber with randomized IBS data and good short-chain-fatty-acid production.Reference 82
Microbiome Nourishing
Oligofructose-enriched inulin (Synergy 1) lowered fecal calprotectin over four weeks in an acute-UC pilot and was well tolerated; a 2023 Cochrane review finds the…
Microbiome Nourishing
Galacto-oligosaccharides are strongly bifidogenic with randomized IBS data. This product pairs GOS with beta-glucan (D-15). Contains milk and fish.Reference 85
Microbiome Nourishing
A food, not a supplement: cooked-and-cooled potatoes, rice, green bananas. The most direct way to feed butyrate producers.Reference 86
Microbiome Nourishing
Larch arabinogalactan is a prebiotic with immune-modulating data in adjacent conditions. No product matched.
Microbiome Nourishing
Acacia is among the best-tolerated soluble fibers, with randomized IBS data. No clean single-ingredient product on Fullscript.Reference 87
Microbiome Nourishing
Iron-binding whey protein with antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activity; human data in other conditions. Contains milk.
Microbiome Nourishing
Yeast and oat beta-glucans train innate immunity and feed the microbiome; adjacent human data. Covered inside the Galactomune product.
Microbiome Modulating
The one antimicrobial botanical with real IBD evidence, and more of it than I expected: a 2024 meta-analysis pooled ten randomized trials (952 patients, mostly from…
Microbiome Modulating
Emulsified, sustained-release oregano oil, the form matters because raw oregano oil is harsh on the stomach. No IBD trials; this is here for the SIBO overlap that…
Microbiome Modulating
Allicin is a broad antimicrobial in the lab; no IBD trials. Cook with it instead.
Microbiome Modulating
In a 10-week double-blind trial (n = 40), Crohn's patients tapering steroids stayed in remission on a wormwood blend (65%) while most placebo patients relapsed; a…
Microbiome Modulating
Thymol is antimicrobial in the lab; no IBD trials and no product.
Microbiome Modulating
Oleuropein; antimicrobial and antioxidant in the lab; no IBD trials.
Microbiome Modulating
Medium-chain fatty acids with antifungal activity in the lab; no IBD trials.
Barrier Repair
The primary fuel of the small-intestinal lining. Human trials are honest and unflattering: in Crohn's, oral glutamine improved intestinal permeability but no more…
Barrier Repair
Butyric acid itself (not the sodium or calcium salt) in a sustained-release form designed to survive the small intestine and reach the colon, which is the entire…
Barrier Repair
Creatine monohydrate, the cheapest, best-studied supplement in existence, and the epithelium's ATP buffer. The gut-lining story is strong in cells and mice…
Barrier Repair
Inner-leaf gel, not whole-leaf, which contains aloin, a laxative that irritates IBD guts. In a London double-blind trial (n = 44), 100 mL of aloe gel twice daily…
Barrier Repair
Andrew wants this one emphasized: a zinc-carnosine chelate that stays in contact with the gut lining, developed in Japan as an ulcer drug (polaprezinc). In a London…
Barrier Repair
The amino sugar the gut uses to build mucin, the mucus layer itself. In a London pilot, 8 of 12 children with severe, treatment-resistant IBD improved on NAG (oral,…
Barrier Repair
A small randomized trial of bovine colostrum enemas added to mesalazine in left-sided colitis improved symptom and histology scores over four weeks. Oral colostrum…
Barrier Repair
The phospholipid that makes up most of the colonic mucus layer, and is measurably depleted in UC. A delayed-release PC (LT-02) had three positive Heidelberg trials…
Barrier Repair
Glycine, proline and hydroxyproline, the raw materials for connective tissue and the gut lining. No IBD trials; it's here as a well-tolerated protein source that…
Barrier Repair
A demulcent, it coats. The mucilage soothes irritated lining on contact, and biopsy studies found antioxidant activity in UC tissue. One of the oldest gut remedies…
Barrier Repair
Demulcent mucilage, traditional for irritated lining. Covered inside DGL Plus.
Barrier Repair
Deglycyrrhizinated licorice protects mucosa without the blood-pressure effect of whole licorice. Note: some people find DGL irritating rather than soothing; if it…
Barrier Repair
Apigenin and bisabolol; spasmolytic and mildly anti-inflammatory. A German double-blind trial (n = 96) found a myrrh, chamomile and coffee-charcoal preparation…
Peptides
BPC-157 is a fifteen-amino-acid fragment of a protein found in gastric juice, with an enormous animal literature on mucosal, tendon and vascular repair, nearly all…
Peptides
KPV is the three-amino-acid anti-inflammatory tail of alpha-MSH. It is taken up directly by inflamed intestinal epithelium through the PepT1 transporter, and in…
Digestive Support & Enzymes
The only entry in this section with a real randomized-trial base: in IBS, a meta-analysis of seven placebo-controlled trials found enteric-coated peppermint oil…
Digestive Support & Enzymes
Broad-spectrum plant enzymes, proteases, amylase, lipase, lactase, alpha-galactosidase and more. Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency is underdiagnosed in IBD, and…
Digestive Support & Enzymes
Papain from papaya plus bromelain, in a chewable-style tablet, the closest thing on Fullscript to the classic papaya enzyme. Gentle proteases taken with meals.
Digestive Support & Enzymes
Pineapple-stem protease. With food it digests protein; between meals it's absorbed and acts as an anti-inflammatory, with case reports in UC. 500 mg at 2,400 GDU, a…
Digestive Support & Enzymes
Secondary lactose intolerance is common in active small-bowel disease and often resolves in remission. No clean standalone product matched; the enzyme blend (H-02)…
Digestive Support & Enzymes
Breaks down the oligosaccharides in legumes that cause gas. Included in the enzyme blend (H-02).
Digestive Support & Enzymes
Histamine-degrading enzymeReference 132
Digestive Support & Enzymes
Gastric acid support; no IBD evidence and it conflicts with acid-suppressing medication. No product matched.
Amino Acids
The one amino-acid product for the section: all essential amino acids in free form, including tryptophan, histidine and the sulfur amino acids that entries I-01…
Amino Acids
Nitric oxide precursor with wound-healing roles; preclinical colitis data only.
Amino Acids
Anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective in animal models; abundant in collagen and bone broth (F-09).
Amino Acids
Cysteine and methionine feed glutathione synthesis; see NAC (C-10). Preclinical only. Caution: sulfur amino acids are converted by sulfate-reducing gut bacteria…
Amino Acids
Depleted in Crohn's disease in observational studies; protective in colitis models.
Vitamins & Minerals
Iron deficiency is the most common deficiency in IBD; European guidelines call for a blood count, ferritin and CRP every three months in active disease and every…
Vitamins & Minerals
Absorbed only in the terminal ileum, so ileal Crohn's and resection make deficiency likely. A Dutch RCT found extra B12 does not relieve fatigue in people who…
Vitamins & Minerals
Sulfasalazine and methotrexate both deplete folate; 5-MTHF is the active form. Safe alongside methotrexate for IBD.Reference 139
Vitamins & Minerals
Lost in diarrhea; a Chicago cohort found zinc-deficient IBD patients had more hospitalizations, surgeries and complications, and that correcting zinc improved those…
Vitamins & Minerals
Magnesium glycinate, the form least likely to loosen stool, 120 mg of elemental magnesium per capsule with nothing else but the capsule and a trace of ascorbyl…
Vitamins & Minerals
Supports mucosal immunity and epithelial differentiation. Fat-soluble; watch total intake with the multivitamin.Reference 143
Vitamins & Minerals
Bone loss is a common IBD complication, worsened by steroids. Citrate absorbs without stomach acid.Reference 144
Vitamins & Minerals
A Danish crossover RCT (n = 40) found four weeks of high-dose thiamine (600–1,800 mg/day, by weight and sex) cut fatigue scores by 4.5 points versus none on placebo…
Vitamins & Minerals
The Dutch RISE-UP study gave riboflavin to Crohn's patients and reported microbiome and oxidative-stress changes. In the multivitamin.Reference 148
Vitamins & Minerals
Signals through GPR109A, the same receptor as butyrate, in colonic epithelium. In the multivitamin.Reference 149
Vitamins & Minerals
Cofactor for glutathione peroxidase; often low in IBD.Reference 150
Vitamins & Minerals
Buffered ascorbate powder with no other ingredients; the mineral load also helps constipation, and plain ascorbic acid loosens stool. Four options: PERQUE's…
Vitamins & Minerals
Natural d-alpha tocopherol (400 IU, 260 mg) with 67 mg of the other tocopherols, the family of forms found in food, rather than a single synthetic form; in rapeseed…
Vitamins & Minerals
Low in IBD and lowered further by inflammation. P5P is the active form.Reference 153
Vitamins & Minerals
Vitamin K deficiency is documented in Crohn's; K2 directs calcium to bone. Standalone MK-7; warfarin interaction.Reference 154
Vitamins & Minerals
Biotin transport is altered in experimental colitis. In the multivitamin.
Vitamins & Minerals
Wound-healing roles; in the multivitamin.
Vitamins & Minerals
Direct precursor to phosphatidylcholine (F-08). In the multivitamin.
Vitamins & Minerals
Cofactor for SOD1; long-term zinc without copper depletes it. In the multivitamin.
Vitamins & Minerals
Lost in diarrhea; food first (bananas, potatoes, broth). Standalone capsules are capped at 99 mg and not worth linking.
Vitamins & Minerals
Thyroid function; in the multivitamin.
Vitamins & Minerals
Cofactor for mitochondrial SOD2; in the multivitamin.
Vitamins & Minerals
One capsule covers the thirteen essential vitamins plus zinc, selenium, iodine, manganese, choline, CoQ10 and alpha-lipoic acid, which means it overlaps with…
Sleep, Stress & Attention
An all-herbal formula built around passionflower, valerian, California poppy, skullcap and hops, with vervain, gotu kola and a trace of lavender, extracted into…
Sleep, Stress & Attention
Five flower essences (rock rose, clematis, impatiens, cherry plum, star of Bethlehem) in a grape-alcohol base, the formula Dr Edward Bach developed in England in…
Sleep, Stress & Attention
The amino acid that makes green tea calming. L-theanine raises alpha-wave activity in the brain within an hour, and in randomized trials it reduced stress-related…
Sleep, Stress & Attention
The amino acid the brain turns into dopamine and noradrenaline. In randomized studies, tyrosine preserves working memory and attention when the dopamine system is…
Sleep, Stress & Attention
A phospholipid concentrated in cell membranes, and in the brain more than anywhere else. Phosphatidylserine has randomized trials for memory and attention in older…
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