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THE COMPLETE GUIDE · NOW ONLINE

100Supplements
for IBD.

The evidence. The mechanisms. The exact products.
Explore supplements, herbs, probiotics and nutrients for life with IBD.

Flaring? Explore the Five
EXPLORE THE MICROBIOMEA whole world. Living inside you. ↗
CROHN’S DISEASEULCERATIVE COLITISINDETERMINATE COLITISMICROSCOPIC COLITIS

READ. UNDERSTAND. EXPLORE YOUR OPTIONS.

The supplement library.

How the evidence scores work ↗

100 supplements

Evidence and Andrew’s opinion are scored separately.

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…

Evidence 5/5Andrew 5/5

The Five

Quercetin

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…

Evidence 2/5Andrew 5/5

The Five

Omega-3 EPA/DHA

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…

Evidence 4/5Andrew 4/5

The Five

Vitamin D3

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…

Evidence 4/5Andrew 5/5

Anti-Inflammatories

Boswellia serrata

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…

Evidence 3/5Andrew 3/5

Anti-Inflammatories

Andrographis paniculata

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…

Evidence 4/5Andrew —/5
Read entry →No product selected

Anti-Inflammatories

Green tea / EGCG

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…

Evidence 3/5Andrew 4/5

Anti-Inflammatories

Ginger

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…

Evidence 4/5Andrew 4/5

Anti-Inflammatories

Resveratrol

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…

Evidence 4/5Andrew 5/5

Anti-Inflammatories

Mastic gum

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…

Evidence 3/5Andrew —/5

Anti-Inflammatories

Melatonin

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…

Evidence 4/5Andrew 2/5

Anti-Inflammatories

Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA)

Randomized data in IBS and chronic pain; calms mast cells and glia. No IBD trials and no clean single-ingredient product.

Evidence 2/5Andrew —/5
Read entry →No product selected

Anti-Inflammatories

Alpha-lipoic acid

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…

Evidence 2/5Andrew 3/5

Anti-Inflammatories

CoQ10

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…

Evidence 2/5Andrew 3/5

Anti-Inflammatories

Rutin

Converted to quercetin by colonic bacteria and protective in colitis models. Buckwheat and citrus are rich food sources; no product needed.Reference 65

Evidence 1/5Andrew —/5
Read entry →No product selected

Anti-Inflammatories

Sulforaphane

Nrf2 activator; protective in colitis models, human data in other conditions. Thorne's extract standardizes glucoraphanin, the precursor.Reference 66

Evidence 1/5Andrew —/5

Anti-Inflammatories

Reishi

Triterpenes and beta-glucans with immunomodulatory activity in lab and animal studies. Host Defense products are mycelium grown on rice, not fruiting-body…

Evidence 1/5Andrew —/5

Anti-Inflammatories

Turkey tail

PSK/PSP polysaccharides; a small human study found turkey tail increased Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. Mycelium-on-rice product.

Evidence 2/5Andrew —/5

Anti-Inflammatories

Lion's mane

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,…

Evidence 3/5Andrew —/5

Anti-Inflammatories

Shiitake

Lentinan; preclinical only. No standalone product; eat the mushroom.

Evidence 1/5Andrew —/5
Read entry →No product selected

Anti-Inflammatories

Milk thistle

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…

Evidence 4/5Andrew —/5

Anti-Inflammatories

Cat's claw

Traditional anti-inflammatory; NF-kB inhibition in the lab; no IBD trials and no clean product.

Evidence 1/5Andrew —/5
Read entry →No product selected

Microbiome Nourishing

Spore-based probiotics

Not recommended (Andrew's position). Spore-forming Bacillus strains with IBS data. Spores germinate unpredictably and Andrew has seen flares follow them. No…

Evidence 2/5Andrew —/5
Read entry →No product selected

Microbiome Nourishing

Lactobacillus reuteri

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…

Evidence 4/5Andrew —/5
Read entry →No product selected

Microbiome Nourishing

Psyllium

A Spanish multicenter RCT (GETECCU, 1999) found Plantago ovata seed as effective as mesalamine for maintaining UC remission, and the combination best. Start small;…

Evidence 4/5Andrew —/5

Microbiome Nourishing

Inulin / FOS

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…

Evidence 3/5Andrew —/5

Microbiome Nourishing

Resistant starch

A food, not a supplement: cooked-and-cooled potatoes, rice, green bananas. The most direct way to feed butyrate producers.Reference 86

Evidence 2/5Andrew —/5
Read entry →No product selected

Microbiome Nourishing

Larch arabinogalactan

Larch arabinogalactan is a prebiotic with immune-modulating data in adjacent conditions. No product matched.

Evidence 2/5Andrew —/5
Read entry →No product selected

Microbiome Nourishing

Acacia gum

Acacia is among the best-tolerated soluble fibers, with randomized IBS data. No clean single-ingredient product on Fullscript.Reference 87

Evidence 2/5Andrew —/5
Read entry →No product selected

Microbiome Nourishing

Beta-glucan

Yeast and oat beta-glucans train innate immunity and feed the microbiome; adjacent human data. Covered inside the Galactomune product.

Evidence 2/5Andrew —/5
Read entry →No product selected

Microbiome Modulating

Berberine

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…

Evidence 5/5Andrew 2/5

Microbiome Modulating

Oregano oil

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…

Evidence 1/5Andrew 2/5

Microbiome Modulating

Garlic / allicin

Allicin is a broad antimicrobial in the lab; no IBD trials. Cook with it instead.

Evidence 1/5Andrew —/5
Read entry →No product selected

Microbiome Modulating

Wormwood (Artemisia)

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…

Evidence 4/5Andrew 3/5

Microbiome Modulating

Thyme oil

Thymol is antimicrobial in the lab; no IBD trials and no product.

Evidence 1/5Andrew —/5
Read entry →No product selected

Barrier Repair

L-glutamine

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…

Evidence 3/5Andrew 5/5

Barrier Repair

Butyrate

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…

Evidence 3/5Andrew 4/5

Barrier Repair

Creatine

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…

Evidence 1/5Andrew 4/5

Barrier Repair

Zinc carnosine

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…

Evidence 3/5Andrew —/5

Barrier Repair

Bovine colostrum

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…

Evidence 4/5Andrew —/5

Barrier Repair

Collagen peptides

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…

Evidence 1/5Andrew 4/5

Barrier Repair

Slippery elm

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…

Evidence 2/5Andrew 3/5

Barrier Repair

DGL licorice

Deglycyrrhizinated licorice protects mucosa without the blood-pressure effect of whole licorice. Note: some people find DGL irritating rather than soothing; if it…

Evidence 1/5Andrew —/5

Barrier Repair

Chamomile

Apigenin and bisabolol; spasmolytic and mildly anti-inflammatory. A German double-blind trial (n = 96) found a myrrh, chamomile and coffee-charcoal preparation…

Evidence 3/5Andrew —/5
Read entry →No product selected

Peptides

BPC-157

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…

Evidence 1/5Andrew 4/5

Peptides

KPV

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…

Evidence 1/5Andrew 3/5

Digestive Support & Enzymes

Bromelain

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…

Evidence 2/5Andrew 4/5

Digestive Support & Enzymes

Lactase

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)…

Evidence 2/5Andrew —/5
Read entry →No product selected

Digestive Support & Enzymes

Alpha-galactosidase

Breaks down the oligosaccharides in legumes that cause gas. Included in the enzyme blend (H-02).

Evidence 2/5Andrew —/5
Read entry →No product selected

Digestive Support & Enzymes

Betaine HCl

Gastric acid support; no IBD evidence and it conflicts with acid-suppressing medication. No product matched.

Evidence 1/5Andrew —/5
Read entry →No product selected

Amino Acids

Tryptophan

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…

Evidence 2/5Andrew 3/5

Amino Acids

Arginine

Nitric oxide precursor with wound-healing roles; preclinical colitis data only.

Evidence 1/5Andrew —/5
Read entry →No product selected

Amino Acids

Glycine

Anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective in animal models; abundant in collagen and bone broth (F-09).

Evidence 1/5Andrew —/5
Read entry →No product selected

Amino Acids

Sulfur 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…

Evidence 1/5Andrew —/5
Read entry →No product selected

Amino Acids

Histidine

Depleted in Crohn's disease in observational studies; protective in colitis models.

Evidence 1/5Andrew —/5
Read entry →No product selected

Vitamins & Minerals

Iron

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…

Evidence —/5Andrew 4/5

Vitamins & Minerals

Vitamin B12

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…

Evidence 3/5Andrew —/5

Vitamins & Minerals

Zinc

Lost in diarrhea; a Chicago cohort found zinc-deficient IBD patients had more hospitalizations, surgeries and complications, and that correcting zinc improved those…

Evidence 3/5Andrew —/5

Vitamins & Minerals

Magnesium

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…

Evidence 3/5Andrew 4/5

Vitamins & Minerals

Vitamin A

Supports mucosal immunity and epithelial differentiation. Fat-soluble; watch total intake with the multivitamin.Reference 143

Evidence 2/5Andrew —/5

Vitamins & Minerals

Thiamine (B1)

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…

Evidence 4/5Andrew —/5
Read entry →No product selected

Vitamins & Minerals

Riboflavin (B2)

The Dutch RISE-UP study gave riboflavin to Crohn's patients and reported microbiome and oxidative-stress changes. In the multivitamin.Reference 148

Evidence 3/5Andrew —/5
Read entry →No product selected

Vitamins & Minerals

Niacin (B3)

Signals through GPR109A, the same receptor as butyrate, in colonic epithelium. In the multivitamin.Reference 149

Evidence 1/5Andrew —/5
Read entry →No product selected

Vitamins & Minerals

Vitamin C

Buffered ascorbate powder with no other ingredients; the mineral load also helps constipation, and plain ascorbic acid loosens stool. Four options: PERQUE's…

Evidence 2/5Andrew —/5

Vitamins & Minerals

Vitamin E

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…

Evidence 3/5Andrew 4/5

Vitamins & Minerals

Vitamin K2

Vitamin K deficiency is documented in Crohn's; K2 directs calcium to bone. Standalone MK-7; warfarin interaction.Reference 154

Evidence 2/5Andrew —/5

Vitamins & Minerals

Biotin (B7)

Biotin transport is altered in experimental colitis. In the multivitamin.

Evidence 1/5Andrew —/5
Read entry →No product selected

Vitamins & Minerals

Choline

Direct precursor to phosphatidylcholine (F-08). In the multivitamin.

Evidence 1/5Andrew —/5
Read entry →No product selected

Vitamins & Minerals

Copper

Cofactor for SOD1; long-term zinc without copper depletes it. In the multivitamin.

Evidence 1/5Andrew —/5
Read entry →No product selected

Vitamins & Minerals

Potassium

Lost in diarrhea; food first (bananas, potatoes, broth). Standalone capsules are capped at 99 mg and not worth linking.

Evidence 1/5Andrew —/5
Read entry →No product selected

Vitamins & Minerals

Iodine

Thyroid function; in the multivitamin.

Evidence 1/5Andrew —/5
Read entry →No product selected

Vitamins & Minerals

Manganese

Cofactor for mitochondrial SOD2; in the multivitamin.

Evidence 1/5Andrew —/5
Read entry →No product selected

Vitamins & Minerals

The multivitamin

One capsule covers the thirteen essential vitamins plus zinc, selenium, iodine, manganese, choline, CoQ10 and alpha-lipoic acid, which means it overlaps with…

Evidence —/5Andrew 4/5

Sleep, Stress & Attention

Herbal sleep formula

An all-herbal formula built around passionflower, valerian, California poppy, skullcap and hops, with vervain, gotu kola and a trace of lavender, extracted into…

Evidence 2/5Andrew 4/5

Sleep, Stress & Attention

L-theanine

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…

Evidence 2/5Andrew 5/5

Sleep, Stress & Attention

L-tyrosine

The amino acid the brain turns into dopamine and noradrenaline. In randomized studies, tyrosine preserves working memory and attention when the dopamine system is…

Evidence 2/5Andrew 4/5

Sleep, Stress & Attention

Phosphatidylserine

A phospholipid concentrated in cell membranes, and in the brain more than anywhere else. Phosphatidylserine has randomized trials for memory and attention in older…

Evidence 2/5Andrew 5/5

Product selections are options to discuss with your care team. Andrew earns a commission on Fullscript purchases. US shipping only.

Watercolor portrait of Andrew Kornfeld in Florianópolis, Brazil

A NOTE FROM ANDREW

Every part of you
is in the room.

I have Crohn’s disease. I’m a health educator, a health coach, and the founder of Systema Health. I wrote this guide to put the supplements I believe in, the evidence, and the exact products in front of the people who need them.

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