Consumption of green vegetables or chlorophyll acid supplements can relieve inflammatory bowel disease

New research from the Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Research at West China Hospital of Sichuan University and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, USA, found that consumption of green vegetables or the dietary supplement chlorophyllic acid can alleviate inflammatory bowel diseases, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. In addition, chlorophyllic acid was effective in reducing mortality from inflammatory bowel disease, diarrhea, blood in the stool, intestinal epithelial cell damage, and inflammation. The related research results were published in the American Journal of Physiology: Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology.

The researchers found that oral administration of chlorophyll acid supplements derived from the plant reduced the chance of enteritis in mice. In addition, consumption of green vegetables and chlorophyllic acid may also promote recovery from inflammatory bowel disease. Thus chlorophyllic acid in leafy greens and supplements can signal to cells to regulate autophagy, reduce inflammation and thus suppress the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease.

Tens of millions of people in the United States suffer from chronic gastrointestinal disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease. The cause of inflammatory bowel disease has not been fully explored, but a number of related factors, such as stress, environment, lifestyle, and dietary habits, have been found to be associated with the development of inflammatory bowel disease. Currently, the main treatments for inflammatory bowel disease are immunosuppressive therapy and surgery. However, long-term immunosuppressive therapy can have serious side effects, including opportunistic infections and even organ failure. The researchers believe these findings have the potential to change the way inflammatory bowel disease is treated invasively.