The most effective foods against intestinal inflammation

There is no general and effective treatment for diseases that present with chronic intestinal inflammation, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

However, research conducted at the prestigious Weizmann Institute in Israel has discovered the specific nutrients that can favor the cure of these diseases.

The best foods to treat inflammatory bowel disease

The causes of intestinal inflammation are not known. It seems that the quality of the diet, genetics, the composition of the microbiota and immunity play a role.

Faced with this complexity, scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science decided to observe the function in these diseases of nitric oxide (NO).

The authors of the investigation knew that nitric oxide relieved inflammation in some cases and aggravated it in others. They thought that discovering the reason for this contradiction could help them understand the disease.

Discover the role of nitric oxide

They hypothesized that NO must play different roles in different cells.

To advance their research, they blocked the production of NO in the cells that make up the inner lining of the intestine in one group of mice, and in another group of animals they blocked it in immune cells.

They found that the symptoms of intestinal inflammation worsened in the first group and improved in the second, especially when macrophages were blocked.

The research director, veterinarian Noa Stettner, thought that the best solution would be to increase the production of NO in the cells of the inner lining. Stettner explains that in this way the treatment reproduces the natural intestinal defense mechanism.

with natural substances

To do this, they directed their attention to the production of the enzyme ASL (argininosuccinato lyase), which in turn is necessary to synthesize the amino acid arginine, the raw material needed for the body to manufacture NO.

To stimulate the production and activity of ASL, the researchers turned to two natural substances: fisetin and citrulline.

These substances are found in common foods, which could therefore help in the treatment of intestinal inflammation.

Fisetin, which increases ASL production, is in apples, persimmons and strawberries, while citrulline, which stimulates enzyme activity, is found in watermelon, beetroot and spinach.

A treatment against inflammation and cancer

The researchers administered to the mice fisetin and citrulline supplements, and got very good results.

In addition the treatment decreased the number and size of colon tumors in mice suffering from this disease.

The researchers, who have published their study in the journal Cell Reports, have announced that the next step is confirm that the effects are similar in the human intestine. If so, an effective and natural treatment of intestinal inflammation and colon cancer may have been discovered.

Currently fisetin and citrulline are sold as nutritional supplements.