According to a study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, a supplement enriched with fish oil, soluble fiber and antioxidants reduces reliance on traditional therapies for people with ulcerative colitis. Moreover, people who took the oral supplement were less likely to start corticosteroid drug therapy, which has many long-term side effects.

“Our study proves that an oral supplement which combines fish oil, soluble fiber and antioxidants is safer and causes fewer side effects than many of the medications currently available to treat ulcerative colitis,” said Douglas Seidner, MD, lead study author. “This supplement will provide yet another treatment option to alleviate symptoms for patients suffering from this debilitating disease.”

Researchers conducted a randomized controlled clinical trial of patients 18 and older with mild to moderate active ulcerative colitis. This study shows that patients on corticosteroid therapy who were given the oral supplement vs. a placebo had a significant reduction in the dose of corticosteroids needed to control clinical symptoms of ulcerative colitis.

Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease in which the lining of the large intestine becomes inflamed and ulcerated, and most commonly affects people between 15 and 40 years of age. Ulcerative colitis can be attributed to an immune disorder or heredity, among other things, and is characterized by abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea and fever.

American Gastroenterological Association, April 6, 2005