For the estimated 3 million Americans who suffer from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, there is hope in a simple but rarely eaten food. Researchers from the University of Missouri found the juice from red cabbage was able to alleviate inflammation-associated digestive health issues in laboratory mice.
IBD is a source of chronic inflammation in the digestive tract with symptoms such as acute stomach pain, weight loss, anemia and diarrhea. It can also raise the risk of death if left untreated.
Scientists at Mizzou's Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery looked at foods that could provide relief and published their findings in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.
Researcher Santayana Rachagani led the team focusing on the pharmaceutical effects of natural foods called nutraceuticals. They were specifically focused on foods that modulate gut microbiota in an effort to alleviate inflammation-associated conditions such as IBD. Red cabbage, it turns out, has a diverse array of bioactive compounds that effectively improved the gut health and relieved the IBD symptoms in mice.
"Red cabbage juice alters the composition of gut microbiota by increasing the abundance of good bacteria, resulting in increased production of short chain fatty acids and other bacteria derived metabolites ameliorating inflammation," Rachagani said. "These changes in the gut microbiota are associated with improved gut barrier function, enhanced colon repair and anti-oxidative effects, ultimately mitigating intestinal damage and colonic inflammation."
Mice are commonly used in the study of IBD because there is a strong resemblance in colitis in mice and ulcerative colitis in humans. That's why researchers believe the beneficial effects seen in mice with red cabbage consumption may transfer over to human consumption.
The scientists saw that red cabbage juice increased the good gut bacteria which in turn triggered an anti-inflammatory receptor in the colon of the mice. The red cabbage also boosted regulatory T cells which promoted an anti-inflammatory immune balance. The result was additional lowering of colonic inflammation.
The current standard of treatment for IBD is monoclonal antibodies. It addresses the inflammation but has the tendency to lose its effectiveness over time.
"These findings offer new insights into the mechanisms underlying red cabbage juice's therapeutic efficacy in ameliorating IBD," Rachagani said. "Its ability to modulate gut microbiota, activate anti-inflammatory pathways and enhance immune regulation underscores its potential as a valuable therapeutic agent for IBD and related inflammatory disorders."
Red cabbage is also a good source of dietary fiber in addition to providing healthy bioactive compounds for gut health.
Click here to read more in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.