Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) may have a new enemy: pomegranates.
The disease, which is actually two different conditions (ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease), is characterized by long-term inflammation in the intestines, stomach and esophagus. Nearly 3 million adults in the United States are affected by it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But a new study from the University of Louisville have determined that urolithin A, a compound found in pomegranates and berries, may help fight IBD.
The study on Inflammatory Bowel Disease
The researchers discovered that the ellagic acid in pomegranates interacts with a particular strain of bacteria in the gut called INIA P815, causing the release of urolithin A.
The urolithins have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative properties and repair the gut barrier dysfunction and maintain barrier integrity.
More studies need to be done and there’s no guarantee that eating pomegranates or other berries will make the symptoms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease go away. First, because there’s no guarantee the foods will release urolithin A in the gut. Second, because the bacteria that helps produce the metabolite may not be present in everyone’s gut, or it may not be present at the same level.
The researchers believe that a synthetic form of the urolithin may be more effective and reliable in treating some kinds of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, such as acute colitis.
How to sustain good gut bacteria
As lead researcher Venkatakrishna Rao Jala explains, our gut microbes have evolved to create beneficial metabolites near the gut barrier, but it takes work to keep them sustainable.
“However, this requires that we protect and harbor the appropriate gut microbiota and consume a healthy diet,” says Rao Jala. “This study shows that direct consumption of UroA or its analog can compensate for a lack of specific bacteria responsible for production of UroA and continuous consumption of pomegranates and berries.”
