In patients with severe ulcerative colitis and high fecal calprotectin levels, a 17-month dietary change and supplement regimen resulted in a drop in fecal calprotectin to normal levels and a return...
Mechanism
Synthesis from 1 study
Removing gluten, dairy, and sugar starves bad bacteria in the gut. Supplements like vitamin D, zinc, and omega-3s repair the gut lining and stop immune cells from attacking. Probiotics and lactoferrin kill off remaining harmful bacteria. This stops the inflammation that raises calprotectin and lets...
Most probable mechanism
Removing gluten, dairy, and sugar starves harmful bacteria in the gut, while vitamins, minerals, and supplements repair the gut lining, block bacterial invasion, and shut down the immune response that causes inflammation. This stops neutrophils from flooding the gut, which lowers the inflammation marker calprotectin and lets good bacteria return.
Elimination of gluten, dairy, and refined sugars removes dietary antigens and fermentable substrates that sustain overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia spp. and Klebsiella pneumoniae.
Probiotics and lactoferrin compete with pathogenic bacteria for adhesion sites and iron, directly suppressing their colonization and growth in the colonic lumen.
Vitamin D3 and zinc upregulate tight junction proteins and antimicrobial peptides in intestinal epithelial cells, restoring barrier integrity and preventing bacterial translocation.
Omega-3 fatty acids from krill oil are converted into specialized pro-resolving mediators that inhibit neutrophil recruitment and promote macrophage clearance of cellular debris.
Glutathione neutralizes reactive oxygen species produced by activated neutrophils, reducing oxidative damage to epithelial cells and preventing further barrier disruption.
Reduced bacterial load and restored epithelial barrier decrease activation of lamina propria immune cells, leading to diminished production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and cessation of neutrophil infiltration.
Decline in neutrophil activity causes fecal calprotectin levels to drop, while suppression of pathogenic bacteria allows commensal microbiota to reestablish dominance.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
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