Turns out, there’s more to strawberries than just Wimbledon.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a medical term used to define conditions that cause inflammation in the gut – most notably ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. These two conditions cause inflammation in the gut. Painful symptoms include watery (often bloody) diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue anemia, fevers, and severe abdominal cramps. There is also an increased risk of colon cancer. The condition affects over 4 million people worldwide. Treatment relies on lifestyle changes and medication. In some cases, surgery is required.
One notable effect of inflammatory bowel disease is the fact that it also increases the number of healthy bacteria within the gut. However, a recent study has highlighted how consuming strawberries may help manage symptoms associated with inflammatory bowel disease.
The study on strawberries and gut health
Researchers from the University of Massachusetts conducted an animal study in hopes of helping individuals living with inflammatory bowel disease. The consumption of fruits and vegetables has been linked with a lowered risk of inflammatory bowel disease. So, the researchers decided to focus on strawberries due to their wide consumption.
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For the study, the researchers used four groups of mice, with one group being healthy, while the other three had IBD. The healthy group consumed a diet with 2.5% whole strawberry powder whilst the IBD mice consumed a diet with 5 % whole strawberry powder (which translates to 250g/three quarters of a cup of strawberries a day). The researchers made sure to feed the mice doses of strawberries that would be in line with regular human consumption.
The results on strawberries
The strawberries improved the symptoms associated with IBD, and they also restored the healthy balance of bacteria within the gut.
Specifically, the mice with IBD that consumed the the equivalent of around 250g strawberries for a human saw their symptoms improve. This included weight loss and bloody diarrhea.
Tthe researchers from the study believe that changes to the diet will have a bigger effect in managing painful symptoms. The healthier your diet, the easier your symptoms will be to manage,
“The sedentary lifestyle and dietary habits of many people – high-sugar, high-animal-fat, but low-fibre diets – may promote colonic inflammation and increase the risk of IBD” explains study leader Professor Hang Xiao of the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Following their findings, the team will now attempt to to work on human patients suffering from IBD in hopes of validating their findings.
Read more about the study here.
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