Category 04

What people with Crohn’s say has helped them

Remedies people with IBD talk about in online communities: what they report, the counter-reports, and any research behind them. These are anecdotes, not evidence, and we label them that way.

How we put this together

We read public discussions on IBD communities such as Crohn’s Forum, HealthUnlocked and HealingWell.
We paraphrase what people report. No usernames, no copied posts, and no made-up statistics.
Every entry shows counter-reports and downsides alongside the positive experiences.
We link to the original threads so you can read them in full, and to any research that exists.
There are no purchase links on these pages.

What patient surveys show

Surveys suggest a substantial share of people with IBD use some form of complementary medicine. In a survey of 705 IBD patients, 23% had used one. The five most common were herbal remedies, homeopathy, acupuncture, kefir and aloe vera. A Canadian national survey found herbal therapies were the most common choice among those who used complementary medicine.

Complementary and alternative medicine in inflammatory bowel disease patients: frequency and risk factors

Fernández A, Barreiro-de Acosta M, Vallejo N, et al. · Digestive and Liver Disease · 2012 · PMID 22795615
Complementary and alternative medicine use by Canadian patients with inflammatory bowel disease: results from a national survey

Hilsden RJ, Verhoef MJ, et al. · American Journal of Gastroenterology · 2003 · PMID 12873578

Remedies people talk about

Slippery Elm

Anecdotal

Ulmus rubra · Ulmus fulva · Slippery elm bark powder

A traditional soothing bark often recommended in IBD forums. Firsthand reports we found were mostly inconclusive, and there are no Crohn’s trials.

Read the evidence

Aloe Vera (Inner Leaf Gel)

Anecdotal

Aloe barbadensis · Aloe vera juice · Aloe gel drink

One of the most-used remedies in IBD surveys. Members describe a calmer stomach during flares, and a small colitis trial was encouraging.

Read the evidence

Sodium Butyrate & Tributyrin

Anecdotal

Butyrate · Butyric acid · Tributyrin

Butyrate fuels the cells lining the colon. One detailed forum account credits it with major healing, and a small open-label Crohn’s study was encouraging.

Read the evidence

L-Glutamine

Anecdotal

Glutamine · Glutamine powder

An amino acid popular for “gut-lining repair”. Forum experiences range from better nights to no effect, and a Cochrane review found too little evidence.

Read the evidence

Kefir & Fermented Dairy

Anecdotal

Milk kefir · Probiotic yogurt · Fermented milk

Among the most-used remedies in IBD surveys. Members describe steadier digestion, and a small open-label trial found lower inflammation markers in Crohn’s.

Read the evidence

Bovine Colostrum

Anecdotal

Colostrum · Serum-derived bovine immunoglobulin (SBI)

The antibody-rich first milk from cows. Forum reports are notably mixed, quality varies a lot by brand, and human IBD research is limited.

Read the evidence

Bone Broth

Anecdotal

Chicken broth · Beef bone broth · Collagen broth

A comforting food many people with Crohn’s lean on during flares. Members describe it as soothing, but there’s no clinical research behind it.

Read the evidence

Digestive Enzymes

Anecdotal

Enzyme supplements · Broad-spectrum digestive enzymes

One detailed patient account calls enzymes a game-changer and adds a useful tip about strictures. Reports are thin, and there is no Crohn’s research.

Read the evidence

Approaches we don’t recommend

Some remedies that circulate in online communities have documented risks and no evidence of benefit. We cover them so you have the facts if you come across them.

Colloidal silver

Why people try it: It’s promoted online as a natural antibiotic, and one Crohn’s Forum thread claims it “cured” a member’s Crohn’s.

Why we don’t recommend it: There’s no evidence it treats IBD, and the FDA has found it isn’t effective for any disease. Silver builds up in the body and can permanently turn skin blue-grey. A 2019 case report described severe anaemia and liver toxicity in people given it intravenously at a wellness centre. In that forum thread, other members pointed out there was no proof the silver caused the improvement.

Self-sourced helminth (worm) therapy

Why people try it: Laboratory and early clinical research suggests parasitic worms can calm gut inflammation, and some people source worms themselves outside of clinical trials.

Why we don’t recommend it: A Cochrane review found insufficient evidence on whether helminth therapy is effective or safe in IBD. Worms are live parasites that can cause anaemia, malnutrition and intestinal obstruction, and self-sourced products have no quality control. If this interests you, look for a clinical trial instead.

DIY fecal transplant

Why people try it: Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) can reset the gut microbiome and is an approved treatment for recurrent C. difficile infection, so some people attempt it at home for IBD.

Why we don’t recommend it: Even with professional donor screening, FMT has transmitted drug-resistant bacteria. In 2019 the FDA reported that two patients developed drug-resistant E. coli infections from one donor’s stool, and one died. Home transplants skip donor screening entirely. FMT for Crohn’s is still being studied in clinical trials, which is the safe way to access it.

New England Journal of Medicine (2019)

Phase 2 — in development

Where traditional research stops, our community begins

Natural compounds can’t be patented, so they rarely get the multi-million-dollar trials that drugs receive. That leaves people with Crohn’s without answers to the questions that matter most: what actually helps, at what dose, and for whom? Our Community Symptom Tracker will crowdsource those answers from real people living with Crohn’s, and our upcoming wellness store will make it easy to find quality, third-party-tested products.

Log your symptoms, supplements and doses in a private daily tracker
See what’s working for people with the same disease location and medications
Contribute to the largest real-world dataset on natural Crohn’s support
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