Coconut water is very healthy because, for example, it inhibits inflammation and has a positive effect on the intestinal flora, which can contribute to clinical remission in mild to moderate ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease.
A new study involving experts from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences examined the effects of coconut water as an adjunctive therapy in people with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis. The results can be read in the journal “Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology”.
Standard therapy plus coconut water
In the current research, a total of 121 participants with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis were assigned to either a group that received standard medical therapy in combination with coconut water consumption or a control group that took standard therapy and placebos.
The combined coconut water treatment was carried out over a period of eight weeks. The researchers examined how this form of therapy affects the remission of ulcerative colitis and what adverse events occur. In addition, the participants’ microbiome was analyzed at the start of the study and after eight weeks.
Higher remission rate thanks to coconut water
It turned out that the combination of standard medical therapy and coconut water was associated with an increased remission rate among the participants compared to the control group, the researchers report.
In addition, more participants responded to the combined treatment and the relative distribution or abundance of different bacterial groups, which were negatively correlated with the so-called Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index, increased in the coconut water-treated group, the experts add.
The side effects were comparable in both groups and none of the participants developed hyperkalemia. In conclusion, coconut water is more effective than placebo in inducing clinical remission in people with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis.
Reduced risk of inflammatory bowel disease
The positive effect of coconut water on ulcerative colitis was also examined in another recent study. The researchers wanted to find out whether coconut water is associated with a reduced risk of inflammatory bowel disease through its effect on the intestinal flora.
Also read:
- Nutrition: Why coconut water is so healthy
The experts found that coconut water increases the potassium content of the diet, with high potassium intake being associated with a lower risk of inflammatory bowel disease. In addition, coconut water modulate the intestinal flora and is more effective than placebo treatment in inducing remission in mild to moderate ulcerative colitis.
Effective addition to therapy
Overall, the results of both studies show that coconut water promotes remission in chronic inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis, especially when combined with standard clinical therapy. (as)
