New Hope for Colitis in Your Fridge?

Living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) like ulcerative colitis isn’t just physically exhausting—it can feel like a daily battle.

From urgent trips to the bathroom to unpredictable flare-ups, these conditions can rob you of comfort, control, and even confidence.

And while medications are often necessary, they don’t always work—and they can come with serious side effects.

That’s why research into natural ways to ease symptoms is so important.

Now, a promising new study suggests a simple fruit juice may offer some powerful relief…

In the largest human trial of its kind, researchers in the UK discovered that drinking just two small glasses of Montmorency tart cherry juice per day significantly reduced gut inflammation in people with mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis.

Participants who took the cherry juice twice a day for six weeks saw a 40% drop in a key gut inflammation marker, known as fecal calprotectin.

That’s not all—those same participants also reported a 9% boost in quality of life, measured by standardized questionnaires that assessed physical health, mental wellbeing, and IBD symptoms.

Study co-author Professor Lindsay Bottoms put it plainly: “While cherry juice cannot replace medicine, our findings offer hope that it could be used alongside pharmaceutical treatments to help improve a patient’s quality of life.”

Ulcerative colitis affects 600,000 to 900,000 people in the US alone and many more worldwide. It brings on chronic abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, and often leads to major life disruptions—and sometimes surgery.

Even with powerful drugs like steroids or immunosuppressants, not everyone finds relief. And for many patients, the side effects of these medications can be almost as tough as the disease itself.

So finding something as simple—and safe—as cherry juice that helps reduce inflammation? That’s a win worth celebrating.

Montmorency tart cherries are packed with anthocyanins, the deep red pigments that also give other dark fruits like blackberries and blood oranges their rich color. These natural compounds have long been known for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant powers.

In this study, participants took a drink made with 30 ml of cherry concentrate (about the same as eating 100 cherries!) diluted with water. That small amount, taken twice daily, was enough to make a measurable difference.

Here’s why this study stands out:

• It was a randomized, placebo-controlled trial—the gold standard of research.
• It tracked both subjective experiences (like quality of life) and objective markers (like stool inflammation).
• And it looked at patients already on stable medication regimens, meaning the cherry juice worked in addition to standard care.

Dr. Jonathan Sinclair, one of the lead authors, says it best: “This highlights its potential benefits alongside traditional pharmaceutical treatments—as well as demonstrating the value of natural supplementation in managing inflammatory bowel disease.”

Researchers now plan to study tart cherry juice in Crohn’s disease, a related bowel condition. And while more studies are needed, this research lays the groundwork for using tart cherry juice as a natural, affordable, and accessible tool in the IBD toolkit.

If you or someone you love is living with ulcerative colitis, there may be hope in a humble glass of cherry juice. It’s not a cure. But when paired with the right care plan, it could help soothe inflammation and restore a bit of normalcy to daily life.

And in the fight against a disease that takes so much—that kind of natural support is worth a second look.

To natural remedies whenever possible,

Rachel Mace
Managing Editorial Director, e-Alert
with contributions from the research team

Sources:

Lancashire, C. (2025, March 3). Two glasses of cherry juice a day may reduce gut inflammation in bowel disease patients, study finds. Medicalxpress.com; Medical Xpress. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03-glasses-cherry-juice-day-gut.html#google_vignette