Zhengzheng Shi and colleagues at the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS) in Japan report the effects of a common herbal remedy on colitis, one of two conditions that comprise inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Published in Frontiers in Immunology, the study shows that DKT — an herbal medicine containing ginger, pepper, ginseng, and maltose — reduced the severity of colitis in lab mice by preventing the loss of important gut bacteria and by increasing levels of immune cells in the colon that fight inflammation.
Colitis is a chronic inflammation of the colon, characterized by an imbalance in gut bacteria and an abnormal immune response. Prevalence has doubled over the last 20 years, and it’s currently a global health concern, particularly in Europe and North America. Although treatments are numerous, they are only partially effective. This has led some researchers to…
