Diet & Nutrition
If you have Crohn's disease, you've probably searched for something beyond your current medications. Maybe it was turmeric after a friend mentioned it, or CBD after scrolling through a wellness account, or probiotics because the logic just seems right. You're far from alone. The challenge is that information about alternative treatments for Crohn's lives in two unhelpful extremes: supplement brands that promise the world, and medical sites that dismiss everything with "more research needed." What follows is an honest look at what the research actually shows for the most commonly searched natural remedies for Crohn's disease, using a consistent lens: What was studied? How strong is the evidence? And is it safe to try alongside your existing treatment?
Vitamin D: The Strongest Case for Supplementation
Vitamin D stands apart from every other supplement on this list because deficiency is the norm, not the exception, in Crohn's disease. Studies report that between 35% and 70% of Crohn's patients are vitamin D deficient, with one study finding deficiency in 80% of new diagnoses. This alone would justify testing and correcting levels. But the evidence goes further.
A 2023 meta-analysis in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases found that Crohn's patients in clinical remission who supplemented with vitamin D had a 53% reduction in relapse risk compared to placebo. A 2025 real-world analysis of over 5,000 IBD patients found that supplementation was associated with fewer emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and courses of corticosteroids. Clinical trials have used doses around 1,200 IU daily, though many gastroenterologists now target serum levels of 40-60 ng/mL, which may require higher doses depending on the individual. If you're only going to act on one thing from this article, get your vitamin D level checked.
Iron: Necessary, but the Method Matters
Iron deficiency anemia affects a large proportion of Crohn's patients, driven by intestinal blood loss and impaired absorption in inflamed tissue. Supplementation is often medically necessary rather than optional. The question is how to take it.
European guidelines recommend oral iron for patients in remission with mild anemia (hemoglobin above 10 g/dL), but intravenous iron for patients with active disease or more severe anemia, because inflamed intestines absorb oral iron poorly and the tablets themselves can worsen GI symptoms. If oral iron causes stomach pain, nausea, or worsening of your Crohn's symptoms, that's worth raising with your doctor. IV iron is faster, better tolerated, and more effective at replenishing stores in the context of active inflammation.
Low-Dose Naltrexone: Promising Pilot Data, Awaiting Confirmation
Low-dose naltrexone, or LDN, is one of the more intriguing options in Crohn's research. Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist used at full doses (50 mg) for addiction treatment. At low doses (4.5 mg), it appears to modulate immune function through a different mechanism. A pilot study found that 74.5% of Crohn's patients experienced clinical improvement and 25.5% achieved remission at 12 weeks, with only mild side effects like vivid dreams and drowsiness.
However, the first large-scale randomized controlled trial is still underway. LDN remains off-label with no standardized dosing protocol, and the existing evidence comes from small, open-label studies. The safety profile appears favorable, but "promising" is the accurate word here, not "proven."
Curcumin: Real Mechanism, Delivery Problem
Turmeric gets attention because its active compound, curcumin, has genuine anti-inflammatory properties in lab settings. A randomized controlled trial using a highly bioavailable curcumin formulation found remission rates of 35-40% in the treatment group compared to 0% in placebo at weeks 4 through 12. A 2025 systematic review confirmed curcumin's potential but flagged a critical issue: standard turmeric supplements have very low bioavailability. The formulation matters enormously. A turmeric capsule from a grocery store shelf is unlikely to deliver the concentrations used in clinical trials. If you want to try curcumin, look for formulations specifically designed for absorption, and discuss it with your gastroenterologist since high doses can cause GI discomfort.
Cannabis and CBD: Symptom Relief, Not Disease Control
Cannabis is one of the most searched alternative treatments for Crohn's disease. The evidence tells a split story. THC-rich cannabis improved symptoms in a small trial of 21 patients, with 10 of 11 in the treatment group reporting clinical improvement. Patients consistently report better appetite, less pain, and improved sleep. But a CBD-only study found no benefit over placebo, and no cannabis study has demonstrated reduced intestinal inflammation on endoscopy. As the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation notes, cannabis may help with how Crohn's feels without changing how it progresses. That distinction matters, especially if symptom relief masks ongoing disease activity.
Probiotics: Strong Logic, Weak Crohn's-Specific Evidence
The gut microbiome is disrupted in Crohn's disease, so probiotics seem like an obvious intervention. For ulcerative colitis, several probiotic strains have solid evidence behind them. For Crohn's, the picture is different. A 2025 systematic review found that probiotics have not been convincingly shown to maintain remission in Crohn's, and a 2025 randomized trial found no significant difference in symptoms, flares, or hospitalizations with supplementation. The reasons likely relate to Crohn's deeper tissue involvement compared to UC. This doesn't mean probiotics are harmful, but the evidence doesn't support taking them as a Crohn's-specific treatment.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: The Evidence Fell Short
Omega-3s had strong biological rationale. They reduce inflammatory markers in lab studies and animal models. But when tested in Crohn's patients, the results were disappointing. A Cochrane review analyzing six studies with over 1,000 patients concluded that omega-3 fatty acids are "probably ineffective" for maintaining remission. Two large, well-designed trials drove that conclusion. Omega-3 supplements are safe and may have cardiovascular or other benefits, but expecting them to control Crohn's disease specifically is not supported by current evidence.
Acupuncture: Early Signals, Small Studies
A randomized trial published in eClinicalMedicine found that 12 weeks of acupuncture induced remission in 32 of 43 patients compared to 15 of 42 controls, with effects lasting 48 weeks. Researchers observed changes in gut bacteria composition and inflammatory markers. A 2023 meta-analysis confirmed reduced disease activity scores but noted that all studies had small sample sizes. Acupuncture appears safe and may offer benefit, but the evidence base remains limited.
Fecal Microbiota Transplant: Not Ready for Crohn's
Fecal microbiota transplant, or FMT, has shown clear benefit for recurrent C. difficile infection and emerging evidence for ulcerative colitis. For Crohn's, a 2025 multicenter randomized trial found that 0% of patients in the FMT group achieved combined clinical and endoscopic remission at 8 weeks, compared to 8.3% in placebo. The trial was stopped early for futility. This doesn't rule out future approaches combining FMT with other therapies, but FMT alone does not appear to work for Crohn's based on the best available evidence.
A Framework for Making Decisions
The evidence varies widely across these treatments, from vitamin D (strong, act on it) to FMT (tested and failed as a standalone). A few principles can help you navigate the noise: ask what was actually studied, including the dose and formulation. Ask whether the study measured inflammation or just symptoms. And ask whether the treatment is safe alongside your current medications.
Trying a supplement? Track it alongside your symptoms in Aidy to see if it's actually making a difference for you, not just the placebo effect.