What supplements are good to take for someone with Crohn's?

My husband has Crohn's. What type of supplements should he take, perhaps in a powder form that I can put in a drink since he already takes about 11 pills a day for it. He has perianal fistulas as his main problem with his disease.

Answer

Here is some info for you and your physician: The Multi-vitamin powder is excellent overall to optimize health. The one caution in Crohn's is that the magnesium and total amount of nutrients may cause diarrhea in some cases, so start with 1/4 scoop and move up to 1/2 to 1 scoop a day as works best without causing uncomfortably loose stools. Some specific thoughts re:Crohns. Research suggests that fistula formation in Inflammatory bowel disease is associated with ZINC deficiency. He may want to take 25-50 mg a day for 2 months and then drop to 25 mg a day for 6 months (the vitamin powder has 15 mg per scoop). If taking the 50 mg a day dose for over 2 months, he should add 1-2 mg a day of copper, as prolonged use of higher doses could cause copper deficiency (so consider taking zinc 50 mg a day for 2 months and then 25 mg a day for 6 months as above, but not more except for what is in the vitamin powder). In addition,boswellia 1000-2000 mg a day can be very helpful in those with inflammatory bowel disease. Hope this is helpful to you and your physician.

Love and Blessings

Dr T