Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42100281›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in medicine2026

Efficacy and safety of dietary supplements for the treatment of ulcerative colitis, a network meta-analysis.

Rong Xu, Zhiyu Zhang, Ying Li, Zhijiu Wu

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Rong XuAffiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China.
Zhiyu ZhangAffiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China.
Ying LiAffiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China.
Zhijiu WuAffiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: In recent years, the application of dietary supplements in the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC) has attracted more and more scholars' attention, and a number of studies have shown that dietary supplements have a non-negligible role in improving the clinical symptoms and quality of life of UC patients. This article aims to compare the efficacy and safety of dietary supplement therapy of UC through a comprehensive network meta-analysis method. Methodology: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in multiple databases, including PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of science, from their inception up to 30 October 2025. Network and routine meta-analyses using the mvmeta package in Stata 16.0 and Stata 12.0 software, and literature quality and risk of bias assessed using RevMan 5.3 software. Result: A total of 24 randomized controlled trials were conducted with 1,491 participants and 14 dietary supplements. The results showed that probiotics [MD = -1.64, 95% CI (-2.91 to -0.38)] and selenium [MD = -2.43, 95% CI (-4.85 to -0.01)] had significant advantages compared with conventional medical treatment or placebo in reducing clinical activity index. Flaxseed extract [MD = -1.53, 95% CI (-2.82 to -0.24)] and vitamin A [MD = -1.93, 95% CI (-3.82 to -0.04)] had a clear advantage over conventional medical treatment or placebo in reducing the Mayo score; at the same time, in terms of IBDQ, probiotics [MD = 7.78, 95% CI (1.39 to 14.17)], flaxseed extract [MD = 8.58, 95% CI (2.31 to 14.85)], resveratrol [MD = 9.18, 95% CI (2.45 to 15.91)], curcumin [MD = 25.80, 95% CI (2.00 to 49.60)], butyrate [MD = 20.50, 95% CI (9.80, 31.20)] with higher scores compared to conventional drugs or placebo, indicating an improved quality of life for patients; synbiotics [MD = -0.69, 95% CI (-1.16 to -0.23)], flaxseed extract [MD = -0.8, 95% CI (-1.16 to -0.44)], and Conclusion: Various dietary supplements have shown differentiated efficacy in adjuvant UC therapy. Probiotics and selenium are effective in improving clinical symptoms; flaxseed extract showed consistent benefits in improving Mayo score, IBDQ score, and reducing CRP, ESR, and FCAL, and had a wide range of application prospects. Butyrate and curcumin have significant effects in improving quality of life; synbiotics and

Indexed as

complementary medicinedietary supplementsnetwork meta-analysisrandomized controlled trialulcerative colitis

Identifiers

PMID42100281
PMCPMC13143612

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.