Vol. 1, Issue 1, Part A (2024)

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the colon characterized by immune dysregulation. Complementary therapies, including Ayurvedic detoxification (Panchakarma) and naturopathic fasting, have been posited to modulate inflammatory pathways. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of these two interventions on inflammatory biomarkers in UC patients.

Methods: A pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted in Thiruvananthapuram with 30 adult UC patients randomized equally (n = 15 per group) to receive either Panchakarma therapy or a structured naturopathic fasting regimen for four weeks. Primary outcomes were changes in serum C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels. Secondary outcomes included clinical symptom scores and quality of life assessments. Baseline and post-intervention measures were compared using paired and unpaired statistical tests.

Results: Both interventions led to statistically significant reductions in inflammatory biomarkers. The Panchakarma group showed a mean reduction in CRP of 35% (p = 0.01) and IL-6 by 30% (p = 0.02), while TNF-α levels decreased by 25% (p = 0.03). The naturopathic fasting group exhibited a reduction in CRP by 28% (p = 0.02), IL-6 by 22% (p = 0.04), and TNF-α by 20% (p = 0.05). Clinical symptom scores improved in both groups with no statistically significant difference between the two interventions.

Conclusions: Both Ayurvedic Panchakarma and naturopathic fasting significantly reduced key inflammatory biomarkers in UC patients. While Panchakarma demonstrated slightly higher percentage improvements, further large-scale studies are warranted to validate these findings and explore long-term clinical benefits.