Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is characterized by chronic bowel inflammation. Although the exact etiology is still unknown, a probable pathogenesis is a disturbance in immune system function and flare of the enterocyte inflammation in response to gut flora. The current study investigated the effect of zinc supplementation on clinical manifestation and quality of life in ulcerative colitis patients.

Method: Sixty mild to moderate UC patients (age=35 and BMI=24.5) were enrolled in this trial from February 2023 to March 2024 at Rasoul-e-Akram Hospital, Tehran, Iran. Patients were randomly allocated to the intervention group (30 mg elemental zinc) and the control group (placebo) for 8 weeks besides routine medications. The Mayo score, quality of life, serum level of Zinc and ESR were assessed.

Result: A significant improvement was seen in Mayo score (-1.12±1.58; P<0.001) and QoL (9.96±5.85; P<0.001) in the intervention group as compared to the control group at the end of the study. In line with symptom improvement, a significantly lower level of ESR (-3.06±6.80; P<0.01) were seen in the intervention group.

Conclusion: The supplementation with 30 mg elemental zinc may improve Mayo score, QoL, and ESR. Further studies are required to confirm zinc supplementation beside the main treatment for UC patients.