Evinature for children with IBD: exploring natural support

When your child has Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, it is natural to look for ways to help manage their symptoms and support their gut health. Alongside prescribed medication, you may come across products such as Evinature, which are marketed as natural approaches to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

But what is Evinature, how does it work, and is it suitable for children and teenagers with IBD? Understanding the available evidence, potential risks and limitations can help you make informed decisions about your child’s care.

🌿 What is Evinature?

Evinature is a company that develops herbal supplement formulations for digestive health. Its best-known IBD-related product is the CurQD® protocol, which combines two plant-derived ingredients: curcumin and Qing Dai.

Curcumin is a compound found in turmeric that has been studied for its anti-inflammatory properties. Qing Dai, also known as indigo naturalis, is a traditional herbal preparation that has been investigated for its potential effects on intestinal inflammation.

Evinature developed CurQD to explore whether combining these ingredients could help people with ulcerative colitis. The product is intended to be used as a complementary approach to care rather than as a replacement for conventional medical treatment.

🔬 What does the research say about Evinature?

There is some published research into CurQD, including studies involving children and teenagers with ulcerative colitis. However, the amount and quality of evidence need to be considered carefully.

A 2024 study published in Frontiers in Pediatrics examined CurQD use in 30 children with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis or IBD-unclassified. The researchers reported improvements in clinical disease activity and, among the smaller group with available stool test results, improvements in faecal calprotectin, a marker of intestinal inflammation.

These findings are encouraging, but there are important limitations:

• The study was retrospective, meaning researchers looked back at existing medical records rather than randomly assigning children to receive CurQD or a placebo.

• Only 30 children were included.

• Some children were also receiving conventional IBD treatments, so the study cannot establish that CurQD alone caused the improvements.

• The findings relate to ulcerative colitis and IBD-unclassified, not all forms of IBD.

• Larger, well-designed clinical trials are needed to establish how effective and safe the treatment is for children over the longer term.

The study suggests that CurQD may have a role worth investigating, but it does not establish that the product is suitable for every child with IBD or that it can replace established treatments.

👧 Is Evinature suitable for children and teenagers?

Evinature states that its CurQD protocol is suitable for children aged eight and older. However, a manufacturer's recommended age does not automatically mean that a product is appropriate for every child or that its safety has been established to the same standard as prescribed medicines.

Children with IBD have particular needs because ongoing inflammation can affect their growth, puberty, nutrition and bone health. Treatment decisions should take these factors into account, even when a child appears to feel well.

Before considering Evinature for your child, speak to their paediatric gastroenterologist or IBD nurse. They can help assess whether the available evidence applies to your child's diagnosis, disease activity, other medications and medical history.

⚠️ What are the potential risks and side effects?

Natural ingredients are not necessarily harmless. Herbal supplements can cause side effects, interact with medicines and affect how certain health conditions are managed.

CurQD contains Qing Dai, which has been associated in some reports with serious adverse effects, including pulmonary arterial hypertension (a condition involving high blood pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs) and liver problems. Evinature reports that these risks have been investigated in relation to its formulation, but the absence of reported cases in a particular product does not establish that the risk is zero.

Evinature's product information also identifies possible side effects and recommends medical supervision and blood tests to monitor liver enzymes after starting treatment.

If your child's specialist agrees to consider CurQD, ask about:

• Whether it is appropriate given your child's medical history and current medicines.

• What side effects to watch for and what to do if they occur.

• Whether liver function tests or other monitoring are needed.

• How your child's response will be assessed objectively.

• When the treatment should be stopped or reviewed.

Seek urgent medical advice if your child develops concerning new symptoms, particularly breathing difficulties, chest pain, yellowing of the skin or eyes, or severe or unusual abdominal pain.

💊 Can Evinature be taken alongside prescribed IBD medication?

Some research has investigated CurQD as an additional treatment alongside conventional IBD medication. However, this does not mean it is suitable for every combination of medicines or every child.

Do not stop, reduce or delay your child's prescribed medication to try Evinature. Treatments such as biologics, immunomodulators and other prescribed medicines are used to control inflammation and reduce the risk of complications.

If you are considering a supplement, tell your child's IBD team exactly which product you are looking at. Give them the ingredient list and proposed dose so they can assess potential interactions and monitoring requirements.

🩺 How would you know if it is helping?

One of the challenges with IBD is that symptoms do not always reflect how much inflammation is present in the bowel. A child may feel better while inflammation remains active, or continue to experience symptoms for reasons other than active inflammation.

If your child starts taking Evinature, its effects should be assessed using more than symptoms alone. Depending on your child's situation, this may include:

• Bowel symptoms, including pain, diarrhoea and urgency.

• Stool tests, particularly faecal calprotectin.

• Blood tests to assess inflammation, anaemia and nutritional status.

• Growth, weight and general wellbeing.

• Further investigations when clinically indicated.

Your child's IBD team can determine what monitoring is appropriate and whether the treatment is making a meaningful difference.

💰 How much does Evinature cost?

The cost of Evinature can be an important consideration for families, particularly if your child needs to take it over an extended period. As a supplement, it may represent an additional expense alongside prescribed IBD medication, appointments and monitoring tests.

Prices can vary depending on the product, dosage, length of treatment and shipping costs. Before starting, check the current prices directly with Evinature and ask how much your child's recommended daily dose would cost over a month or several months.

It is also worth considering whether the cost is manageable for your family in the long term. Speak to your child's IBD team about the potential benefits, the strength of the evidence and any additional monitoring costs before making a decision.

Remember: Evinature should not replace prescribed IBD medication, and spending more on a supplement does not guarantee better results.

💚 The bottom line for parents

Evinature's CurQD protocol is an area of interest in IBD research, and early studies involving children with ulcerative colitis have reported promising results. However, the evidence remains limited, and more research is needed to establish its effectiveness and long-term safety in children.

If you are considering it for your child, the safest approach is to discuss it with their paediatric gastroenterologist before starting. A treatment being herbal or marketed as evidence-based does not automatically make it suitable for every child.

Your child's growth, development and long-term bowel health remain the priorities. Any complementary treatment should support a carefully monitored IBD care plan, not replace it.

📚 Further reading

• Read the 2024 study of CurQD in children with ulcerative colitis.

• Visit the Evinature website for product information and details of its research.

This article is for general information and educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Evinature and its products have not been established as safe or effective for every child with IBD. Always consult your child's paediatric gastroenterologist before starting any supplement, and never stop or change prescribed medication without medical advice.