Effects of flaxseed and flaxseed oil supplement on serum levels of inflammatory markers, metabolic parameters and severity of disease in patients with ulcerative colitis

•Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) refers to diseases that cause inflammation of the intestinal wall.•Flaxseed is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids (α-linolenic acid; ALA), phytoestrogens and soluble fiber.•flaxseed and flaxseed oil, attenuate inflammatory markers, disease severity, blood pressure, and WC. The present study aimed to evaluate the possible effect of grounded flaxseed and flaxseed oil on serum levels of inflammatory markers, metabolic parameters, and the severity of disease in patients with UC. In this open-labeled randomized controlled trial, 90 UC patients were randomly assigned to one of the 3 groups for 12 weeks: grounded flaxseed (GF; 30 g/day), flaxseed oil (FO; 10 g/day) and control group. The weight, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, serum inflammatory markers (interleukin-6 (IL-6), interferon gamma (INF-γ), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), and Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR)), and fecal calprotectin were measured at the baseline and end of the study. Totally, 75 patients (43 men and 32 women) with a mean age of 31.54 ± 9.84 years participated in the present study. Comparing the change of the variables indicated a significant decrease in fecal calprotectin (P