Health · Medical Research · 2 hrs ago
Creatine Protected Brain Cells in Rats With Gut Inflammation
Researchers in Spain tested creatine in rats with gut inflammation modeled on ulcerative colitis.
The study examined the hippocampus, a brain region important for learning and memory.
Rats given daily creatine had restored creatine levels in this region, with less inflammation and damage to neurons.
Gut inflammation can affect brain function, and people with inflammatory bowel disease may experience brain fog and memory or attention problems.
The results are limited to animal experiments, so they do not show that creatine protects the brains of people with these conditions.
The researchers say creatine could be a preventive or complementary approach, but its effects in people remain unproven.
A study in rats found that creatine supplementation reduced signs of brain inflammation and neuronal damage linked to gut inflammation.
The experiments modeled ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease, in rats.
Creatine restored hippocampal creatine levels and improved markers of neuronal integrity and activity.
The researchers said the findings may have clinical implications, but the evidence is limited to animal models.
- Who
- Researchers at the University of Seville in Spain studied rats with gut inflammation.
- What
- The study found that creatine supplementation improved several markers of brain health.
- When
- The study was published in 2026.
- Where
- The experiments were conducted in rats; the researchers are based at the University of Seville in Spain.
- Why
- Researchers investigated whether creatine could protect the hippocampus from effects of gut inflammation.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Some of the researchers found that creatine supplementation reduced gut inflammation and disease-related intestinal damage in rodents.
Some rats received water containing one gram of creatine per kilogram of body weight.
Researchers induced colitis symptoms in the rats, while daily creatine dosing continued.
The study was published in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.
- Creatine dose
- 1 gram per kilogram of rat body weight
- Timing
- Colitis symptoms were induced 10 days after creatine dosing began
- Brain region
- Hippocampus
- Study journal
- Brain, Behavior, and Immunity
- Research institution
- University of Seville, Spain
What people are saying
From a clinical perspective, creatine supplementation emerges as a powerful, complementary and preventive strategy
The supplementation restored hippocampal creatine levels, preserved neuronal integrity, and normalized impaired excitability