What to Do During a Flare (With the Science Behind Qing Dai, Curcumin, and More)

There’s no mistaking an IBD flare when it hits. For those living with Ulcerative Colitis (UC) or Crohn’s Disease, it’s a physiological shift. Inflammation rises, urgency returns, energy plummets, and the gut becomes unpredictable in ways that affect your entire life.

Suddenly, everything from food choices to social plans to simply getting through the day becomes complicated. And while it’s easy to feel powerless, there are steps you can take to calm the system.

This blog is about those steps. Backed by science, informed by clinical evidence, and built around what’s happening inside your body during a flare.

We’ll explain:

• What a flare really is, biologically speaking

• Why it’s not the time for probiotics (yet)

• And how targeted compounds like Qing Dai, Curcumin, Boswellia, and Zinc Carnosine work together to lower inflammation and support your gut lining, without overwhelming an already stressed system.

What’s Actually Happening in Your Body During an IBD Flare

An IBD flare is more than a return of symptoms. Your immune system, gut lining, and microbial balance all become destabilised in a way that feeds into itself. Understanding what’s happening beneath the surface can make it easier to make informed decisions and understand why specific interventions matter.

The Inflammatory Cascade

At the core of every flare is immune dysregulation. In people with IBD, the immune system becomes overactive and begins releasing high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, particularly TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β. These molecules drive inflammation in the gut lining, worsening pain, urgency, diarrhoea, and bleeding.

The NF-κB signalling pathway plays a key role here. Once activated, it triggers a chain reaction of inflammatory gene expression. The result is inflammation that doesn’t turn off on its own.

This is why targeting inflammation at the molecular level is essential. Without intervention, the flare won’t simply resolve; it can spiral, damaging the gut further and delaying recovery.

A Distressed Gut Lining

As inflammation intensifies, the mucosal lining of the intestine becomes compromised. Tight junctions between cells loosen. The barrier becomes “leaky.” And the gut becomes more vulnerable to further immune activation, bacterial intrusion, and nutrient malabsorption.

This damage isn’t superficial. The epithelial layer is essential for maintaining immune tolerance and nutrient exchange. When it breaks down, it feeds the cycle of inflammation and creates long-term risk for complications.

Supporting the gut lining as well as calming inflammation is critical during a flare. That’s why Proviscera FLARE includes ingredients like Zinc Carnosine and Omega-3 fatty acids, which help reinforce mucosal integrity while inflammation is being addressed.

Microbiome Disruption

Even before a flare, people with IBD often have an imbalanced gut microbiome, a condition known as dysbiosis. But during a flare, that imbalance deepens.

Beneficial bacteria decline further, while pro-inflammatory species can expand. This microbial shift supports and drives inflammation. Bacterial metabolites influence immune responses, and when the balance is off, they can fuel a pro-inflammatory environment.

It might seem logical to start probiotics right away. But during a flare, the gut is unstable. New bacteria may struggle to colonise, or may even worsen symptoms. That’s why FLARE leaves probiotics out and reserves microbiome support for the REPAIR stage, once the gut is ready for reinoculation.

What to Do During a Flare (Step by Step)

When you’re in the middle of a flare, your instincts might be to overhaul everything: diet, supplements, lifestyle. But your gut doesn’t need more complexity. It needs precision. The right interventions, at the right time, can help interrupt the cycle of inflammation, protect the gut lining, and lay the groundwork for recovery.

Here’s what that looks like.

1. Calm the Inflammation

Bringing down inflammation is the first and most important step. Without this, your gut lining won’t heal, your microbiome can’t stabilise, and your symptoms are unlikely to settle.

Qing Dai (Indigo Naturalis)

• How it works: Qing Dai acts on the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a key regulator of immune responses in the gut. This pathway helps suppress inflammatory cytokines like IL-17 and IL-23, which are known to be elevated during IBD flares.

• What the science says: Clinical trials have shown that Qing Dai significantly reduces UC disease activity scores, even in steroid-refractory cases.

• How it’s delivered in FLARE: The Proviscera formula uses enteric-coated Qing Dai, designed to bypass the stomach and release in the colon, right where it’s needed.

Curcumin

• How it works: Curcumin inhibits the NF-κB pathway, one of the central switches that triggers inflammation in the gut. It also suppresses COX-2 and cytokines like TNF-α, helping to reduce both local and systemic inflammation.

• What the science says: Multiple clinical trials and meta-analyses have found that curcumin can help induce and maintain remission in people with mild to moderate UC, particularly when combined with standard treatments.

• What makes FLARE different: We use a bioavailable, enteric-coated form of curcumin, so it bypasses the stomach and releases directly into the colon, where inflammation is most active.

Boswellia Serrata

• How it works: Boswellia targets the 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) pathway, offering a complementary anti-inflammatory mechanism to curcumin.

• Why the pairing matters: Together, curcumin and boswellia provide dual inhibition of inflammatory enzymes (COX-2 and 5-LOX), covering more ground than either compound alone.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids (EPA/DHA)

• How they work: Omega-3s modulate inflammation by shifting the body’s production of eicosanoids toward anti-inflammatory prostaglandins and leukotrienes.

• Why they’re useful now: During a flare, they help stabilise immune responses and support the mucosal barrier. They also have systemic benefits for joint pain, fatigue, and mood, common flare companions.

2. Protect and Support the Gut Lining

Calming inflammation is step one, but repairing the damage it causes starts immediately too. The gut lining can’t wait until the flare has passed. That’s why Proviscera FLARE includes support for mucosal integrity right from day one.

Zinc Carnosine

• How it works: Zinc carnosine binds to the gut lining, stabilising mucosal cells and promoting tissue repair. It also reduces gut permeability, the “leaky gut” effect that often worsens inflammation.

• Dose matters: FLARE includes zinc carnosine at full therapeutic levels.

Omega-3s (Again)

• Beyond their role in inflammation, omega-3s also play a direct role in epithelial repair, supporting the phospholipid membrane structure and cellular regeneration of the gut lining.

3. Avoid Probiotics for Now

This might feel counterintuitive, especially with how often probiotics are marketed as essential for gut health. But during an active flare, introducing probiotics can make things worse.

• Why? The inflamed gut lining is more permeable and reactive. Introducing new bacterial strains during this time can increase bloating, discomfort, and immune activation, especially if the strains aren’t tailored to IBD.

• Our approach: FLARE excludes probiotics by design. We focus on stabilising the terrain first. Once inflammation settles and the lining begins to recover, then we introduce targeted strains, in the REPAIR phase, that are clinically suited to support microbial balance and mucosal recovery.

4. Stick to Flare-Friendly Lifestyle Basics

While supplements play a major role during a flare, your daily choices also matter. 

• Diet:
  Focus on low-residue, soft-textured foods that are gentle on digestion. Avoid raw vegetables, nuts, seeds, and high-fibre foods unless you’ve worked with a dietitian. Hydration is important; include electrolytes if diarrhoea is frequent.

• Rest:
  Your immune system is in overdrive, and energy is being redirected to the gut. Make rest a priority, not a luxury.

• Pain management:
  Avoid NSAIDs like ibuprofen unless prescribed. They can worsen gut inflammation. Paracetamol is generally safer. Check with your doctor.

5. Stay on Your Prescribed Medication

Proviscera is designed to support your medical treatment not replace it. Whether you’re on corticosteroids, immunomodulators, or biologics, the FLARE protocol can be used alongside your current plan.

• Why this matters:
  Flare recovery is not the time to experiment with stopping your prescribed meds. Proviscera FLARE is safe to take with most medications, but always speak to your doctor before making changes.

Understanding the Proviscera FLARE Protocol

The FLARE phase of the Proviscera protocol was developed specifically for moments of active inflammation, when symptoms are intense, the gut lining is compromised, and the immune system is in overdrive. 

Targeting the Full Gut Health Triangle at the Right Time

The Proviscera protocol is built around the Gut Health Triangle, inflammation, microbiome, and gut barrier, three systems that drive and sustain IBD flares when thrown out of balance.

In the FLARE phase, the focus is on two of these corners:

• Inflammation is addressed directly through clinically validated compounds:
  

• Qing Dai (AhR activation, IL-17/23 suppression)

• Curcumin (NF-κB inhibition)

• Boswellia (5-LOX inhibition)

• Omega-3s (eicosanoid modulation)
  
  

• The Gut Barrier is supported with:
  

• Zinc Carnosine

• Omega-3s 

The microbiome corner is intentionally left untouched for now. This is a clinical decision, not an oversight. In a flare, the gut is too unstable for new bacterial colonies to establish safely. That part of the triangle is addressed in the next stage: REPAIR.

Why Timing and Delivery Matter

Each ingredient in FLARE has been selected not just for what it does, but how and where it works.

• Enteric-coated capsules:
  Every compound is protected by a pH-sensitive coating, which allows it to pass through the stomach and release directly in the colon. This is where inflammation tends to be most severe in UC and Crohn’s Disease, and where local delivery can have the most impact.

• Synergistic formulations:
  Rather than maxing out on a single ingredient, FLARE uses smart combinations. For example:
  

• Curcumin and Boswellia target different inflammatory enzymes (COX and 5-LOX).

• Zinc carnosine and Omega-3s support both barrier function and inflammation control.

• Qing Dai works on an entirely separate immune modulation pathway, offering broader coverage without redundant mechanisms.
  

• Therapeutic dosing:
  These aren’t micro-doses or “wellness” levels. Each compound is included at clinically relevant doses, the kind used in actual IBD studies.

The Emotional Toll of a Flare (and How to Cope)

An IBD flare is a full-body event, not just physiologically, but emotionally. When inflammation is high, fatigue intensifies, focus becomes difficult, and everyday routines can feel unmanageable. It’s common to experience a drop in mood, increased irritability, or a sense of disconnection from your usual pace of life.

These experiences are a reflection of a body under significant strain. On top of the gut, Inflammatory cytokines influence brain chemistry, energy regulation, and nervous system balance. In short, what you’re feeling is part of the flare itself.

Acknowledging this can help relieve some of the pressure. Recovery goes beyond symptom control; it also means giving yourself space to rest and recalibrate.

Support doesn’t need to be extensive to be effective. A check-in with a friend, a conversation with your doctor, or a moment of stillness in your day can offer a sense of steadiness.

Helpful practices may include:

• Short walks or gentle stretching, if tolerated, to support circulation and reduce tension

• Breathwork or guided relaxation, to help regulate stress and calm the nervous system

• Reducing screen time, particularly when health-related content becomes overwhelming

• Prioritising comfort, whether through heat packs, calming music, or familiar routines

When to Move On to the Next Phase (REPAIR)

The FLARE phase is designed for active inflammation, when symptoms are at their peak and the gut is under stress. But once those symptoms begin to ease, the work isn’t over. In fact, this is when the next stage becomes critical.

Transitioning to the REPAIR phase means shifting focus from crisis management to structured recovery. This stage supports all three corners of the Gut Health Triangle, inflammation, gut barrier, and microbiome, but in a more balanced and restorative way.

Signs You’re Ready to Transition

Every person’s timeline will look different, but some common indicators that it may be time to move from FLARE to REPAIR include:

• Fewer urgent trips to the bathroom

• Reduced bleeding or cramping

• Slight improvements in energy and appetite

• The ability to tolerate more foods without triggering symptoms

It’s okay if you’re not fully back to baseline. REPAIR is designed to work during this transition, not just after it. But if the most intense phase of your flare has passed, your gut is likely ready for the next step.

What Happens in the REPAIR Phase

Unlike FLARE, which avoids probiotics due to the sensitivity of the gut terrain, REPAIR introduces clinically studied probiotic strains to help repopulate the microbiome. It also includes:

• L-Glutamine and Tributyrin to fuel gut lining repair

• Tapered doses of anti-inflammatories (like curcumin and boswellia) to maintain stability without overwhelming the system

• Omega-3 and Zinc Carnosine, carried through from the FLARE phase, to continue supporting mucosal healing

This is a crucial period, when inflammation has settled enough for deeper healing to take place, but the gut still needs structured support to rebuild resilience.

If you're unsure whether it's time to shift phases, speak to your healthcare provider or reach out to our team at clinic@proviscera.com. We’re here to guide you.

FAQs

Can I take FLARE with my prescribed medication?

Yes. The FLARE protocol is designed to work alongside conventional treatments, including steroids, immunosuppressants, and biologics. If you’re unsure, speak to your doctor or contact our team at clinic@proviscera.com.

Is Qing Dai safe?

When used short-term and delivered via enteric-coated capsules, Qing Dai has been shown to be both effective and generally well tolerated. However, long-term use or non-targeted delivery may carry risks, including rare liver-related side effects. That’s why Proviscera FLARE uses a precision formula and why we recommend discussing use with your healthcare provider.

Why doesn’t FLARE include probiotics?

During a flare, the gut lining is more permeable and reactive. Introducing probiotics too early can sometimes worsen symptoms or fail to take hold. We reserve microbiome support for the REPAIR phase, once inflammation has settled and the gut is more stable.

How long should I stay on the FLARE protocol?

2–8 weeks, depending on the severity and duration of their flare. If your symptoms begin to ease, less urgency, reduced bleeding, better tolerance to food, that’s a good sign you may be ready to transition to REPAIR.

Can I take just one of the ingredients, like curcumin or Qing Dai, on its own?

You can but FLARE was designed as a complete protocol. Each compound targets a different aspect of the inflammatory process, and they work synergistically. Using them together in the right form and dose provides more reliable support.