Ulcerative Colitis is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that affects the lining of the large intestine (colon) and rectum.

It’s an often-painful disease that affects an estimated 1-2 million Americans with symptoms such as abdominal cramping, frequent diarrhea and blood or pus in stools. According to a just-published Scandinavian study, krill oil may be able to help.

Researchers divided 30 Wistar Rats into 3 groups: a control, an “induced colitis” group and an “induced colitis plus Krill Oil” group.

The krill oil group had better results in a whole battery of tests. The supplement “Significantly preserved” colon length, reduced oxidative markers and produced “consistent beneficial changes” across several indicators.

The researchers concluded, “These findings indicate an anti-inflammatory and a protein antioxidant effect of KO.”

Krill Oil hasn’t been tested in humans for ulcerative colitis, but considering all it’s other health benefits, it’s certainly worth a try for sufferers of this uncomfortable condition.