Krill Oil Lessens Inflammation Markers in Ulcerative Colitis Study

A study on male rats and ulcerative colitis concludes that krill oil supplementation may reduce markers of inflammation and improve colon length in rats with the disease.

Researchers at the University of Bergen, Norway divided male rats into three groups: a control group, a control group with ulcerative colitis, and a group with ulcerative colitis that consumed krill oil for four weeks. Compared to the control group with the disease, rats supplementing with krill oil experienced significant reductions in several inflammatory markers and increased colon length (reduced colon length is a sign of severity of the disease).

“Previous studies have shown krill oil to have anti-inflammatory effects, but this is the first study to indicate the anti-inflammatory and protein antioxidant properties of krill oil in ulcerative colitis…” said Aker BioMarine (Oslo, Norway) in a recent press release. The company provided krill oil for the study.

Aker adds that ulcerative colitis is a common condition in the United States, where an estimated 1 to 2 million people have the disease.

The recent study was published in the Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology.