Colitis is a relatively uncommon medical condition; ulcerative colitis results in the inflammation of tissues in the colon.  Women are more prone to developing this condition than males. Other inflammatory conditions like Chron's disease also occur in the human colon.

This condition is categorized as an inflammatory bowel disease or an IBD. Untreated ulcerative colitis can result in  sudden weight loss, unbearable abdominal pains and even vomiting. While the condition itself is not lethal, the complications that arise from it can become life-threatening if no proper treatment is given to the patient.

Unlike other inflammatory problems in the digestive tract, ulcerative colitis occurs in whole stretches of digestive tissue (and not on isolated nodes or patches).  Up to now, there is no definitive treatment for this disease. Only therapy and palliative care is given to colitis sufferers.

Enter the humble bilberry

Bilberry, a common shrub that grows in temperate climates, is now being studied for its potential benefits to colitis sufferers.  In recently completed researches from three separate universities in Switzerland, it was found that the extract of the bilberry (small black berries produced by the bilberry bush) can help reduce the inflammation of colon tissue to up to 50%.

According to lead researcher Gerhard Rogler from the University Hospital of Zurich, many patients with ulcerative colitis do not respond well to conventional therapy or treatments.  He also stated that bilberry offers the hope of providing some degree of relief from the medical condition without the common side effects produced by conventional treatment.

He says that bilberry extract should be explored further, in an effort to develop a supportive treatment for mild colitis and even chronic colitis.  The animal tests performed on mice showed evidence that the extract can zero in on the inflammation in the tissues and reduce the inflammation significantly.

Health benefits of bilberry

The ideal amount of fresh bilberry per day (if you want o to consume it as a natural eye vitamin) is twenty to sixty grams.  If you want to use supplements, take eighty to one hundred sixty milligrams per day.   Bilberry doesn't just help people with ulcerative colitis, it provides a host of other health benefits:

1. It is used as a supporting treatment for the following medical conditions: glaucoma, cataract and macular degeneration.
   
   
2. Bilberry may also help individuals with type 2 diabetes lower their blood sugar levels.
   
   
3. Can be used as a natural means of reducing the dark rings under the eyes (the berries should be eaten).
   
   
4. Bilberries contain tannins, which can help reduce inflammation.
   
   
5. The fruit also contains anthocyanidin, a potent anti-oxidant. Anti-oxidants reduce the damage done to cells by free-radicals.
   
   
6. Tannins in the fruit may help people with chronic diarrhea.
   
   
7. If you are suffering from night blindness, a few spoons of fresh bilberry per day may help treat the problem. The anti-oxidant anthocyanidin is also capable of regulating the amount of light that enters the eye.
   
   
8. Bilberry may also help people with chronic inflammations in the oral cavity.

Sources
altmedicine.about.com
mayoclinic.com
nutraingredients.com
altmedicine.about.com
nutrasanus.com
nutritional-supplements-health-guide.com
antioxidantguide.org