Many people want to know, is krill oil good for you? Well, there are some benefits of krill oil that everyone should be able to improve their life with, as well as being relatively devoid of serious side effects. This makes krill oil a supplement that should be looked at intently.
Krill Oil Benefits
You could take Krill Oil for a number of reasons, but the best benefits aren’t what you’d expect them to be. Obviously omegas are very beneficial, but the main benefits of Krill Oil come from the nuances of this supplement.
After all, the benefits this should answer the question “is krill oil good for you.”
Excellent Source of Omega 3
Krill Oil has a very good source of Omegas, not as many mg’s, but they make up for it in a different way. In this way even though Krill Oil has less omega’s according to the label, according to you body it’s much more!
Studies have shown that krill oil actually does a better job of raising the consumers omega levels in the blood despite not having as much omega’s per capsule. This is because the omega’s from krill oil are attached to something called a phospholipid, which is much easier for the body to absorb and provides brain support as well.
Help Against Inflammation
Omega Fatty acids are known to provide heart health and reduce inflammation overall, and Krill Oil doesn’t drop the bar at all in this category. Because the omegas are easier for the body to absorb, it appears to be easier for the body to use as well.
Krill Oil also contains something called astaxanthin, which is an antioxidant and supports the immune system as well as lowers inflammation. The combined efforts of astaxanthin and the omegas that are in krill oil, they work to reduce it significantly and improve quality of life of people who suffer from chronic inflammation.
Fight Arthritis and Joint Pain
Inflammation is number one cause of arthritis and joint pain in adults. When you have chronic inflammation the body constantly attacks your joints, deteriorating them to the point where they become painful to even move.
Krill Oil is great for the joints because of it’s anti-inflammatory properties, lowering the inflammation in the joints, relieving pressure and allowing the joints to heal. Studies have shown that krill oil significantly reduced stiffness, increased function, and reduced pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis.
Improve PMS Symptoms
Women go through their periods which can oftentimes be very painful, or at the very least uncomfortable; however, most women also go through something called PreMenstrual Syndrome (PMS) which can even be debilitating for some.
While krill oil will not completely remove PMS, it can help manage it through decreasing pain and inflammation. Some studies have shown krill oil to be so effective at reducing pain and inflammation in PMS that some women even reduced their use of pain medications.
Compared to fish oil, krill oil resulted in more women (diagnosed with PMS) reducing their use of pain medications than the women taking fish oil. This is likely because most fish oil is refined down to pure omega 3, whereas krill oil is not so refined and contains a variety of ingredients that provide more well balanced support.
Heart Health
The Omega line of fatty acids are considered to be very heart healthy. By reducing the triglycerides in the blood (fat in the blood) and decreasing inflammation in arteries, allowing them to expand and lower blood pressure, they are very beneficial to heart health and play a major role in reducing risk of coronary heart disease.
This could be said for fish oil too, however, krill oil contributes even more to heart health by raising your “good” HDL Cholesterol as well as lower your “bad” LDL cholesterol.
While more research is needed, krill oil has also been shown in a study to improve insulin resistance scores, possibly leading to a reduced risk of type II diabetes.
What is Krill Oil Made of
Krill Oil is made from the bodies of Krill, a small shrimp like crustacean, and while you can find krill anywhere Krill Oil is exclusively made from Krill found in the waters around the antarctic.
Krill oil is 100% wild caught from the waters around Antarctica, unlike fish oil that could be wild caught or be farmed and you’d never know the difference. In addition to this the harvesting of Krill is 100% overseen by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).
Harvests of krill cannot exceed 1% of the total biomass of krill annually. The standard in the fish industry is 10% and they are already seeing signs of severe depopulation. Despite the seemingly low number of 1% every year, krill harvests don’t even really come close to this number, making Krill a remarkably eco friendly and sustainable source of omega’s.
Krill’s diet mostly consists of microalgae, making this a rich source for omega’s naturally. In addition to this, they are an excellent source of antioxidants, phospholipids, as well as being significantly more bioavailable than omega 3 from fish oil.
So despite there being more omega in fish oil supplements, you cannot absorb all of it, letting some go to waste. Studies show that krill oil actually expresses higher levels of DHA and EPA in the blood over a long period of time. This is likely due to the higher absorption rates as well as the fact that Krill Oil is attached to phospholipids that easily make their way to the brain (providing brain support).
How Much Krill Oil a Day
The daily intake of krill oil, according to the european food safety authority, is about 250 – 500mg of omega 3’s. However, some people require doses of over 4000mg in some (although rare) cases.
It’s important to talk to your doctor before taking any doses higher than the RDA (recommended daily allowance) or if you are taking other medication that could interact with krill oil. It’s worth noting that people who are about to go into surgery or are taking blood thinners may be at risk of adverse effects.
Is Krill Oil The Same As Fish Oil
Although krill oil and fish oil are very similar, there are some key differences that should be focused on. The main difference is the content of the supplement.
For instance, a fish oil omega 3 supplement is going to be the refined, pure form of omega 3’s, meaning that there is no other ingredient other than the capsule itself. This may sound beneficial because you don’t want other ingredients murking up the ingredient that you specifically wanted, however, in refining it down to pure omega you’re losing out on many other ingredients from the fish’s oil that could have provided support and enhanced benefits.
Krill oil on the other hand, is not refined and retains many other auxiliary nutrients from the krill itself. Krill oil contains astaxanthin which is a red pigment found in krill that is an antioxidant and helps the body fight inflammation.
Choline is also in krill oil and plays a major role in many body functions including nerve signalling, and the production of neurotransmitters. In 2004 a national survey was done and found that 90% of Americans are not getting enough choline in their diets as required, because this can only be made by our bodies in a very limited capacity.
Krill Oil Omega 3
While both fish oil and krill oil have omega 3s you’d think that it would be pretty cut and dry for the difference in benefits, but not all omegas are made equal. The omegas found in fish oil are pretty standard, meaning they are plain and exist by themselves for the most part making it relatively hard to absorb, transport, and utilize.
Omegas in krill oil on the other hand are attached to something called a phospholipid. Not only does this allow the omegas to be absorbed, transported, and utilized very quickly, but it also allows the omegas to pass the blood-brain barrier ( a barrier around the brain that stops certain substances from reaching the brain.
Phospholipids are also one of the major selling points for krill oil, and they are essential for transporting omega fatty acids in the blood. More importantly they allow the DHA to cross the blood-brain barrier and allow it to help your brain, unlike fish oil that has no way to actually get into the brain despite claiming brain and cognitive support.
Side Effects
Krill oil is considered to be a relatively safe supplement, however you can take too much of it. However there are some minor side effects if for some reason it doesn’t agree with you.
Some side effects of krill oil include:
- decreased appetite
- heartburn
- stomach upset
- bloating
- diarrhea
- and nausea.
If you experience one or more of these symptoms, talk to your doctor about changing your routine to try and alleviate these problems. Hopefully this article has let if you know if krill oil is good for you or not. I hope you have a great rest of your day.