The Benefits of Krill Oil Supplements vs Fish Oil for Omega 3

What is Krill Oil?

Krill are small, marine invertebrate animals similar to shrimp in appearance and are found in all of the world's oceans. These tiny animals are at the bottom of the food chain since they feed mostly on phytoplankton, but they become food for many larger marine animals. Krill is used as bait for aquarium feeding and bait for sport fishing. In Russia and Japan, humans eat krill. Lately, however, the health benefits of krill oil have caught the attention of the pharmaceutical industry.

Krill oil is the oil that comes from these tiny marine animals. Pure krill oil has all of the benefits of fish oil and much more.

Here is a picture of a swarm of krill:

Krill Oil Supplements Benefits

Research using pure krill oil has shown that krill oil supplements have a myriad of wellness enhancements. Here are some of the advantages of krill oil:

• Remedy for high cholesterol
• Reduces chronic inflammation associated with osteoarthritis
• Improves cognitive functioning in adults with ADHD
• Significantly reduces blood sugar

 

Since krill oil is one of the foods high in Omega 3, krill oil supplements may also give the following benefits:

• Enhances the immune system
• Reduces PMS symptoms
• Protects the skin from damaging UV sun rays

However, more research needs to be done before making these statements conclusive.

Krill Oil Vs. Fish Oil Supplements

With the recent scares of mercury contamination in many fish species and recent research on krill oil - krill oil supplements are the best source of Omega 3. You can find krill oil and other omega 3 supplements at Amazon with this search box.

Although the benefits of fish oil has been studied for decades, there are relatively few peer reviewed scientific studies of krill oil. According to emerging evidence, krill oil benefits seem to be similar to those of fish oil but may be far greater. One study done in 2004 using adult human subjects showed a promising and significant link to the superior benefits of krill oil over fish oil. In this study, volunteer adult patients were given between 1-3g of krill oil daily. Another group of volunteers were given 3 grams of fish oil daily.

The results were all those who took the krill oil, even at lower dosages, found their total glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride levels significantly reduced than those given the fish oil.

One possible reason for the superior benefits of krill oil supplements as compared to fish oil is that krill oil contains the vitamins D and A. Also, pure krill oil has the natural antioxidant astaxanthin. This particular antioxidant is the substance that gives some marine animals their distinctive pink coloring. Although fish oil does have this antioxidant, pure krill oil has this in much higher concentrations.

Besides the health benefits, in my opinion, one of the biggest reasons krill oil supplements are better than fish oil supplements is that krill oil does not cause the uncomfortable fishy burps or aftertaste very often associated with fish oil.

The Best Krill Oil Supplements

The best krill oil supplements contain 100% krill oil and do not include fish oils that are cheaper to manufacture. The supplement you buy should have measured amounts of EPA, DHA, and Astaxanthin which are the source of most of the benefits of krill oil.

I recommend this krill oil as one of the best because of the quality of the supplement. It is very high in Omega 3s with 300 mg and also high in phospholipids which help your body use the fatty acids. Many less expensive krill oil supplements have 1/10 or less of the phospholipids contained in this product.

This supplement is a great value for the quality of the product!

Who Should NOT Take Krill Oil Supplements

Krill is a shellfish. Those who are allergic to shellfish or even seafood should not take krill oil except under the advice of their health caregiver.

Some side effects of krill oil supplements may include digestive disorders such as diarrhea or loose stools.

Vegan Krill Oil Substitute

For those who want all of the benefits of krill oil but prefer a vegan alternative, try this vegan alternative - Derived from algae this is one of the few truly vegan alternatives for omega 3s with no gelatin in the formula.

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