Krill Oil – the best source for omega-3



Krill oil is rapidly becoming popular as a nutritional supplement, and many health-conscious people are switching from ordinary fish oils to krill oil because the health benefits of krill oil are demonstrated to be much better than those of fish oil. There’s a lot of research that supports the health benefits of krill oil, and we have summed up a few of those benefits here.

What are krill?

Krill is a species of shrimp-like animal that lives in the ocean. They are very tiny, but despite their size, they are probably the most important animal in the Antarctic ecosystem. That’s because krill serves as an important food for other animals like penguins, fish, seabirds, squids, seals, and whales. Krill (latin name: Euphausia superba) is at the bottom of the food chain, which means that the oil that’s extracted from Antarctic krill is extremely clean and unpolluted as compared to fish oils and sea animals.

krill oil capsules

The antioxidant astaxanthin gives krill oil its red color.

High quality oil only comes from krill that lives in the cold, clean waters around Antarctica. It is full of beneficial substances that affect some of the most important functions of the body.

Pure krill oil is extremely rich in omega-3, omega-9 and the most important EPA and DHA fatty acids. Krill oil also contains protection in the shape of the super-antioxidant astaxanthin. In addition, krill oil contains unique phospholipids for making healthy and strong cell walls in the body. They are very important cell membrane building blocks.


The health benefits of krill oil have been thoroughly studied and documented. Among many other things, krill oil optimizes the functioning of the brain, is effective against depression, and contributes to healthy joints and a strong heart.

It is interesting to note that in a very thorough study, Antarctic krill oil was found to have 54 times the antioxidant power of fish oil supplements.

What that means for your cardiovascular system is this:

Taking krill oil as a supplement on a daily basis can reduce the risk of a cardiovascular illness by 45 percent, reduce the harmful triglycerides in the blood by 25 percent, while increasing the HDL cholesterol (beneficial) by 43 percent and reducing the harmful LDL cholesterol by 55 percent and reduce the risk of an inflammation by 29 percent.

All this, in addition to the other health benefits of this supplement, will go a long way to improve your health significantly.

Here is a sum-up of some of the most important health benefits of krill oil:

  • Contains the strongest antioxidant found in nature
  • Helps the brain’s ability to concentrate and strengthens memory
  • Contains vitamins A and D
  • Has a beneficial effect on skin aging
  • Contains omega-3 essential fatty acids and omega-9
  • Strengthens the cardiovascular system
  • May reduce the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome
  • Is being studied as a natural remedy against high cholesterol
  • Reduces symptoms of arthritis and inflammation of the joints

Omega-3 in krill oil
There are several different types of omega-3. The omega-3 in fish oil is in the form of triglycerids, while krill oil contains large concentrations of omega-3 naturally bound to phospholipids. Studies indicate that omega-3 with phospholipids is easier for the body to absorb than omega-3 in the form of triglycerids.

New research (link) confirms that you need less of it to reach the same levels of omega-3 as higher doses of fish oil.

Omega-3 is well researched, and has a large number of very beneficial effects in the body, not least for the heart and blood vessels.

The super-antioxidant astaxanthin
Krill oil is one of very few foods that contain astaxanthin, which is the strongest antioxidant found in nature. Antioxidants absorb and neutralize unstable substances known as free radicals, which break down the cells in the body. The activities of free radicals are believed to be a major part of the reason why the human body ages and deteriorates with time. Krill oil is associated with healthier and younger looking skin.

Astaxanthin is also one of the rare antioxidants that can penetrate the barrier between the bloodstream and the brain, which means that it may protect the functioning of the brain from harmful free radicals.

A better alternative to fish oil
Many people take fish oil or flax oil supplements to get enough omega-3 fatty acids, but more and more are switching to krill oil for the added benefits of more bio-available essential fatty acids.

  • The omega-3 in fish oil is in the form of triglycerids, which are not as easy for the body to absorb as the phospholipids in krill oil
  • Fish oil contains very little astaxanthin, which is present in high concentrations in krill oil
  • Krill oil does not produce the fishy burps that fish oil capsules are known for
  • Krill oil is often less processed than fish oil
  • Krill oil usually contains much less contaminants and pollutants than fish oil
  • Krill oil delivers more “health per capsule” than fish oil

Krill oil as a nutritional supplement usually comes in capsules of 500 mg, which means that two capsules a day give you the daily recommended intake of 1000 mg. There are also 1000 mg capsules available.

Using krill oil to improve your health and strengthen your body is a superb idea, and which specific krill oil product you choose to use is not all that important. We suggest that you make sure that the capsules you take daily are made from Antarctic krill, and that you get about 1000 mg a day (that’s one gram). No fish oil supplement can match that, and no vitamin or supplement is more beneficial to your health.

Note: If you are allergic to shellfish, don’t take krill oil as a supplement.