Health Tips > Vitamin Aisle > Is Krill Oil a Good Source of Omega-3? Cooper Experts Weigh In.

Is Krill Oil a Good Source of Omega-3? Cooper Experts Weigh In.

Many customers have called asking, “is krill a good source of omega-3?” As all Cooper Complete Nutritional Supplements are scientifically based, we researched the data to share our findings.

Krill Oil 101
Both fish and krill oil contain the healthful omega-3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA, but there are differences. Krill are small shrimp-like marine crustaceans, not fatty fish that live in the ocean and feed on algae and plankton. Krill play an important role in overall marine life, as they feed directly on algae and plankton, which is then converted into a form of energy (krill) that can be consumed by other sea life. Krill is best known as the food of choice for giant blue whales, seals, squid and cold water fish, which all also consume a diet rich in krill. In addition to turning algae and plankton into energy, because krill eat carbon-rich food near the ocean surface (and then excrete it in lower, colder waters), some believe they play an important role in removing greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.

While Japanese sometimes eat krill, the vast majority of krill is used in aquaculture and livestock feed, for fish bait and pet foods and the pharmaceutical industry. Using ‘suction’ harvesting, krill is gathered from the ocean. Most commercial fishing of krill is in Antarctica and off the coast of Japan and off Canada’s Pacific coast. The Pacific Fishery Management Council (here in the United States) doesn’t allow krill fishing off the coasts of Washington, Oregon or California, as krill serve as the basis of the marine food chain. Scientists believe krill have declined by 80 per cent since the 1970s, and the most likely cause is global warming. Because of sustainability concerns, Whole Foods Market® discontinued sale of krill products last year and recommends that consumers choose fish oil supplements instead.

While there is a large amount of information available online touting the advantages of krill oil, there is limited science-based facts. Neptune Technologies produces virtually all of the krill oil on the market and have research on krill oil, but so far there are very few studies. An amazing number of websites reviewed referenced two small cholesterol studies (one containing 113 subjects and another containing 120 and both with very different outcomes). One study compared krill oil against fish oil for premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and menstrual cramps and the other study was conducted to show the benefits of krill for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Omega-3 in Krill Oil
Krill oil contains the omega-3 fatty acids EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), carotenoids and phospholipids. Carotenoids are found in many foods, particularly the yellow, orange and dark green vegetables and fruits. Krill oil proponents claim that krill oil is better absorbed than traditional fish oil supplements, because it is in the phospholipids- rather than triglyceride- form. And, because it is better absorbed, the amount EPA and DHA is significantly lower. One wildly popular brand contains 140 mg EPA/DHA in two capsules, whereas Cooper Complete Advanced Omega-3 contains 1,200 mg EPA/DHA in two softgels. Opponents say this argument is nonsense as phospholipids are non-essential to the body and since time began we have been consuming EPA and DHA in the triglyceride form from fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines.

While krill oil seems to be perfectly safe, the data seems to contain a lot more hype than proven scientific fact. With more than 18,000 studies on EPA and DHA in fish oil form to date, it makes sense to stick with the proven and less expensive, original.

For more information about omega-3, visit coopercomplete.com.

Article provided by Cathy Sides, Director of Customer Relations, Cooper Concepts Inc.