Krill: The Eco-friendly Health Supplement

March 30, 2022

If you’re a whale, penguin or seal then you already know the health benefits of krill, as it makes up a lot of your diet already, but for those of us who don’t live in the open seas, these small crustaceans are rapidly gaining popularity as an alternative health supplement to fish oil. But are the claims true and could krill oil be the future?

As krill eat a rich diet of microalgae, they are an excellent source of healthy fats such as Omega 3. Both fish oil and krill oil contain the Omega 3 fats EPA and DHP, but as a large proportion of the Omega 3 fats in krill oil can be found as phospholipids, there is some evidence to say that that krill oil is more easily absorbed by the body.^{1 2}

Omega 3 fatty acids possess anti-inflammatory effects that protects your body. Krill oil contains a pigment called astaxanthin which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.³ A study of 90 people with chronic inflammation found that 300mg of krill oil, taken daily reduced inflammation markers by up to 30% after a month.⁴ Furthermore, these anti-inflammatory benefits may also relieve period pain and symptoms of pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS). One scientific study revealed that women who took krill oil, took significantly fewer painkillers than women taking fish oil.⁵

Most people are also aware that Omega 3 fats are considered healthy for your heart. Fish oil has been proven to improve blood lipid levels, but krill oil appears to be particularly effective at raising good HDL cholesterol levels and lowering the bad LDL cholesterol levels in the blood.^{6 7}

Taking krill oil is simple. The softgels used are often smaller than the standard fish oil supplements and less likely to give you that fishy aftertaste. Additionally, krill oil is considered more sustainable than fish oil because krill are so abundant and reproduce quickly. Health organisations recommend an intake of 250-500 mg of DHA and EPA combined, but always follow the instructions and discuss with your doctor if you have any concerns.

Note: The article does not contain any Capcium product efficacy claim. It is solely intended to enlighten the community on the currently available clinical outcomes and information on the product.

¹Comparison of bioavailability of krill oil versus fish oil and health effect. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26357480/

²Bioavailability of fatty acids from krill oil, krill meal and fish oil in healthy subjects–a randomized, single-dose, cross-over trial. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25884846/

³Krill oil reduces intestinal inflammation by improving epithelial integrity and impairing adherent-invasive Escherichia coli pathogenicity. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26493628/

⁴Evaluation of the effect of Neptune Krill Oil on chronic inflammation and arthritic symptoms. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17353582/

⁵Evaluation of the effects of Neptune Krill Oil on the management of premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12777162/

⁶Lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory effects of omega 3 ethyl esters and krill oil: a randomized, cross-over, clinical trial. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27279841/

⁷Lipid-modifying effects of krill oil in humans: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28371906/