Time For An Oil Change?

By now most people are aware of the positive health reasons for supplementing with omega-3 fats in our diets. With benefits ranging from improved joint health, brain function, better skin and a whole host of others, getting these ‘good fats’ into our body is one of the best things we can do for our health.

But what a lot of people don’t know is there is an easier and more powerful way to get our omega-3 fats than the commonly used fish oil (and omega-6 and 9).

SAY HELLO TO KRILL OIL

Krill oil comes from krill which are small, shrimp-like crustaceans that inhabit the cold ocean areas of the world. Like fish oil, krill contains both the omega-3 fats,  eicosapentanoic acid (DHA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA) omega-6 and omega-9. However the biggest difference is that the structure of krill oil is in phospholipid form – the same as the fat in our own cell walls so it’s better utilized by our body.

Krill oil contains vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin D and potent antioxidants. When it is measured in terms of ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) values – the gold standard of measuring antioxidants – it is found to be 48 times more potent than fish oil1.

As an additional bonus, krill oil also contains astaxanthin, a red-orange pigment found in aquatic animals and microalgae.

Astaxanthin is closely related to the better-known carotenoids such as beta- carotene and lutein. Studies have shown the antioxidant properties of astaxanthin to be significantly more effective than vitamin E2. The astaxanthin found in krill oil provides excellent protection against harmful ultraviolet light and UV-induced skin damage.

A number of studies have shown that krill oil is beneficial in reducing LDL-cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) and raising HDL-cholesterol (the good cholesterol). Head-to-head studies of krill oil vs fish oil have also found krill oil to be better at reducing glucose, triglycerides and LDL cholesterol at lower doses.3

THE SAME BENEFITS FOR SORE JOINTS AND ARTHRITIS… ONLY BETTER

Just as fish oil has been shown to be beneficial for joint pain, inflammation and arthritis, krill oil is also showing these benefits. But due to its structural properties the effects may be faster. One particular study involved 90 individuals with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis who were monitored by blood tests and subjective questionnaires for 30 days while taking krill oil. The results showed that inflammation markers in the blood reduced by 30% at the end of 30 days. Subjectively pain, stiffness and functional impairment as rated by the individuals reduced by at least 20%.4

Lastly, a slightly off-putting factor about fish oil was the fishy after taste or burping that it produced. The good news is that problem is solved with krill oil. Due to the rapid absorption of krill oil and the high antioxidant content there is virtually never occurrences of fishy burping and aftertaste sometimes experienced with fish oil.