Krill Oil vs Fish Oil

I recommend to EVERYONE..taking omega 3 supplements. We hear so much about "good fats" and "bad fats" and most people assume that their diets are healthy as long as they include a lot of omega 6's (oilves, oilve oil, avocado, CLA, evening primrose oil, etc)

Two things to remember:

#1 The human body can make most of the types of fats it needs from other fats or raw materials. That isn't the case for omega-3 fatty acids

#2 (as with most of the systems in our bodies) it's all about balance and ratios. Ideally, a person should maintain a ratio of 1:1 - omega 6 to 3. I believe we can vary this to a 3:1 ratio and be fine. Some experts are going so far as to say a 6:1 ratio is OK. Keep in mind that the average American has a 25:1 ratio of omega 6's to omega 3's..creating an immflamatory response (in addition to other undesirable results) throughout the body!! In order to bring those numbers closer..try to keep track of how many and how much of the different type of fats you ingest; including 3's, 6's and 9's (and trans fats--eeyuk..deadly) If you take an omega supplement that includes a balance of 3, 6 & 9 fats..you might still have to add additional omega 3's to 'close the gap'.

There are many excellent products on the market I prefer Krill Oil capsules and this is why:

Krill oil, like fish oil, contains both of the omega-3 fats eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA), but hooked together in a different form. In fish oil these omega-3 fatty acids are found in the triglyceride form whereas in krill oil they are hooked up in a double chain phospholipid structure. (The fats in our own cell walls are in the phospholipid form.)

Attached to the EPA leg of the phospholipid is a molecule of astaxanthin, an extremely potent anti-oxidant. The phospholipid structure of the EPA and DHA in krill oil makes them much more absorbable and allows for a much easier entrance into the mitochondria and the cellular nucleus.

In addition to EPA and DHA krill oil contains a complex phospholipid profile including phosphatidylcholine, a potent source of reductive-stress-reducing choline, which also acts as a natural emulsifier.Krill oil contains vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin D and canthaxanthin, which is, like astaxanthin, a potent anti-oxidant. The anti-oxidant potency of krill oil is such that when compared to fish oil in tems of ORAC (Oxygen radical absorptance capacity) values it was found to be 48 times more potent than fish oil.

The astaxanthin found in krill oil provides excellent protection against ultravoilet light and UV-induced skin damage. A number of studies have shown that krill oil is tremendously effective in reducing LDL-cholesterol, raising HDL-cholesterol, and lowering blood sugar. It has been shown to be effective in treating the pain and inflammation from rheumatoid arthritis and aches and pains in general. One large study showed that krill oil has tremendous benefits in terms of symptom reduction in PMS and dysmenorrhea. And it has been shown to be effective in the treatment of adult ADHD. In all these studies krill oil was tested against fish oil and not simply a placebo.

Due to the rapid absorption of krill oil and the high anti-oxidant content there is virtually never the fishy burping and aftertaste sometimes experienced with fish oil. And there are no other side effects to speak of. The jury is out right now on if and to what degree there is a problem for those people allergic to shrimp. Until the jury is in, I would be careful in taking krill oil if I had a shrimp allergy.

Are there any downsides to this miracle substance? Only one. It is a little more pricey than fish oil, but, as with all things, you get what you pay for. Virtually all krill oil is produced by Neptune Technologies and shipped to the various supplement manufacturers, so any krill oil you get will have come from the same place and be the same dosage. The only unknown is how long it has been sitting around in a warehouse somewhere, which is, of course, the same unkown with fish oil. At least with krill oil, thanks to the high anti-oxidant content, the shelf life is much longer.