| Recently, there has been a great deal of speculation | | | | has not been proven to be any better than the |
| that krill oil is a better source of Omega 3 than fish | | | | other antioxidants out there. You can't say that krill |
| oil. Supporters of this claim say that this is due to | | | | oil is better than fish oil simply because of the |
| three additional benefits from krill oil that you cannot | | | | presence of astaxanthin when the antioxidants we |
| get from fish oil. But do these claims live up to the | | | | consume for a variety of other sources are just as |
| hype? Or is it pure marketing? | | | | potent or moreso. It seems like this is a very |
| Krill oil is an omega 3 supplement that has been | | | | contrived marketing ploy; just because a product has |
| extracted from krill. Krill are small crustaceans, very | | | | something extra, does not mean it is any better. |
| shrimp-like in nature, present in most oceans around | | | | The third claim is that krill are free from |
| the world. They form an important part of the food | | | | contamination. This is a very serious claim, because |
| chain, as they feed on zooplankton and other small | | | | fish contamination is a very dangerous thing, and has |
| organisms, and in turn are consumed by larger | | | | been rampant due to all the pollution happening all |
| organisms. They are mostly consumed by seals, | | | | over the planet. However, studies have proven that |
| penguins and whales who take them in by the | | | | krill are just as likely to be contaminated as fish. |
| thousands. Also, krill is consumed by the Japanese | | | | Research has shown that Antarctic krill are commonly |
| and Russians as part of their diet. | | | | contaminated by organochlorine pesticides which are |
| The first claimed benefit of krill oil over fish oil is the | | | | absorbed by the krill and passed on into the food |
| fact that the omega 3 fatty acids are attached to | | | | chain. However, since the producers of krill oil do not |
| phospholipids. The main benefit that phospholipids | | | | believe this (or do not care), they avoid the added |
| bring to the table is enhanced mental function. Having | | | | cost of checking their products for contaminants, |
| enough phospholipids lining your brain cells helps them | | | | making it an extremely risky choice for omega-3 |
| communicate with each other better, leading to | | | | supplementation. This claim is not only wrong, it is |
| better memory and learning. However, there is not | | | | actually extremely irresponsible, as it puts people at a |
| any scientific evidence available to show that having | | | | high risk to consume toxic pollutants. |
| your omega 3s attached to phospholipids will be more | | | | After extensive researching, I was not able to find |
| beneficial to your health. Furthermore, you can get | | | | any concrete proof to support these three supposed |
| plenty of phospholipids in your diet by eating egg | | | | "benefits" that krill oil has over fish oil. Furthermore, |
| yolk, soybeans, grains, wheat germ, legumes, fish, | | | | it's worth mentioning that while thousands of clinical |
| yeast-containing products and peanuts, to name a | | | | research studies have been conducted on fish oil, |
| few sources. Furthermore, you could always just | | | | only a small handful have been done with krill oil. |
| take a separate supplement for your phospholipids | | | | A search for "krill oil" in Google yields many results |
| needs. | | | | that smell an awful lot like false advertising by |
| Another reason the supporters of krill oil give to its | | | | unscrupulous internet marketing pros who are making |
| superiority is a supposedly-powerful antioxidant found | | | | a ton of money on the stuff. I guess krill oil has |
| in krill called astaxanthin. No one is going to argue that | | | | become the new snake oil! |
| antioxidants aren't good for health, but astaxanthin | | | | |