What Is Krill Oil

There are so many health supplements in the market that one will really get sick if one were to take a sizeable selection of them. That is my personal opinion. Even the best of health supplements, if taken in excess will surely backfire and cause adverse effect on the person. Each type of these health supplements claims to perform near miracles for your health. To be fair, most of these health supplements do provide some health benefits to us. I, myself, do take some of these health supplements too. I have also written a few articles on the health benefits of some of these health supplements. But the message here is to be careful which to choose and only to take them in moderation. This article is about the benefits of krill oil.

Krill are very tiny shrimp-like crustaceans living in great numbers in the ocean. They are very tiny, measuring between 1 and 6 centimeters in length. These literally millions of krill provide ample food for the rest of the sea creatures, especially seals, whales, penguins, squids and most fishes. In a way they are at the bottom of the sea food-chain. And what did they feed on then? Their main diet is the phytoplankton. Before krill oil became commercially popular, they were harvested mainly as fishfood for aquarium fishes and as baits. However, the Japanese have long been consuming krill which they call okiami. The name “krill” comes from the Norwegian word “krill”, meaning “young fry of fish”.

Krill are found in abundance in the Southern Oceans. The greatest number are the Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba, which make up an estimated biomass of around 379 million tonnes which is more than that of humans! They provide the main source of food for all the Antarctic sea creatures. By virtue of their daily vertical migration, they distribute food for predators near the surface at night and deeper waters during the day.

Krill oil is oil found inside krill. The oil extracted from krill is sold as health supplement usually in the form, encased in softgels. Krill oil provides a unique combination of four supplemental compounds, namely, omega-3 fatty acids (EPA/DHA), Vitamin A, Vitamin E and Astaxanthin

Below are four main good reasons for taking krill oil.

1. Omega-3 fatty acids: Omega-3 in krill oil is special in that it comes in phospholipid form, unlike other fish oil. The advantage is that phospholipids dissolve easily in both fat and water, which helps with its digestibility and enhances direct absorption of omega-3 direct to the cell membranes. Another plus point is that omega-3 from phospholipids is water soluble and there is no floating on top of the stomach. As such there is no reflux and fishy aftertaste and burps, unlike other smelly fish oils that have these problems.
2. Antioxidant called astaxanthin: The algae that krill eat produces the bright red pigment substance called astaxanthin which is an antioxidant. This reddish astaxanthin gives krill and all other crustaceans such as lobsters, prawns and shrimps their reddish-pink color. This reddish astaxanthin antioxidant is 300 times more potent than vitamins E and A. Antioxidants protect our body cells against damage from free radicals which are unstable substances that are detrimental to our health causing chronic diseases. Astaxanthin is also a natural preservative that keeps krill oil fresh longer. Krill oil is said to be 48 times more potent than ordinary fish oil, most probably because of its greater amount of astaxanthin.
3. A pure source: Krill thrive in the cleanest oceans, especially the Antarctica. Krill oil is therefore considered as the purest fish oil ever, providing the optimum health benefits.
4. Overall health benefits: Omega-3’s EPA and DHA support healthy heart and healthy blood pressure. Krill oil is believed to be effective in optimizing healthy cholesterol and decreasing triglycerides.

As I said, there are so many types of health supplements. The choice is yours. For me, I have chosen a number of them as my companion health supplements. Decide on what are the most suitable choices for your liking and your pocket. Please bear in mind that most of the trusted brands of health supplements are generally quite pricy.

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