Is Krill oil better than Fish oil?
Yes.
BUT!!
(You knew there was going to be a ‘but’…I’ll explain below.)
It’s all about Omega-3 absorption when you’re comparing Krill oil vs Fish Oil.
The Omega-3 in Krill oil is better absorbed into your body than the Omega-3 from regular fish oil.
That’s a fact.
There are several published scientific papers that prove it.
Krill Oil is definitely better.
NKO (Neptune) and Aker (Superba) Krill Oil have published clinical evidence of improved absorption and bioavailability.
I was in the audience when the Chief Scientific Officer from NKO presented the data at a conference in Las Vegas in 2009.
Krill Oil vs Fish Oil: Why is Krill Oil better?
Well, NKO has a patent to GENTLY remove Omega-3 from krill. This gentle process protects the delicate bond between the Omega-3 and phospholipid. Just like in fish oil, it’s the Omega-3 we’re interested in.
It’s the phospholipid bond that makes Krill Oil better than Fish Oil. You see, our cell membranes are also made of phospholipids. So Krill Oil takes to our cell membranes quickly and easily.
Fish oil makes it into our cell membranes too, but just not as well or easily.
Krill Oil vs Fish Oil: What about other Krill oils besides NKO?
Well, NKO has a patent for gentle extraction. So if anyone claims to make it as gently as NKO, they are breaking the law or doing something funny. Either way, nobody knows because no one else has published their results.
The reason why this gentle process is so important is that the phospholipid bond that makes Krill Oil superior is easily damaged by heat.
Once the phospholipid bond is damaged, then Krill oil is no different than fish oil. Actually, it’d be worse than fish oil.
Heat damaged Krill oil is just really expensive, red-colored oil.
How much better is Krill oil, really?
NKO’s science says that:
- Krill oil is 17% better absorbed than fish oil after 4 weeks
- And about 40% better absorbed after 8 weeks.
That’s really good!
Percent Omega-3 Change in Plasma
(The red bar is NKO Krill oil; green and yellow bars are fish oils)
Source: Evaluation of Omega-3 Bioavailability & Steady State Assessment of Neptune Krill Oil Compared to Established Omega-3 Formulations. Presented at SSW 2009.
What’s the catch?
The catch is the cost and the effective dosage.
NKO’s science says you need 1 gram of Krill oil at a minimum and 3 grams is best.
MegaRed is the most popular brand of Krill oil. So we’ll use it as an example here.
Using MegaRed Krill Oil,
- 1 grams = 3 to 4 krill oil pills
- 3 grams = more than 10 pills
I know, MegaRed says you only need 1 little red pill a day. That’s just marketing. The published science says you need 3 to 4 pills a day. Scientists, by nature, are less likely to stretch the truth to make more money.
Let’s say you take 4 pills a day. That’s 120 pills a month.
Average price of a MegaRed pill is $0.45.
So you will need to spend $54 a month on MegaRed Krill oil.
That’s a lot. But worth it if it works for you.
You are ready for Krill Oil if… |
| Let’s say you bought a battery for $1. And then you saw a better battery that lasts TWICE as long…How much would you pay for the better battery?
a) $1 If you said $8, then you are ready to buy Krill Oil. |
Why is Krill Oil So Expensive?
Because:
- Krill is caught in Antarctica, near the South Pole.
- Unlike fish, Krill must be caught and processed immediately on the ship. Or else it will go rancid. This process is very expensive.
- The harvest season is only a couple of months every year.
- Low capacity to process and purify oil.
- Someone must pay for expensive TV advertising.
Krill oil vs Fish Oil: Real World Comparison
Let’s compare MegaRed to a Ultra-concentrated Fish Oil.
MegaRed contains 90 mg of Omega-3 per pill.
No, that was not a typo.
It contains only 90 mg of Omega-3 per pill. And it’s the Omega-3 in the krill oil that gives you the actual health benefit.*
There are a few good fish oil pills that provide 900 mg of Omega-3 in just one pill. Or 10X more Omega-3 per pill.
Let’s compare it with GNC’s Triple Strength Fish Oil with 900 mg of Omega-3 per pill.
It costs $26 for 60 pills. Or $0.43 per pill. Almost exactly the same as a MegaRed pill.
MegaRed = 90 mg
Triple Strength Fish Oil = 900 mg
But Krill oil is only 40% better absorbed. For the price, shouldn’t krill oil be 1000% better absorbed?
Forget Triple Strength Fish Oil – how about cheap, old fish oil from Walmart? Even that has 300 mg Omega-3.
Krill oil would have to be 300% better absorbed than REGULAR fish oil to equal the discount fish oil at Walmart, let alone ultra-concentrated or Triple Strength fish oil!
But it is only 40% better.
MegaRed and NKO Krill Oil
Now what if I told you MegaRed used to have NKO Krill oil. But not any more.
Now MegaRed uses another type of krill oil, with less published science. In 2009, MegaRed stopped using NKO Neptune Krill oil. They switched to Superba Krill oil.
I flew to Quebec, Canada to meet with the NKO folks at their headquarters. And last year, I also met with the Norwegian company that makes Superba krill oil.
I know why MegaRed changed krill oils but I’ll spare you the sordid details.
What does this mean to you, the consumer?
It means that MegaRed no longer uses krill oil with the most science behind it. Nobody has published a side-by-side absorption comparison between NKO and Superba oils.
Forget NKO and Superba for a second.
It Gets Uglier!
Because Krill oil is so popular, competition has come out of the woodwork.
You can now buy container loads of “Krill oil” from China and the Middle East. There are krill oils from strange places that may not actually be krill oil – they could be regular old fish oil with red algae extract for color and some soy bean phospholipids added to fool the Quality Control labs.
Percent Omega-3 Change in Plasma
(The red bar is NKO Krill oil and the blue bar is a cheap store brand knock-off)
Source: Evaluation of Omega-3 Bioavailability & Steady State Assessment of Neptune Krill Oil Compared to Established Omega-3 Formulations. Presented at SSW 2009.
There are a lot of inferior, mysterious krill oil-like products out there. Every drug store and grocery store has its own store brand version of Krill oil. And my goodness, people are buying them!
‘Store Brand Krill Oil’ with unknown krill source is not quite as bad a scam as Bernie Madoff or Mortgage-backed Securities…but a LOT of uninformed consumers are being separated from their hard-earned money.
It’s sad.
ConsumerLab.com weighs in… |
On Oct. 1, 2010, ConsumerLab.com published its regular review of fish oils. This time, they added a few krill oils to their test.This is what they said:
|
 |
Find out Why Whole Foods Market Banned Krill Oil |
Other Krill Oil Marketing Gimmicks:
“Contains Antioxidants.”
Sure, astaxanthin in Krill is a good antioxidant. But so are Vitamins C and E and they are dirt cheap. Astaxanthin can prevent sunburns after a month of use – other than that, it is no more special than many of the other special antioxidants.
“No fishy smell.”
Love this one.
Sure, there is no fishy smell. It smells like krill, not fish!
The astaxanthin found in Krill oil can act as an anti-rancidity (antioxidant) agent, but only if it is present in very high quantities. But the astaxanthin level is usually too low to protect krill oil from turning rancid.
Krill oil is one of the most sensitive oils to rancidity. Many Krill companies send me samples of their oil to review. After receiving complaints from employees, I no longer open these bottles inside the office. I now open these sample bottles in the parking lot while wearing gloves. And I usually walk to the dumpster before I return to my office.
Krill oil spoils MUCH faster than any fish oil I’ve worked with in the last 20 years. You can use 2 year old krill oil as stink bombs!
“Only 1 pill a day.”
Well, nothing wrong with just one pill a day. But if you want REAL health benefits, you need to take 3 to 4 pills.
“Three Times More Powerful Than Fish Oil.”
Well, MegaRed got in trouble with the Better Business Bureau’s National Advertising Review Council for saying that. The label has been changed now.
So back to our multiple-choice about the battery that lasts twice as long.
If you still buy Krill Oil, you are ready to pay $8 for a battery that lasts twice as long as a $1 battery.
Would you like to buy a Rolex, amigo?
Bottom-line:
The Phospholipid-bound Omega-3 in Krill oil is much better absorbed than the Omega-3 in fish oil. But you will pay way too much for that benefit.
You are MUCH better off taking Ultra-concentrated fish oil.*
But I would switch to Krill oil in a heart beat if:
- I could get a 1000 mg Krill oil pill (instead of the 300 or 500 mg pills that flood the market)
- Get it for a slightly higher price than fish oil. I’ll pay a little more for Krill oil…because it is 40% better absorbed.
But I’m not going to pay 5X or 10X more! That’s crazy!
Don’t miss the new blog entry: Krill Oil vs Fish Oil – New Scientific Evidence
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
So what are the details on why MegaRed switched from NKO to Superba? I’ve been looking everywhere for the answer. I’ve noticed the ones I buy from costco are the new ones.
Jason,
Schiff, the maker of MegaRed, created the krill craze when they launched their popular product into Costco (with exaggerated claim.) They used Neptune’s NKO oil in MegaRed. As the brand grew in volume, Neptune’s small processing facility became the supply bottleneck. So there were increasingly frequent empty shelves at Costco and other retailers. When supply got tight, smaller retailers did not get any MegaRed. I hear this temporarily affected Schiff’s reputation at a few retailers. Schiff held Neptune responsible, but Neptune was the only game in town. A lawsuit ensued – see link http://bit.ly/9rXbCz.
Norway’s Aker Biomarine, the maker of Superba krill oil, was late to the market. And when Aker finally had enough volume to supply MegaRed, Schiff dumped Neptune and switched to Aker. Aker makes a fairly good product but it has less published human clinical data behind it. Then Neptune sued Aker. http://bit.ly/9MQPeT I think both Aker and Neptune make good products. The problem is that there are so many imitation krill oil products out there that contain a little krill, some fish oil, some astaxanthin for red color and some soy phospholipids. Sure, the stuff looks and smells like krill from a distance, but these knock-offs are worthless. And now the Chinese have entered the krill harvesting business – this ought to make both Aker and Neptune shake in their boots for pricing reasons and the consumers shake in their boots for quality reasons.
Of course, there are a few anecdotal reasons behind the Neptune to Aker switch, which I’ll be glad to share with you over a beer. 🙂
These things get pretty ugly. It’s business and lots of money is at stake, so lawsuits fly. But to the consumer, krill is a very effective product. Except the cost/benefit ratio is totally wacky. Krill is definitely better than fish oil, but at an unreasonably high cost. If you dislike swallowing large fish oil pills and money is no object, krill is perfect.
Vin
I just wanted to say thanks for all this info. I used to take fish oil tabs but decided to upgrade to krill and then started researching what brand would be the best one to take. This is the first ever mention of the difference between Neptune and Superba types of krill oil Ive come across, so anyway I just wanted to say thank you for writing this article and keep it up its always nice to come across honest, helpful reviews such as these to help you make the right purchases. Thanks so much again 🙂
thanks a lot for your article made a lot of sense I saw the omega krill 5x oil. nfo.
and had to check out the truth about fish oil verses krill oil iam so please with your artcle keep up the good work my brother peace out….luv, u man..
Big big thanks for useful information
Is there any difference in processing between NKO and Aker, i.e. cold processing versus versus heat. Also, what are the up and down sides of cold processing. Can
parasites or other “baddies” sneek through with cold processing?
Rick, yes, NKO and Aker use different solvents top purify their krill oils. NKO uses acetone and Aker uses alcohol, from what I can decipher from their patents. End result is somewhat the same…acetone allows a cooler and less damaging process. The phospholipid-Omega-3 bond is sensitive to heat and cooler the better. But some people don’t want acetone residues even if it is in parts per million quantities. No, parasites cannot survive the cold processing.
-Vin
I saw on tv a free supply of the krill oil and I would like to try it. email and tell me what to do to get it …thanks
Hi Patsy – no harm in trying krill oil at all! But be careful of free offers on TV! They may not charge you for the first free bottle, but they will probably need your credit card number. And if you don’t call and cancel within the first few days or weeks, you could get billed for another bottle next month. Vin
I guess my question would be, if Krill Oil contains the Omega 3’s, is there any difference between prescription Lovaza and Krill Oil to help lower high triglicerides? My doctor has me taking 4,000 MG daily
Hi Cookie – both krill oil and Lovaza will lower triglycerides when combined with a healthy diet and exercise plan. DO NOT stop taking your prescription meds without taking to your doctor. You’ll need 4000 mg of Lovaza to do the job and probably could probably get the same benefit from 2000 or 3000 mg of Krill oil Omega-3 if combined with a healthy diet and exercise plan. That’s anywhere from 5 to 10 krill oil pills a day. Krill oil is not a drug but there is a prescription krill oil in the works and may hit the market in a few years. The dosage they are using is 1000 mg to 2000 mg of Omega-3 from krill. Given that each krill oil pill has only about 100 mg of Omega-3, this could be a lot of little red pills! This highlights the point I’ve been trying to make – while krill oil is great, there is very little Omega-3 in it, so you need to take a lot of it. At least until they find a way to really concentrate it like we’ve managed to do with fish oil. Again, talk to your doctor before making the switch.
My husband & I having been taking fish oil for years to lower his triglycerides. After lots of reading & dr mercola’s articles, we switched to krill. How do I find the purest krill that helps keep him off statins?
Hi Bobbi – krill oil is a hot commodity these days.
There are unethical marketers selling fish oil blended with red algae extract as krill oil. The most researched (and trusted) krill oils are Superba and NKO (Neptune). These two brands are available from many good quality brands. Also, you need less krill oil than fish oil to maintain healthy triglycerides, provided you combine it with a healthy diet and exercise plan. That’s where the good news ends.
You need about 3000 mg of fish oil Omega-3 with diet and exercise. You might be able to get the same result with half as much krill oil Omega-3. Given that most krill oil pills have about 100 mg of Omega-3, the math is easy but scary – you will need 20 krill oil pills a day. Even if you cut that by half, you still need 10 krill oil pills per day.
The last time I calculated the cost, krill would cost you about $5 a day. You can get there with fish oil for about $1. Hope this helps.
Could you tell me the RX krill oil product name?
CaPre. It is not available yet.
Does Omegavia contain traces of cod fish? I have a specific cod fish allergy not a fish allergy.
Hi Florence – no, OmegaVia does not contain any trace of cod fish or cod liver oil.
– Vin
I have fish oil pills that are 750mg total. 500 EPA and 250 DHA. How many pills
do I need a day to maintain healthy triglycerides?
I also have krill oil pills that are 500mg total. 150 EPA and 90 DHA. How many
pills do I need a day?
Or how about if I took them together? Or if separately? which would be more
effective?e
Hi Hank – You will need 3000 mg of Omega-3 per day when combined with a healthy diet and exercise plan to get a noticeable drop in triglycerides. Generally, every 1000 mg of Omega-3 when combined with a healthy diet and exercise plan will result in 5 to 10% drop in TG. So with your fish oil, you’ll need between 4 to 6 pills.
As for your krill oil, it is not pure krill oil. It is a blend of fish and krill oil. Nothing wrong with mixing krill and fish oil! It is just not possible to get 240 mg of EPA+DHA in a 500 mg pill of krill oil. Krill simply does not have that much Omega-3. You are not going to find the unique or superior benefits of krill oil that you may think you’re getting. If you decide to get another brand of krill oil, say MegaRed, you could get the same benefits of 4000 mg of fish oil with possibly 2000 mg or more likely 3000 mg of krill oil per day. With MegaRed, you will go through that 60-capsule bottle in about 6 or 7 days and each bottle costs about $25. Krill oil is great but just does not make financial sense.
If money is no object, stay with 100% pure Krill oil and take a dozen pills a day. Or if you want to stay with your current fish oil (my recommendation), then take 5 to 6 pills per day. Still, way too many pills, I’d say, for most people.
I noticed on the Omegavia label that the EPA is 700 and the DHA is only 150.
Can you explain why the DHA is so much lower? I’m not sure what each one
does.
Hi Hank – there are several reasons why OmegaVia has a high EPA level and a low DHA level.
1. The brain is only able to incorporate about 5 mg of DHA per day! That’s it. Any excess is incorporated into eyes, heart etc., also in very small quantities or converted to EPA. And once incorporated, the DHA stays there for a couple of years. The point being that you don’t need much DHA on a daily basis. Unless you’re pregnant, the almost 200 mg of DHA in each OmegaVia pill is more than sufficient.
2. EPA is a key anti-inflammatory agent in the body. It does this by blocking the conversion of Omega-6 derivative Arachidonic Acid into highly inflammatory compounds. In other words, it blocks inflammation from taking place even if you’ve been eating an Omega-6 rich diet.
3. EPA has no impact on LDL cholesterol, which DHA can bump up a little bit. This is not a major concern, but most people don’t want to see an increase in LDL cholesterol.
Hope this helps.
– Vin
Thanks, that explains a lot.
Also, my daughter suffers from OCD and also ADD.
I have heard that fish oil may be a help for this. Do you know what the dosages
are for this as far as EPA and DHA?
Hi Hank – there is some promising research with Omega-3 and ADD. The anecdotal cases that I hear about used very high doses, like 5000 mg Omega-3 per day. Dr. Barry Sears suggests even higher doses for ADD. Best results are achieved when Omega-3 is combined with a complete elimination of Omega-6 rich vegetable oils, wheat and sugar in all its forms.
– Vin
Thanks, that explains a lot.
Also, my daughter suffers from OCD and also ADD.
I have heard that fish oil may be a help for this. Do you know what the dosages
are for this as far as EPA and DHA?
@Hank I am assuming you are using NOW Foods Krill Oil in regards to your 500 mg capsules. Those are larger capsules than the MegaRed pills which are just a marketing joke. The capsules you have are pure Krill Oil not a combination like you have been led to believe. They are bigger then someone typically imagines when they think Krill Oil supplements because they contain the needed ratio of Omega 3. I urge you to continue your research at another site.
I just bought MegaRed Krill oil at Costco today and it’s 22 cents a pill, not 54. I’m ok with the price.
Hi Ryan – 22 cents a pill is a good price for the product. Pill size and quality are good too. Just make sure you’re getting a proper dose.
– Vin
I just bought MegaRed Krill oil at Costco today and it’s 22 cents a pill, not 54. I’m ok with the price.
I’m so confused. I was using the Kirkland Brand Omega 3 for years then I started
hearing about Krill Oil. I tried to do my due diligence and found that Krill Oil is superior
to Omega 3 oil, or so I thought. Now I don’t know what to believe.
I’ve read astaxanthin is important so switched to ArcticPure Krill Oil with 300mg omega 3 an d1.5 mg of astaxanthin..
Now I need to switch again.
So confused.
Hi Jane – krill oil is superior to fish oil on gram for gram Omega-3 basis. But not on a pill for pill basis. Let me explain. Current research says that 1000 mg of Omega-3 from krill oil is about 1.6 times better absorbed than fish oil. In other words 1000 mg of Omega-3 from krill equals 1600 mg of Omega-3 from fish oil. So if your krill oil pill has 90 mg of Omega-3, it is as good as 144 mg of Omega-3 from fish oil. So 90 mg of Omega-3 is better than 90 mg of Omega-3 from fish oil.
But even the cheapest fish oil (forget quality for sake of argument) has 300 mg of Omega-3! Many have 500 to 600 mg per pill. And some have 900 or 1000 mg per pill. Do you see what I’m getting at?
Krill also has phospholipids and astaxanthin, as you mention. Both are nice to have. You get plenty of phospholipids from eggs and you can get astaxanthin at: http://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-natural-astaxanthin-featuring-hawaiian-bioastin for just $9 for a 2 month supply.
If you were happy with the Kirkland brand, then I suggest you take their One-Per-Day Omega-3. It’s much better than their regular fish oi. I formulated it for Costco several years ago in a previous position. 🙂
Hope this helps clear up some confusion.
– Vin
Hi, I have a weird question. I have been taking MegaRed krill oil for about 1month
or more and have a strange taste in my mouth when I eat. It tastes a bit like the pills
smells. Can the oil get into the saliva? It makes my food taste funny. I am ready to
quit them for that reason. Have you ever heard of this before? I also take ICaps
and Preservision at the same time. What is your take on this?
Hi Carolyn – I have not heard of this before with krill oil pills. Once you swallow the pill, the oil will get absorbed and the Omega-3 makes its way into each cell in your body. But I doubt it is concentrating in your saliva. Whenever I hear of rare side effects, my suggestion is to stop taking the pill for 2 weeks. Then resume for 2 weeks and see if the side effect comes back. And repeat the process once more to confirm. This takes a long time, but it’s one of the more reliable ways to nail down the root cause. It is possible that the other supplements or something in your diet or environment could be causing the problem. So you need to make yourself a guinea pig for a few weeks to find out the truth.
– Vin
Thanks for the info. I´m interested in using Superba krill to off-set joint inflammation. I´m wondering would you consider this an effective treatment? If so, is the necessary dosage also 3-4 capsules, or is it less for this purpose?
Hi Jules – Superba krill oil will work well for joint inflammation. The efficacy of krill oil is not in doubt. It’s the ‘perceived dosage’ that I have an issue with. What I mean by that is that most people think a couple of krill oil pills a day will do the trick. Nope, they won’t! Most krill oil pills have about 100 mg of Omega-3. While that is better than nothing, you may need a minimum of 500 mg Omega-3 per day to noticeably reduce your joint inflammation, but more likely, 1000 mg Omega-3 per day. That’s 5 to 10 pills per day. In clinical studies using krill oil, rarely, if ever, do researchers use the dosage provided by 3 to 4 pills. Starting dosage in many of the studies I’ve seen studies is about 500 mg. So is krill oil an effective treatment? Absolutely! Is 3-4 pills a day going to be effective? Probably not. Still, that’s much better than 1 to 2 pills that most people take. Hope this help.
– Vin
I have a question that I think is either confusing me, or I’m misunderstanding…
When you read recommendations as to how much Fish Oil you need per day, what exactly is included in that?
For example, I’ve been reading that in fish oil, you need to look at the EPA and DHA numbers and only consider that. So if my doctor told me I need to be taking 3000 mg of fish oil daily, does that mean 3000 mg of EPA+DHA, or does that mean 3000 mg of Omega 3’s with EPA+DHA included in that batch?
I was taking MegaRed for years, thinking I was doing myself good, then when I was told to up my dosage to 3000 mg, that seemed very high to me, as I knew that the MegaRed standard pill is only 300mg. But then I looked at the EPA and DHA amounts in the pill and saw it was under 100g per pill! But the krill oil and omega 3’s are a little higher….
So my question is, what should my 3000 mg a day number be aiming at, consuming 3000 EPA and DHA, or just 3000 in Omega 3’s including those. I don’t want to ‘overdose’ and take more than I need.
By the way, I’ve found as being someone who cannot swallow large pills, finding any that are tolerable for me is impossible and MegaRed was the best option. Instead, I found this organic product called Barlean’s Omega Swirl which has 720mg of just EPA and DHA, plus other Omega 3’s in each serving, and it tastes absolutely delightful, like candy. I find it hard to believe I’m taking fish oil, so I’m hoping that it IS good enough to be true.
Thank you for your advice!
Hi Trekkie – telling someone to take a certain amount of fish oil per day is useless advice…because fish oil can have varying amount of Omega-3. And it’s the Omega-3 that you’re really after. The regular drug-store variety fish oils contain about 25 to 30% Omega-3. So a 1000 mg Fish oil pill will usually contain about 300 mg of Omega-3.
When your doctor said ‘take 3000 mg of fish oil,’ I am sure he or she meant ‘take 3000 mg of Omega-3.’ There is a BIG difference in those two statements. While your doctor’s advice was a good one, the details were off. To get your blood lipids in line, you need between 3000 mg of Omega-3 per day when combined with a healthy diet and exercise plan.
You need to look at EPA, DHA and other Omega-3. Sometimes called Total Omega-3. The ‘other Omega-3’ is a mix of about 5-7 other Omega-3 fatty acids that also are beneficial. Since you doctor wants you to take 3000 mg per day, that would be 10 pills a day if you were to take the drug-store variety pills I was just talking about.
If you were to get 3000 mg of Omega-3 with krill oil, it would be cumbersome and extremely expensive. You’d have to gobble krill oil pills down by the handful. If you were to use a krill oil pill with 100 mg of Omega-3, the math is simple. That’s 30 pills a day. But luckily, you need less krill oil than fish oil to do the job. You’d only need half to two-third of the amount of krill oil to do the job of the same amount of fish oil Omega-3. Still, that could mean 15 krill oil pills a day.
I think you should definitely make the switch to the Barleans product. Or some other flavored liquid Omega-3. If you cant swallow large pills, this is the best option to get large amounts of Omega-3.
Vin, great website – packed with valuable information and comments from your clients. I’m 65 but still very active (tennis and mountain biking) but I have arthritis in my lower back and right knee resulting from injuries over the years in those areas. I have been taking Glucosamine with Condroitin to ease pain in those areas and I think it does help take off the very tip of the pain but it does not prevent it. When it gets too bad I resort to anti-inflamatories but I prefer not to use them as they are rough on the stomach and not good for the heart if taken regularly.
I was wondering if you had any research on the benefits of Omega 3 vs Glucosamine in the treatment of arthritis pain. I realise that Omega 3 has other benefits, such as for the heart. I have recently purchased OmegaVia Omega 3 capsules and have just started taking them to see if I can notice any improvement. I was going to try Krill Oil but I was totally convinced by your article and thought I’d try the pharmacutical grade OmegaVia instead. Thanks in advance.
Thank you, Jack. I’m not aware of any good research that compares joint pain relief using Glucosamine versus fish oil. Ideally, I would suggest that you combine the two ingredients. Glucosamine and fish oil work well together and in very different ways. It is a case of 1+1 = 3. Glad you are trying OmegaVia – if you’re not happy with it, please contact our customer service staff for a full refund. But if you’re taking 2-3 pills per day, you should notice a decrease in inflammation. Please keep me posted on how you progress.
– Vin Kutty
Thank you so much, that did help clarify things for me!
I’ve been taking Nature Made one a day fish oil for the past 12 years and I feel great, can you tell me if Nature Made is just as affective as your pill? Thank you, AMC.
Hi Annemarie – NatureMade makes good products. Their One Per Day Fish oil has 720 mg of Omega-3 per pill and is the strongest oil they sell. It is effective and perfectly fine to continue taking this product for day to day health maintenance. However, there are two instances where a formula like this may not work:
1. Mood and depression – this product has nearly a 1:1 ratio of EPA to DHA. For depression, you need EPA in excess. The more EPA and less DHA the better for mood and depression related issues. 1:1 ratio of EPA to DHA has shown no mood benefits.
2. Triglyceride reduction – for this, you need oil that is at least 80% pure Omega-3. More on that here: http://www.omegavia.com/why-pharmaceutical-grade-fish-oil-is-better/ The NatureMade item is 60% Omega-3. You may not notice as much benefits as you’d like.
Overall, the product you’ve been using is better than 90% of the products out there, so if you are not looking to address the two conditions I outlined above, you should continue taking it.
– Vin Kutty
Hi, I wonder if there is much difference between your product and this product Vitamin Shop Ultimate Omega 3 735epa/165dha total 995 to maintain healthy triglycerides and try to raise good cholesterol, in addition to exercise and a healthy diet.
Hi Hector – the VitaminShoppe Ultimate Omega-3 is a similar product to our old formula. The VitaminShoppe product uses 70-75% pure Omega-3 oil. Our new formula uses 90% pure oil and has almost 1200 mg Omega-3 per pill – same pill size as the VitaminShoppe. IFOS results of our new formula: http://www.ifosprogram.com/files/IFOS%20Innovix%20OmegaVia%20Batch%20S2A042.pdf
For general health maintenance, there is not much difference between 70% and 90% purity. But if you want to maintain healthy triglycerides, you will notice a significant difference if you combine 3000 mg of Omega-3 with a healthy diet and exercise plan. See this: http://www.omegavia.com/why-pharmaceutical-grade-fish-oil-is-better/
It takes about 50 gallons of crude fish oil to make 1 gallon of 70% Omega-3 oil. Compare that to 100 gallons of crude oil to make 1 gallon of the oil in OmegaVia. There is a significant difference in the level of purification and cost between 70% pure oil and 90% pure oil.
The VitaminShoppe product could help you with joint and mood health. But if your goal is triglycerides, then, I would try a more potent Omega-3 with diet and exercise combined.
Do you know if krill oil products are checked for BMAA? See http://www.ethnomedicine. org
Hi Dr. Raborn – I don’t know of any krill oil products that are tested for BMAA. I understand that this amino acid comes from cyanobacteria, probably photosynthetic. Commercial Krill used in supplements feed on algae and are harvested exclusively in the Antarctic. I would doubt that BMAA is an issue, but I can’t say that with certainty. There is a new program called IKOS – Intl Krill Oil Standards that is being developed by Nutrasource Diagnostics at the Univ of Guelph in Canada. I don’t think their program is fully defined and off the ground, but when they are, I will pose this question to them. My guess is that other than Omega-3, toxins and oxidation byproducts, they would only be looking for astaxanthin and phospholipids. Unfortunately, if BMAA is present and in quantities sufficient to cause a problem, someone needs to raise its awareness/risk before companies will start testing for it.
– Vin Kutty
As far as I can see the International Krill Oil Standards (IKOS) Program is not testing for toxic BMAA from cyanobacteria that krill feed upon and which have been present in large blooms in recent years in the Antarctica when it almost definitely should be!
Especially now that recent research by Australian researchers have discovered that BMAA is potentially causing up to 90% of motor neurone disease MND and Lou Gehrig’s ALS as well as possibly Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s and other globally increasing neurodegenerative diseases. See my article describing this at see http://www.science20.com/australian_researchers_discover_potential_blue_green_algae_cause_motor_neuron_disease_mnd_als-121193
The IKOS website at http://ikosprogram.com/IKOS/TestingServices.aspx claims it was established by Nutrasource Diagnostics Inc. (NDI) as a third-party, internationally recognized testing program for krill oil products.
‘The purpose of the IKOS Program is to ensure that the quality of commercially available krill oil products exceeds international standards established by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN).’
‘NDI, through its certified and accredited reference laboratory partners, tests krill oil products for environmental contaminants including PCBs, mercury, heavy metals, dioxins and furans as well as oxidation levels, omega-3, phospholipid and astaxanthin content in the finished product.’
No mention of IKOS testing for BMAA which has now been definitely linked with neurodegenerative diseases worldwide.
Recent research published in the open access journal PLOS ONE and reported at http://mndresearch.wordpress.com/ by the Motor Neurone Disease Association (mnda) expands on the link between the blue green algae neurotoxin BMAA and MND or ALS, as well as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
‘A toxin known as β-N-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA), which is found in blue-green algae, has been shown to cause proteins inside cells to clump together and cause cell death.
This finding suggests that BMAA may be a cause of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and MND and could lead to the development of new treatments.
What is BMAA?
‘BMAA is a non-protein amino acid. This means, that unlike the 20 amino acids that our bodies use to make proteins, it does not make a human protein. BMAA is found in a type of bacteria called Cyanobacteria (more commonly known as blue-green algae), which are usually found in waterways as well as damp soil and on the roots of cycad plants.’
‘Blue-green algae can occasionally cause algal blooms. This is when there is a rapid growth of organisms due to high levels of nutrients in the water. The resulting bloom can sometimes become so large that it can be toxic to wildlife.’
‘The researchers found that when high concentrations of BMAA are present in neuron-like cells BMAA substituted itself with the amino acid L-serine during protein formation, creating a faulty protein within the cell. The faulty proteins were found to change shape so that they could no longer perform their role within the cell, causing them to clump together. The researchers also found that once BMAA was substituted into the protein this caused the cells to die.’
‘This study further adds evidence to the role of BMAA and how it can cause proteins to clump together (which is a common hallmark in a number of neurodegenerative diseases).
The researchers stated that: ‘Our finding that BMAA can be misincorporated (substituted) for serine in human proteins raises the possibility that such misincorporation results in neurodegenerative illness.’
Hi Helen – excellent recap and reminder. I will pose this question to the IKOS people and see what they have to say.
Thank you for posing the following question to IKOS ‘Does krill oil contain neurotoxic beta-Methylamino-L-alanine or BMAA from the krill’s consumption of cyanobacteria or blue green algae and is the krill oil being tested for BMAA contamination? See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta-Methylamino-L-alanine#BMAA_neurotoxic_effects
There have been some massive blue green algal blooms in the Antarctica in recent years, as well as another huge toxic blue green algae bloom off the coast of China, which coincided with the Beijing Olympics and hampered many water sports there until it was cleaned up by their army.
The Antarctica algal blooms in 2011 were so enormous they were visible from space see http://theconversation.com/bright-green-algal-bloom-is-so-vast-it-can-be-seen-from-space-5711 and they may have been initially caused or exacerbated by massive red dust storms in Australia, which have occurred for decades but may apparently be increasing lately because of climate change and agricultural practices causing increased soil erosion. The iron in the red dust apparently feeds the blue green algae or ctanobacteria.
I’m definitely no krill expert but it looks as though krill do feed upon cyanobacteria or blue green algae if it is present and many blue green algae do contain toxic BMAA and they have been present in the Antarctica in very large quantities where the krill for our krill oil are exclusively harvested.
Hi Helen – IKOS responded to my question about BMAA. They said that they do not test for it and will be investigating the risk. Not much else yet. Krill may be found along with cyanobacteria, but no shrimp or krill species I’m aware of will touch cyanobacteria!
Thanks Vin Kutty for your reply below in which you said
‘Hi Helen – IKOS responded to my question about BMAA. They said that they do not test for it and will be investigating the risk. Not much else yet. Krill may be found along with cyanobacteria, but no shrimp or krill species I’m aware of will touch cyanobacteria!’
I am now investigating the life cycle of the krill and trying to find definitive evidence one way or another of krill in their various life stages consuming blue green algae or cyanobacteria.
I know that crustaceans and filter feeders have been found to bioaccumulate BMAA, so I find it difficult to imagine why or how Antarctic krill wouldn’t consume or become contaminated by some of the huge Antarctic blooms of blue green algae species in the same way that dolphins, humans and the fish and crustaceans that they eat also inadvertently become contaminated by BMAA.
Surely IKOS should now be testing for toxic BMAA from blue green algae in krill oil and krill products now that we know that it potentially causes up to 90% of MND or Lou Gehrig’s ALS and has been directly implicated in causing Alzheimer’s,Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases?
Hi Helen – I’d love to find out what your research digs up. BMAA is certainly something to watch. It certainly concerns me but we (I) don’t know enough about it to say conclusively that there is no contamination of krill. As for neurological diseases, they have multiple pathologies. I’ve read several conflicting theories, most pointing to diet and environment. I’d put BMAA in the latter. Again, we don’t have definitive answers. Do you have a PubMed/reference for the 90% statement?
Hi Vin,
You say that neurological diseases have multiple pathologies and that you’ve read several conflicting theories, most pointing to diet and environment and that you would put BMAA in the latter.
I would agree with you that neurodegenerative diseases are often multifocal in origin but without a doubt now many species blue green algae and in particular their toxic BMAA have been shown to be often in our environment, our water and our food supply, especially as they have the propensity to bioaccumulate, just as mercury and some other environmental toxins do. I can’t find the Pubmed article but here is the PlosOne paper at http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0075376
Also this SBS interview of Doctor Rachael Dunlop the Research Team spokeperson is very informative and mentions the ‘up to 90%’ I think see http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2013/09/26/toxic-load-blue-green-algaes-role-motor-neuron-disease
Hi Helen – this is eye-opening. Thanks for sharing the links. Certainly something to watch.
Hello,
Does taking fish oil or krill oil help decrease LDL levels and or Total Cholesterol level? My triglyceride levels and HDL levels are excellent but I’m challenged by keeping the other two levels in the preferred range. Any suggestions for lowering LDL and total cholesterol?
Hi Sharon – Krill oil can reduce LDL levels nicely if you take 1 gram (1000 mg) or more per day. This takes 3-6 krill oil pills per day. Neither krill nor fish oil have much of an effect on Total Cholesterol. Total cholesterol is a fairly useless number for predicting heart health outcomes. LDL may be more useful as an indicator, but not by much. A much more meanigful marker is the ratio of Triglycerides to HDL. Divide your TG by HDL. If it is under 3, you’re OK. If you’re over 3, it’s time to reduce your sugar, starch and grain consumption. If you really want to be in charge of these numbers, get an LDL particle number, often called an NMR LipoProfile. Hope this helps.
– Vin Kutty
Hey, there, Vin,
Why do you say that you need to take 3-6 krill oil pills a day to get 1,000mg of krill oil? Most of the legitimate krill oils (100% pure NKO or Superba and even K-Real out of Israel which is Mercola’s source) are all either 500mg each or 1,000mg each of oil. So, you need either two or just one to get the 1gram. I know this is an older thread, so have the sizes changed that much in two years?
Thanks,
PJ
Hi PJ – hmmm, sounds like something I mumbled in my pre-caffeinated state. For the most part, you still need 3-6 krill oil pills to get 1000 mg of OMEGA-3, not 1000 mg of krill oil. These days, most krill oil pills contain 500 or 1000 mg of oil, so you’d need 1 or 2 but that’s nowhere near 1000 mg of Omega-3 which, frankly, is what I’m interested in. I prefer to get my phospholipids from egg yolks instead of krill.
Thank you for the helpful information. A couple last questions to help clarify a couple things:
1. You stated that krill oil can reduce LDL levels nicely if the proper amount is taken. Do you think fish oil is just effective at reducing LDL levels also if the proper amount is taken or is krill oil still the most effective?
2. If my Triglycerides are 50 and my HDL is 76, then according to your suggested ratios and meaningful markers, my heart health outcome indicator is quite good if I’m figuring it correctly, right? At my last checkup, my LDL =159, HDL=76 (I exercise almost every day), Trig.=50, and Total cholesterol = 245. In your opinion and with your expertise, do you think these numbers indicate pretty healthy heart health? My doctor, of course, is telling me that a prescription statin drug may not be too far off. I don’t want to believe that!
3. Is a certain dose of Niacin healthy to take when trying to lower cholesterol numbers such as LDL? My doctor suggested I take 500mg every night to see if it would help withkeeping my cholesterol numbers at an okay level because she knows I’m not “sold” on the idea of statin drugs. Your thoughts?
Thanks again. Your expertise is much appreciated.
Hi Sharon – good questions. For the most part, fish oil does not change LDL that much. Actually, DHA can increase LDL by about 10-15%. Since LDL is supposed to be ‘bad’ cholesterol, this concerns some people. This is why some of the new fish oil based pharmaceutical drugs are made of pure EPA, which does not increase LDL. There is one study that says krill oil at high levels can reduce LDL much more than fish oil. The study was funded by a krill oil manufacturer. Just because the research was self-serving does not mean it is not good research. It probably is solid science…but I’d like to see a few more studies on krill oil’s effect on LDL. As of now, the best I can say is that fish oil (at least EPA Omega-3) is neutral on LDL and krill oil may reduce LDL. Here’s the paper – it’s pretty compelling. http://www.altmedrev.com/publications/9/4/420.pdf
If your triglycerides are at 50 and HDL is 76, I’m jealous!
Many doctors are obsessed with total cholesterol. In my opinion, and I’m not a doctor(!), that’s missing the mark. Total cholesterol is a fairly meaningless number. But it is easy to measure, target and control. From everything I’ve read (and I’m constantly reading) total cholesterol is not a good heart health indicator. It’s just the most popular one. Stains benefits may come, not from cholesterol reduction but from unintended anti-inflammatory properties. The best heart health indicator that I know of is your LDL particle NUMBER done via an NMR Lipoprofile. Listen to this podcast with Dr. Dayspring for more: http://www.thelivinlowcarbshow.com/shownotes/6371/585-lipidologist-dr-thomas-dayspring-explains-the-truth-about-cholesterol/
I’d listen to your doctor about Niacin. Try it. Most people have a hard time handling the skin flushing. There are some liver issues with long-term use, but have your doctor keep an eye on things.
– Vin Kutty
In the Nov/Dec issue of Life Extension magazine, there is a fascinating article about
the benefits of combining Krill oil, hyaluronic acid, and astaxanthin to reduce arthritic
joint pain and even eliminate it all together in a short (60 day) period. Can you find
any flaws in the article’s conclusions, especially the high percentage of patients who
experienced pain reduction and pain-free results? Is the product, Krill Healthy Joint
Formula, just another one pill per day wonder where in fact you would need to take
substantially more for results similar to their one pill claim? I suffer from osteo-arthritic
fingers that are getting progressively worse at a rapid rate, so I’m looking for
something to slow down and possible repair some of the destruction I have already
experienced.
Hi Don – I’m familiar with Life Extension’s Krill Healthy Joint Formula, which is a result of the study your mention. I give it to my old, arthritic dog and it seems to be helping.
I think combining krill oil with hyaluronic acid and astaxanthin is a good idea. I have not reviewed the raw data and the protocol of the study but it passes the sniff test on the surface.
Here is what I would do if I had arthritis:
1. Take this Life Extension formula
2. Take 2000 mg of concentrated Omega-3 from fish oil
3. Take 1500 mg of Glucosamine
If that does not help, increase the krill formula to 2 pills per day. I don’t know how much astaxanthin is in it…if you take too much of it, your skin can temporarily turn a slight orange, which probably won’t happen unless you take 3 or 4 per day.
Also, cut back drastically on Omega-6 from vegetable seed oils.
– Vin Kutty
Hi, Thanks for the info on fish oils . I still need some help on what brand i should
take and how much. I have chronic Rheumatoid Arthritis and i am not responding
to treatment. I have reach the end no more new drugs for me to try for another 3
years here in Australia. I have tryed fish oil before but a long time ago and didn’t feel
any better for it. I would like to try again but don’t know what brand would be best for
me or how much to take. Last time i just took what the label said too take. But after
reading what you had to say i was not taking enough. So i would be greatful for your
input on this matter. What brand do you think would be best and how much too take.
Price is a issue as i spend $150 a week on my other drugs. Thank You
Gina
Hi Gina – I’m not very familiar with all brands of fish oil available in Australia but I know Blackmores makes something called Omega Triple that is fairly strong. Make sure you get at least 3000 mg of Omega-3 per day, combined with a healthy diet and exercise plan. You may actually need twice that much to notice much benefit.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition. Many people notice dramatic improvements with dietary changes. I’d start with eliminating all vegetable based seed oils – they are too high in Omega-6. Olive oil and butter are fine. Then, I’d eliminate all wheat and flour containing foods. Obviously remove sugar from your diet. If you can limit your diet to meats, seafood, vegetables, fruits, eggs and nuts, you will notice a dramatic improvement. Look into Robb Wolf’s book on paleo diet.
I think taking fish oil may help, but it may be glossing over dietary triggers of RA.
My hubby has Osteoarthritis and we are trying anything so he doesn’t have to have hip replacement. We are starting with diet/exerice and 2 caps of the schiff megaRed omega-3 krill oil…are we on the right path?
Hi Pam – you are on the right path. But I’d recommend a few tweaks. Add 1000 mg of EPA Omega-3 to his regimen. Concentrated fish oil is the best source of EPA. Then add a Glucosamine + MSM supplement, Perluxan (http://www.swansonvitamins.com/SWU432/ItemDetail) and you may want to consider a different krill product such as this: http://www.lef.org/Vitamins-Supplements/Item01600/Krill-Healthy-Joint-Formula.html
Diet wise, cut out all vegetable oils other than Olive and coconut oils. Cut back or eliminate sugar and wheat.
Hope this helps.
– Vin Kutty
Hi. Would you reccomend Natrol Omega-3 Krill Oil? They have 1000 mg NKO with 266 mg Omega-3. 150 mg EPA, 90 mg DHA and 420 mg phospholipid, or would you rather recommend pharmaceutical fish oil?
Hi Kalle – disclosure: I used to work for Natrol about a dozen years ago. They make fairly good products. If you can find it for a good price, yes, go for it. I suggest two capsules a day. You may also want to supplement with some concentrated fish oil as well. 266 mg of Omega-3 is not enough.
– Vin Kutty
Hi, I had two questions:
1) How would you recommend taking (dosage) omegavia with krill oil together?
2) What would you say is the best NKO brand? NOW Foods – Neptune Krill 1000?
Thank you,
Sri
Hi Sri – yes, you may take OmegaVia with Krill oil. Actually, I recommend everyone who takes krill oil to supplement with some additional Omega-3. NKO krill oil is good. So is Superba krill oil. Both NKO and Superba start off with good quality. Most manufacturers can buy these oils in bulk and encapsulate them in gelatin. How delicately the oil is handled, processed and stored by the final manufacturer is an unknown. So I can’t comment on NOW Foods’ product but I feel comfortable with the raw material that goes into the NOW foods product. Hope this helps.
– Vin Kutty
Hi, Vin,
What do you think of Enzymotec’s product, K-Real out of Israel? I found out the Mercola uses it in his krill licaps (hermetically sealed little buggers), and have seen it around in other brands as well. Any research on this brand yet? Do you feel it might not be in the same league as NKO and Superba. I also saw that a brand new “player” has hit the market from Norway, RimFrost. Interesting.
I guess what I’m asking is, how is the ranking of these source oils? (Not the rank smell, the rankING. lol)
NKO, then Superba, then K-Real or….?
LOL! Rank…funny. I had lots of discussions with Enzymotec in 2008. They had a few varieties of krill oil – the real deal and some that had krill blended with soy phospholipids. I had no idea (and it was almost impossible to tell) who used which grade. K-Real didnt exist back then. But now, K-Real comes in 2 potencies: 16% and 25% Omega-3. You’d have to look at the label and reverse-calculate which one of these potency is used in Mercola krill. As far as ranking, it is highly, highly subjective, but I’d go with Superba. NKO is fine other than their solvent – acetone (nail polish remover.) And I’m not sure how much acetone residue is left behind in the oil. The others arent exactly off the hook since they use isopropanol (rubbing alcohol.)
Hi, Vin,
Thanks for the input! Just for kicks, I decided to check out K-Real and Mercola a little further, plus some other popular brands of krill oil, some NKO, some Superba, and some K-Real.
There are three levels of K-Real: Pure Krill Oil 15% omega-3, a krill/fish oil blend with 30% omega-3, and one called just “custom.”
Mercola uses the 15% variety as this is the only pure krill oil they offer. The 30% fish blend retails for a whopping $109 for 120-700mg caps. Ouch.
I looked at NOW’s NKO, Nutrigold’s NKO, Barlean’s Superba, and Twin Labs’ Superba. Happily, they are all VERY close with the range of EPA/DHA being from 18-20% and total omega’s at about 22-24%.
So, bottom line, I’m thinking that K-Real is not the best krill oil you can get if you just look at omega-3 content.
Of course, like you said, it’s subjective. There is encapsulation to look at, handling, testing, shipping, and on and on. Lots of variables from brand to brand. Superba has that MSC designation, NKO does not. Nutrigold is tested on the IKOS site, the rest are not. (I really wonder how much that means anyway as you NEVER see any of the bad test results, nor any on the famed IFOS).
So, there we go. I will say that Mercola’s use of the fish gelatin Licaps is THE way to go. Absolutely no scent and no enteric coating needed. Now if I could just drain out the Superba and siphon it into the Licaps….! 🙂
That’s good research, PJ.
I’m generally wary of fish + krill blends that do not specifically say how much of each is present in the formula because it may be mostly fish oil with a little dash of krill.
As recently as a couple of years ago, there was Chinese ‘krill oil’ available for manufacturers to purchase in bulk – it was mostly fish oil with little bits of krill oil and artificial astaxanthin and soy phospholipids. I have no idea if any of the major brands would touch this stuff, but it is possible that minor store-brand krill oils that compete against the major national brands would be tempted.
You’ve touched on a major flaw with IFOS and IKOS: if a test fails, the manufacturer is not obligated to publish the results publicly. In other words, the manufacturer owns the test results. This is does not mean that many products fail at IFOS. It just means that the loop hole exists. I’m guessing that virtually every brand tested by IFOS has already been tested elsewhere and the test had passed. So products sent to IFOS testing is just for transparency. We have our products tested at two other labs before we send to IFOS. So if your particular lot of product is missing from IFOS website, you may want to look into it more.
I had a heart attack 2 months ago. They placed a stent. I am 61 years old and also have type 2 diabetes, osteo arthritis, and degenerative disc disease. How much omega 3 would you recommend for me and are there additional supplements that may be beneficial to me? Thank you, Gary
Hi Gary – supplements can help and you should take some. But much bigger benefits will come from a diet and lifestyle makeover. Having said that, I’d aim for 3000 mg of Omega-3 (not 4000 mg of fish oil!) when combined with a healthy diet and exercise plan. Yes, that’s a lot, but you’re no longer just taking fish oil for general health maintenance. Other than Omega-3, you should be taking:
– 5000 IU of Vitamin D3 http://www.lef.org/Vitamins-Supplements/Item00713/Vitamin-D3.html
– Magnesium http://www.lef.org/Vitamins-Supplements/Item01369/Magnesium-Caps-500-mg-100-vegetarian-capsules.html
– Vitamin K http://www.lef.org/Vitamins-Supplements/Item01224/Super-K-with-Advanced-K2-Complex.html
– Multivitamin – http://www.lef.org/Vitamins-Supplements/Item01615/Two-Per-Day-Tablets.html
Life Extension is a great place to get these supplements. Check with your doctor to make sure it’s OK to take these.
So I jumped on this wagon today with the krill oil. After coming home and doing a bit of reading, I realized I have Wild Krill Oil. Is there a difference in “wild” or not??
Thanks
Toni
Hi Toni – welcome aboard the slightly wacky (and hyped up) world of krill oil. All krill are harvested in the wild. Virtually all krill in supplements come from Antarctica. As wild as it gets. It’s probably a marketing misfire, trying to separate their product from the herd.
– Vin Kutty
PS: would you please report back to us in a month or two and share if you are happy with the product and if you’ve seen any benefits that you were not seeing with fish oil? Thanks.
Tony,
I know your comment is older, but you didn’t happen to buy Barlean’s “Wild and Whole” did you? That’s Superba and seems really good, but I could not master the smell to even take it.
The other “wild” brand I see is Vital Choice’s Vital Red. I think that’s Superba, too (but they won’t tell).
Thanks,
PJ
You really need to do your homework on vitamin D. I am a healthcare provider and I have seen many times vitamin D crash my patients immune system. Vitamin D is a steroid!!!! If you know anything, steroids cause immunosuppression. By telling people to take vitamin D you are helping to make them sick! Go look up (vitamin d is a steroid). stupid
It was found that neptune krill oil can be rancid by consumer lab. It is not a good brand. Azantis and aker are the good ones.
this is the first time i heard of your site, it is great! Which is best at lowering blod pressure, fish oil or krill oil and how much of either one? I started taking Nordic naturals ultimate omega fish oil capsules about 2 m0s. ago. my sister takes swansons 100% krill oil 1 cap per day and in less than 2 mos. her blood pressure dropped 30 points. we want to get my mother on either fish oil or krill oil in order to drop her blood pressure without drugs. I value your opinion. THANKS, Larry
What are your thoughts on taking both a lower dose of NKO Kril oil PLUS a high quality fish oil together?
Or even taking a moderate dose of both Krill oil and fish oil supplementation together.
Also, I’m looking at an enteric coated krill oil.
Hi Ben – I think that’s a good idea. Get your base Omega-3 needs from a concentrated fish oil and add a little phospholipids from a krill oil. If you rely on krill oil alone for Omega-3, you’ll come up short or you’ll have to take a lot of pills. I don’t know of an enteric coated krill oil.
– Vin Kutty
FYI: NOW Foods currently makes Krill 1000, a 1,000mg gelcap that is enteric-coated. No flavoring and smells like nothing. I still prefer the smaller, stinkier non-enteric capsules and gelcaps due to size. 🙂 But NOW’s enteric-coated is honestly scent-free, which is pretty amazing for a krill product!
It’s very rare to see enteric coated krill oil supplements…mostly because enteric coating adds cost and krill oil is very expensive to begin with. So it’s interesting that a value brand like NOW is enteric coating it.
I know….it’s the only one I’ve ever seen that is enteric-coated. And the only one that is really scent-free, other than Mercola’s Licap version. NOW’s is on Amazon and is quite the deal. My only complaint would be that the enteric coating makes an already large 1,000mg capsule a bit less squishy and harder to get down. But, it’s an option. 🙂
I just found out from my doctor that my cholesterol is high. He suggested to take fish oil. My husband just went to store and bought Natrol brand of Krill Oil with the NKO monogram, since you said that the market is flooded with krill oil that are less favorable, do you think this brand is ok?
Also, can I take flaxseed oil together with krill oil? Is there such a thing as overdosing on these oils? I just want to lower my cholesterol but I don’t want to take Lipitor.
Your advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.
Rowena
Hi Rowena – yes, NKO brand krill oil is fine. Each Natrol krill oil has 133 mg of Omega-3 in it. You will need at least 4 of those per day to see a noticeable difference in your blood fats. Yes, it is Ok to take it with Flaxseed, although Flaxseed oil is fairly useless but it does not hurt. It is very difficult to overdose with Omega-3 but if you increase your dosage gradually, your body will tell you when you’ve taken too much – usually, you will notice some digestive distress. Then it is time to back off a bit.
– Vin Kutty
I am looking at Puitan’s Pride “NEPTUNE KRILL OIL – 500 mg”. Please give me your opinion.
Supplement Facts
Serving Size 2 Softgels
Servings Per Container 30
Amount Per Serving % Daily Value
Calories 10
Calories from Fat 10
Total Fat 1 g 2%**
Saturated Fat 0.5 g 1%**
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g ***
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5 g ***
Neptune Krill Oil (NKO®)provides 265mg of Total Omega-3 Fatty Acids comprising of: 1,000 mg ***
Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) 142 mg ***
Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) 85 mg ***
Omega-6 Fatty Acids (Linoleic Acid) 15 mg ***
Omega-9 Fatty Acids (Oleic Acid) 65 mg ***
Phospholipids 400 mg ***
Astaxanthin 1,000 mcg ***
**Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
***Daily Value not established.
Hi Hugh – it’s made with Neptune krill oil, which makes me comfortable. They are one of the top players so it’s unlikely to be Chinese fish oil with some red coloring and a dash of krill oil.
As far as potency, there is 113 mg of EPA and DHA per pill. That’s it! 132 mg if you include all other Omega-3. That’s, well, a teeny, tiny bit. You will need at least 4 of those pills a day to start seeing noticeable benefits. 4 pills get you to about 530 mg of Omega-3. Yes, you’ll get a good dose of phospholipids, but where is the Omega-3? That’s the problem with krill oil pills. They are small and they don’t contain as much Omega-3 as they could.
I am not worried about the quality of this product. I am worried that people have a false sense of comfort when it comes to krill oil dosage. You need a lot more than what the bottle tells you!
– Vin Kutty
I just bought a bottle of New Chapter Whole Mega extra virgin wild alaskan salmon.
wild alaskan salmon 2000mg
total omega 3 fatty acids 520mg
EPA 180mg
DHA 220mg
other omega 3 fatty acids 120mg
total omega 6 fatty acids 60mg
total omega 5, 7, & 8 fatty acids 95mg
total omega 9 fatty acids 300mg
other omega fatty acids 545mg
astaxanthin 5mcg
vitamin D3 100IU
Says take 2 a day and its gluten free is this a good one to take or not 60 capsules for $25
Hi Mary – it is certainly a very good product. But I have some issues with it: there is very little Omega-3 in each capsule. The numbers above are for 2 capsules, not one. I think product labels should state what EACH pill contains. Each one of these pills contains only 260 mg of Omega-3. That’s better than nothing. You’ll need 4 or 5 of these pills per day. At 5 pills per day, your bottle of 60 pills is a 12-day supply. That’s a lot of pills and it gets pricey.
– Vin Kutty
I have a bag of Wild Pacific Salmon burgers in my freezer that I purchased at Costo. On the front of the bag, it claims there is 1360mg of Omega-3’s in each serving, which is one 1/4 pound patty. They are delicious. It seems like eating a few of these per week or even one daily would be a more effective way to get large doses of Omega-3’s than taking a bunch of pills, since you’re receiving food at the same time……or am I missing something? Cost is around a dollar per serving, but again, you have to buy food anyway. My goal for eating more Omega-3’s is relieve inflamation in my ankle/achilles tendon. I long ago drastically reduced my intake of sugar and grains to near nothing. I intend to reduce my use of commercial salad dressing as well, since I found a great and simple recipe for an olive oil based italian dressing that is really good.
Would you say that a person who has very low intake of sugar, grains, and other starches, as well as low intake of Omega 6 fats would require less Omega 3 supplementation that someone eating a standard processed America diet?
Hi Jane – eating one of those salmon patties a day will address all your Omega-3 needs and then some! Even 3 or 4 per week may be enough. It is an absolute win-win. Wild salmon is one of the healthiest things you can eat. You seem to be doing a lot of things right. Yes, if you are not eating Omega-6-rich vegetable oils, then yes, you will need less Omega-3 than someone eating a standard American diet.
– Vin Kutty
Yay! I love those patties, and my dogs enjoy them too. I’ll be lunching on these often. They are fantastic crumbled and mixed with a chopped salad.
Thanks for responding.
I was using Lovaza to lower my triglycerides but it ended up raising them. I have been using Mega Red for about a year now but it looks like I should be using a fish oil. My eye doctor wants me to take high doeses of fish oil like Lovaza (3-4 grams a day) due to macular degeneration running in my family. What should I do?
Hi AI – Lovaza reduces triglycerides nicely. Except when you have some dietary changes. See this article: http://www.omegavia.com/i-take-your-omega-3-but-my-triglycerides-still-went-up/
MegaRed will may help maintain healthy triglycerides if you combine it with a healthy diet and daily exercise, but you will need 10-15 pills per day.
Your eye doctor is right. You need Omega-3 and some other nutrients like this: http://www.lef.org/Vitamins-Supplements/Item01686/Super-Zeaxanthin-with-Lutein-Meso-Zeaxanthin-Plus-Astaxanthin-and-C3G.html
Do not buy this: http://www.drugstore.com/preservision-eye-vitamin-areds-2-formula-soft-gels/qxp319034 as it does not have enough DHA or Omega-3.
Thanks for the info. It makes sense to me. Everytime I went a cholestrol lowering diet all my markers went up (except my HDL which went down). I’ll go back to eating sensible human diet.
AI – a ‘healthy’ diet with lots of whole grains and low-fat foods will nicely prime you for a heart attack. Eat what our bodies are meant to eat – a pre-agricultural diet. Lots of fresh veggies, grass-fed meats, wild seafood, pastured eggs and some fruits and nuts. Some people call it a ‘paleo’ diet. I call it real food.
– Vin Kutty
Vin Kutty – you are doing great job replying to everyone. Since you are an expert on omega 3 can you clarify a difference between fish oil omega 3 and plant omega 3. How much hemp oil would I need to take to get 1000mg of EPA after body converts ALA to EPA? I am male 27.
Hi Matvey – fish/krill oil Omega-3 contain mostly EPA and DHA. Plants and seeds contain ALA Omega-3 which is a short chain Omega-3 that the body must convert to EPA and DHA. The conversion to EPA is not very good and to DHA is virtually zero. I don’t know how much ALA is in your hemp oil and I have no way of knowing how efficient your body is at converting ALA to EPA. So my GUESS is that you will need anywhere from 6 to 20 hemp oil pills per day. Basically, a lot. The only reason to avoid fish oil and take hemp oil is if you’re vegan. In which case, Omega-3 is only one of several issues to tackle. More here: http://www.omegavia.com/omega-3-options-for-vegans/
– Vin Kutty
Is krill oil mercury free? Wondering if its safe for pregnancy. Also, which fish oil do you recommend? Thanks!
Hi Jessica – krill oil made by reputable brands usually are mercury free. Krill are low on the food chain, so it’s unlikely to have mercury to begin with. However, the problem with krill oil is that you need to take A LOT OF PILLS to get the DHA you need during pregnancy. Do the math based on how much DHA is in your krill oil. I recommend about 900 mg of DHA per day during pregnancy. My guess is that’s about 20 krill oil pills a day. I suggest you go with Carlsons Super DHA gems. Take 2 of those every day.
– Vin Kutty
Hello Mr Kutty,
Took me a while to read all the posts from 2010 to right down here.
I have been sporadically taking Krill oil but from a diff vendor(Prograde) & a different brand(Azantis Krill Oil), sold as EFA Icon.
Herez it’s nutrition info :
Pure Krill Oil (Azantis) 1,000 mg
Omega-3 Fatty Acids ( as phospholipids) 420 mg
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) 150 mg
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) 90 mg
Astaxanthin 1.5 mg
Other ingredients : Softgel(Gelatin), Glycerin, Water, Lemon Oil
Serving size : 2 softgels
Your response to HUGH above on Oct 30 2012, makes me believe that phospholipids and omega-3 are 2 different thing whereas prograde describes it a Omega3 fatty acids as phospholipids. Confused now.
Found this 1 below : is it any better than prograde version above ?
http://www.soap.com/p/source-naturals-nko-neptune-krill-oil-500-mg-softgels-128378
If you don’t mind posting one of the vendors & their exact type you recommend, it will be of immense help.
Thanks,
Nikhil.
Hi Nikhil – Omega-3 and phospholipids are not the same thing. The Omega-3 in krill oil is ATTACHED to phospholipids and that makes it slightly better absorbed. Phospholipids are good for you and typically krill oils have twice as much of it than Omega-3. They provide different benefits. The real reason to take krill oil may be for the phospholipids and not Omega-3. After all, there is so little Omega-3 present.
Azantis is OK. Superba by AkerBiomarine is good. NKO was OK but they are shut down after they factory sadly exploded.
Unless you take handfuls of krill oil pils, you are not getting enough Omega-3. My suggestion is to combine it with any Pharma grade fish oil.
– Vin Kutty
Why are you downplaying the benefits of the antioxidant Astaxanthin? I always believed the more nutrients the better and I’ve read on many sources that it is a rather potent antioxidant.
Hi Chris – I like astaxanthin a lot! Matter of fact, I take an astaxanthin supplement by itself.
Let me put it this way: if you need a set of tires, would you go to the tire store and buy 4 tires or buy a brand new car for the tires? That’s how I see taking krill oil supplements for the astaxanthin. Krill oil typically has a lot of phospholipids (good stuff that you can find in eggs or in supplement form), Omega-3 (good stuff that’s much more abundant in fish oil) and astaxanthin (also good stuff that’s much more abundant elsewhere, like astaxanthin pills.)
There is very little astaxanthin in krill oil pills anymore. Used to be more if it a few years ago – nowadays, even the krill oil manufacturers will admit to not having as much as they used to. Yes, it is a potent antioxidant and it is great for your skin, but don’t rely on krill oil pills for it – get them separately. I get mine from Costco. Used to get it from LifeExtension.
– Vin Kutty
Hi. You will see an expression on a krill product’s label , ” DHA and EPA expressed”
What does “expressed” mean?
They say that Main producer is NKO.
Thanks a lot
Hi Mehmet – expressed does not mean anything when discussing krill oil. When discussing something like olive oil, expressed means removal of oil using pressure. You cannot do that with krill oil. The Omega-3 in krill oil has to be extracted using solvents like alcohol or acetone. NKO uses acetone to extract their oil from krill.
– Vin Kutty
What do you think of the product Twinlabs Cardio Krill Oil and how many of these pills should you take a day?
Hi Romy – it’s a good product but you will need 6 to 7 pills per day to start seeing benefits. Why? Each pill only has 140 mg of Omega-3. That’s more than other krill oil pills, but still miniscule! If you take one pill a day per packaging instructions, you will not notice the health benefits promised. Dosage is key.
– Vin Kutty
Enjoyed but I would like to know where I can purchase NKO in Detroit,
Mi area.
Hi Fnwilson – you should be able to get NKO or Superba krill oil (both good) at any local drug store. Just look for their logos on the package. NKO has been out of supply lately, as they had an explosion in their facility and have shut down production.
– Vin Kutty
Purity makes a big deal on the amount of Phospholipids are in each pill how much is in Omegavia?
Hi Joe – there are no phospholipids in OmegaVia. Phospholipids are not found in high purity fish oils. They are found in krill oil and several different every day foods. Purity’s krill product is a blend of krill and fish and contains 60 mg of phospholipids per pill. The Omega-3 that are bound to phospholipids will be slightly better absorbed. The rest of the Omega-3 will not be as well absorbed. So mixing krill oil with fish oil virtually the same as taking a good fish oil supplement.
The best source of phospholipids are from egg yolks and liver. Egg yolks contain about 50 mg phospholipids each – http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1342207
– Vin Kutty
hello my husband bought omega krill from dr.newton in jan 2012 to lower his cholesterol, in may 2012 he went for a heart surgery caused by high cholesterol blockage , we want to sue the dr.newton company any suggestions? ps. we live in canada and the company is in usa, should we hire us’s laweyer or canadian? thanks
Would you please take a look at these products and website and tell me what you think, I’ve ordered the Krill Omega-3 Super Formula for me. I also ordered the Fast Action H.A. Hyaluronic Acid Super Formula and the Ultra-Pure Omega-3 Fish Oil for my husband,because he has a shellfish allergy we both suffer from joint aches.
Hi MBT – the products from Purity are fine. Not bad and not fantastic. If you’re happy with the results and benefits, no need to change.
– Vin Kutty
Hello, I started taking two softgels of Megared krill oil (500mg each) per day in order to reduce cholesterol and triglycerides will i have better results if i take a combination of krill oil and fish oil and if yes how many pills per day is a good portion in order to see results in the following 3 to 4 months. thank you
Hi Nickolas – you need 2000 mg of krill oil Omega-3 to notice a significant drop when combined with a healthy diet and exercise plan. Or you can get it from 3000 to 4000 mg of fish oil.
Each MegaRed Extra Strength pill has 115 mg of Omega-3. So 2000 divided by 115 = 17 pills a day. Dose up!
Thank you for your answer a last question is because krill oil is more expensive than fish oil is there any harm to my health if i take for example 4 pills of krill oil and the rest from fish oil. Is there any research stating that a combination of those two gives a good or bad result?
Hi Nickolas – no harm in mixing fish oil and krill oil at all. The body knows and recognizes both as fats and will digest both. No research on combining the two.
– Vin Kutty
Vin,
Love your website full of good information, a question I didn’t see addressed is two-fold, what is your opinion on NKO future as the new plant isn’t expects to be operational til 2015?
Isn’t acetone known to cause cancer therefore is ere an issue with using it and us later ingesting it? Thank you
Hi Russell – thank you.
NKO is eventually going to come back. I don’t know if it will be in 2015. I have been to their facility and they were always maxed out on capacity. If they don’t start making their own product by 2015, they may subcontract out their patented manufacturing to some other facility that has extraction capacity. My guess is that management has been working on this as phase 1. Phase 2 will be to reconstruct their own facility. Regardless, I suspect they will be supply-limited for some time.
Yes, acetone is a carcinogen. NKO’s patent uses acetone as extraction solvent. But in their defense, acetone is easily separated from krill oil in the purification steps. You will always have residual levels of solvent…in other words, you will have some acetone in NKO products. I don’t know how much acetone is left over in NKO oils and I don’t know if those levels pose a problem. I’m guessing that the acetone levels are inconsequential, but that’s just a guess. Aker’s Superba brand krill oil uses alcohol, not acetone, so they claim to have a safer product – don’t know if that’s a science or marketing claim. I suspect the latter.
– Vin Kutty
Thanks Vin,
It will be interesting to see if NKO wins the patent lawsuit against Aker. With the plant blowing up and acetone being so flammable and explosive, ne wonders if they won’t switch to something less volatile.
I have read that like you mentioned the company is considering outsourcing, just hope they are if they utilize a Chinese manufacturer as if the quality is suspect it will hurt all Krill providers.
I read last night about Schiff and Neptune supply issues, later lawsuits wow. Sems they will never work together again unless forced.
Is there red dye in the MegaRed Krill Oil? If so how much? I have rosacea of the face and am wondering if the red color could be affecting my face?
Hi Sandy – no there is no red dye. As much as I think krill oil is a waste of money, I also know the folks behind MegaRed well enough to say confidently that they would never add red dye to their product for whatever reason. Consider looking into a Paleo diet – it has helped a few people I know reduce Rosacea.
– Vin Kutty
My question. Is simple. How does your product compare to dr mercola’s product?
Hi Gary – simple question, not-so-simple answer.
Mercola sells Krill oil. OmegaVia is a fish oil.
Mercola has has 77 mg Omega-3 per pill. OmegaVia has 1105 mg per pill. That’s 14X more.
Mercola costs about $25. OmegaVia is about the same.
Mercola has 400 mg phospholipids. OmegaVia does not – eggs are full of healthy phospholipids, we prefer to you get it from eggs.
Mercola has 1 mg astaxanthin. OmegaVia does not. Pharma grade fish oil does not have astaxanthin. Salmon oil does. But you can get 4 mg of Astaxanthin at Costco for next to nothing.
Krill oil is good for you. It is about 1.5X to 2X better absorbed than fish oil. But it costs about 10X more. To notice a significant drop in triglycerides or other blood fats, you will need about 1000 mg of krill oil Omega-3. Given that Mercola has 77 mg per pill. That’s 13 pills a day. Each 60-count bottle will last you about 5 days. Taking 2 OmegaVia per day will give you similar benefits and the 60 capsules will last a month for the same price.
– Vin Kutty
In my opinion, the U.S. government has FAILED TOTALLY in its responsibility to regulate fraud in the nutritional supplement industry.
For example, most supplements sold as “100% Pure Krill Oil” are only partly genuine Neptune Krill Oil because they are severely diluted with fish oil and fortified with astaxanthin made from Haematococcus pluvialis.
[Puritan’s Pride Red Krill Oil is a good example of “krill oil” that tastes like fish oil].
Also, many vegans have complained that their “Algal DHA” softgels taste like fish oil because they really are mostly just fish oil.
[Simply read the product reviews underneath various Algal DHA products sold by Amazon to verify this].
Also, genuine fish fat contains more DHA than EPA but fish oil softgels always contain more EPA than DHA. This indicates that some of the DHA is stolen from fish oil and used in other nutritional supplements such as “Algal DHA.”
Also, most “100% Pure Pomegranate” supplements or juices are not pure pomegranate as claimed:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/clinical-studies-on-acai-berries/
http://www.omega-research.com/researchview.php?ID=947&catid=15
Hi Ronald – thanks for sharing.
Supplements sold as ‘100% pure krill oil’ some are just that – 100% pure krill oil. Neptune is just ONE of a few krill oil manufacturers. Aker’s superba brand krill oil (Norway) is good quality. Enzymotec (Israel) also makes OK stuff. Azantis (Colorado) makes krill oil too. So krill oil pills do not necessarily have to contain neptune brand krill oil.
Are there some that are diluted with fish oil? Certainly! A lot of Chinese ‘krill’ oil probably have fish oil mixed in with astaxanthin and soy phospholipids. If you buy the cheapest krill oil on the market, you may be buying this.
If Puritan’s Pride says krill oil, it probably is all krill oil. Granted it is probably the cheapest krill oil they could find, but I would be very surprised if they were mixing it with fish oil. If krill oil smells and tastes like fish oil, that is because krill oils contain Omega-3 EPA and DHA. No matter what the marketing spin is, when (not if) krill oil turns rancid, it will stink just like rancid fish oil…if not worse. About 10 years ago, when nobody cared or knew about krill oil, I received a sample of neptune krill oil at my desk at work. I opened the bottle and cleared the entire office! It stunk like rancid fish oil. I made enemies quickly that day. My point: once rancid, krill oil stinks like rancid fish oil. Does not mean it is adulterated.
Same thing with Algae DHA. Once it goes slightly rancid, algae oil smells just like rancid fish oil. Why? They both have DHA. Rotten DHA stinks the same regardless of its source. Vegan or not! It does not mean that the algae oil is adulterated with fish oil. And most aren’t! Product reviews on Amazon are written by folks who do not know these facts. The only take-away from the Amazon reviews is that a lot of Algae DHA pills are rancid. Nothing more.
Also, not all genuine fish fat contains more DHA than EPA. Some do, like tuna and salmon. But 90% of fish oils are made from sardines, anchovies and mackerel…and these fish have more EPA than DHA. Therefore, most fish oil supplement have more EPA than DHA. DHA is not stolen from fish and added to anything else.
I have nothing to say about Pomegranate, but you can take my above statements to the bank.
– Vin Kutty
please eval FINEST NUTRITION fish oil 1400mg. its $15.00 at Walgreens and I cant afford more
Hi Sheila – if that is what you can afford, by all means, go for it. It is not a bad product at all, in terms of Omega-3 content. It has about 900 mg of Omega-3 per pill. I cant vouch for the quality or origins, but the formula and potency is better than average.
– Vin Kutty
I’d expect the pre-formed vitamin A (retinol) found in servings of liquid fish oils — e.g., Cod Liver Oil (4,501 IU / 1 tsp ) and Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon Oil (1,920 IU per 1 tsp) — to be much higher than what might be in OmegaVia (Alaskan Pollock and Whiting, 90% Pharmaceutical Grade Omega-3 content).
Specifically, how much vitamin A (if any) appears in OmegaVia?
Thanks.
(Great blog! Valuable, useful material)
Note: I’d ordered a liquid salmon oil product whose supplement facts give no indication of vitamin A, but grew uncertain after I came across another brand of liquid salmon fish oil that lists 1,440 IU per 3/4 tsp serving, while the USDA nutrient database displays zero vitamin A for Fish Oil, Salmon .
I’m wanting to minimize direct oral intake of pre-formed vitamin A, as per advice of vitamin D expert, John Cannell MD, who says he’d only recommend/prescribe pre-formed vitamin A for patients with problem in converting substrate, beta-carotene, to vitamin A.
[more “vitamin A” searchable here]
Hi Eric – OmegaVia does not have measurable amounts of Vitamin A. The raw material that we start with does have about 1000 IU per gram, but Vitamin A and EPA/DHA boiling points are pretty far off, so Vitamin A does not make it past the distillation stage. Besides, there are several other steps along the way that removes non-Omega-3 ingredients.
I generally try to INCREASE intake of Vitamin A. Unless you know for a fact that you are getting too much Vitamin A and not enough D, trying to cut down on A is not advised.
– Vin Kutty
My husbands doctor has recommended that he take a fish oil supplement to lower his triglycerides. Of course we are doing the comparison game including looking at Dr. Mercola’s Krill Oil. Researching all this led me to your article from 2011. So, since it had been a while, I wasn’t sure if there was new information you could share. Also, through researching, in addition to OmegaVia my husband has found some others that he would like to know your opinion of:
Life Extension, Super Omega-3, Natural Factors Rx (Dr Michael Murray) and OmegaRx by Dr. Barry Sears (this is the one his doctor recommended) is there a discernible difference that would make one of these the better choice and of course how do they stack up to OmegaVia? And are they still the better choice over Dr. Mercola’s Krill Oil. Thanks
Hi Theresa – let me get past the easy part about krill. Krill is slightly better absorbed. But my thoughts on krill have only solidified since 2011. I still think it is over-hyped and over-marketed. If your husband takes 1000 to 2000 mg of krill Omega-3 per day, he will notice a solid reduction in triglycerides. But that means taking a dozen pills a day and that is about 10X more expensive than any of the other options you are considering.
As for the other options, I like them all. But they are all mid-level strength products. That means 60-70% Omega-3 strength. You need 80% + Omega-3 for triglyceride reduction. See this: http://www.omegavia.com/why-pharmaceutical-grade-fish-oil-is-better/
But I still like all of them more than krill oil.
– Vin Kutty
Ugh. The Vitamin D Council website was re-designed, leaving numerous article links “broken”. Here’s some help for finding cited material there, given a date:
As example, to access the following citation…
The Vitamin D Newsletter, February 2010, “Vitamin D, Vitamin A, and Cancer”
(Top menu) Click “News”
(Left menu) Click “Archive”
Scroll down to appropriate Year…For this example…
(Left menu) Click “2003-2010”
Then, it seems easiest to use the index at the right:
PDF Archive
Email Newsletters
Look for month and title…
Feb – Vitamin D, Vitamin A, and Cancer
Hope that helps.
I’m a little confused when we’re looking at omega 3 is it the EPA and dha or omega 3 fatty acids we’re looking at I have dha 300 mg EPA 450 omega 3 750 mg per 1 soft gel Thank you
Hi Anthony – both EPA and DHA are a type of Omega-3 fats. There are a couple of others, but EPA and DHA are the ones that we care about the most due to their health properties. Looks like one of your pill has 450 mg of EPA Omega-3 and also 300 mg DHA Omega-3, for a total Omega-3 content of 750 mg. For the most part, you need to look for total Omega-3, to keep it simple.
– Vin Kutty
Your opinion please on Red Whale krill oil. Taking Red krill with goal of lowering bad cholesterol. Was switched from 6000 units fish oil after 2 years to krill oil 1000 units and 2000 units of fish oil, no particular brand ever mentioned by Dr. Last blood work highest ever. Seeking right mix or singular thing to work. Allergic to statins.
Hi Maureen – I’d pass on this product for several reasons:
1) it is not pure krill oil – it is a blend of krill and fish oil and I have no idea how much of what’s in there
2) the astaxanthin is also not from krill but from algae and I can buy algae astaxanthin for a lot less
3) I cant tell if this product uses NKO or Superba krill oils (the only ones I’m personally comfortable with) and finally
4) you can buy fish oil + krill oil + astaxanthin separately for a lot less than what this product sells for.
I’d go back to your regular fish oil you were already taking, assuming it was high potency stuff and cut back on sugars and grains.
– Vin Kutty
I have read several complaints about leakage of krill oil from their gelcaps, softgel caps, capliques etc. into the container bottles and upon opening, give off a foul smell. What, in your opinion is the best way that krill oil should be encapsulated. Now Food (Neptune) are now making an enteric coated softgel in their 1000mg. I need to have it shipped to Australia. Would enteric coated result in a delay in releasing krill oil contents into the digestive system. What is better for absorbtion – enteric coated or non-enteric coated?
Hi Ron – softgel encapsulation is the best way to do it. Leakage is a problem with ‘caplique’ type products. Enteric coating will not prevent leaking, just burping. We don’t have studies that show whether enteric coated krill oil pills help or not.
– Vin Kutty
Hi,
Thanks for all the great information. I have been taking Schiff Mega Red Extra Strenth Krill Oil for quite some time. After reading your information, I’ve uped my dosage to 4 pills a day. I’m trying to quickly use up my 2 1/2 bottle supply. I’m going to try a different brand and quanity. I’m looking at Piping Rock Red Krill Oil 1000 mg. Here is the ingredient list:
Supplement Facts
Serving Size:1 Quick Release Softgel
Servings Per Container:60
Amount
Per Serving% Daily
Value
(DV)
Calories 10
Calories from Fat 10
Total Fat 1g1%*
Krill Oil 1,000mg†
Phospholipid-Omega-3 Complex 105mg†
EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) 50mg†
DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) 30mg†
Omega-6 Fatty Acids 20mg†
Astaxanthin 1,000mcg†
Other Ingredients: Gelatin, Vegetable Glycerin, d-Alpha Tocopherol, Retinyl Palmitate.
Directions: For adults, take one (1) to two (2) quick release softgels daily, preferably with a meal.
I’m going to take two pills a day – one in the AM and one in the PM. Do you think that this is a good product? Is my suggested dosage OK or should I change it. Thanks for your help.
Richard
Hi Richard – between Schiff MegaRed and your new brand, I would definitely go with Schiff. MegaRed is an established and safe brand. I have no idea who Piping Rock is. This is not a close call.
4 pills a day is OK. If you want to notice benefits at your next blood test, I’d increase double it to 8 or 10 pills a day.
Thanks for your reply. I’m looking for a way to save some money while still getting all the benifits of Omega-3. Taking 8 to 10 Shiff Mega Red Extra Strength 500 mg pills a day would cost me a tremendious amount of money. Would a good Omega-3 Fish Oil be just as good as Krill Oil? Here is an ingredient list of one that I was looking at:
Supplement Facts
Serving Size:2 Quick Release Softgels
Servings Per Container:120
Amount
Per Serving% Daily
Value
(DV)
Omega 3 Fish Oil
Total Omega 3 Fatty Acids 720 mg
EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) 432 mg
DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) 288 mg
2400mg*
Other Ingredients: Gelatin, glycerin, purified water, natural lemon oil.
It seems to provide a lot more of the “good” components than Krill Oil with fewer pills per serving. I’m 69 years old living on Social Security, and have knee joint and lower back pain from OA. I’m just trying to save some money, but still get all the benifits that you speak of. What is your advice?
Thanks a lot,
Richard
Hi Richard – yes, you absolutely can get the benefits of Omega-3 from fish oil instead of krill oil. The fish oil you’ve chosen is the lowest potency oil you can buy. If this is in your budget, yes, go for it. But if you can afford something a little more potent, please see if that will work for you. Remember, calories are cheap, nutrition is not. Nutrition keeps you healthy, not calories. You pay for it one way or another. You don’t need to buy something as expensive as OmegaVia, but may be something inbetween your fish oil choice and OmegaVia in potency would be better.
Hi Vin,
Thanks for all your help. To make this thread complete and for the benifit of the other readers of this web site, as per our private communication, here is the better choice fish oil supplement that I’ve decided to take:
DrVita Super Omega-3 EPA & DHA 2000 mg molecularly distilled fish oil providing 1200 mg EPA/DHA omega-3 EFAs – 120 capsules. Price $9.27 plus free shipping.
Supplement Facts:
Serving Size: 2 Capsules
Servings per Container: 60
Amount Per Serving % Daily Value
Calories 20
Calories from Fat 18
Total Fat 2 g 3%**
Cholesterol 0 mg 0%
Monounsaturated Fat 440 mg *
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.24 g *
Purified Fish Oil (molecularly distilled) 2000 mg *
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) 720 mg *
DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) 480 mg *
As you can see, 2 capsules are roughly equilivant to just one OmegaVia capsule, totalling 1200 mg Omega-3 Fatty Acids.
I’ll be taking 4 capsules once each day to see if I can get relief from my OA knee joint and lower back pain. So one bottle will be a 30 day supply, and the price is just right for my low budget.
I hope this will help other readers. I’ll keep you posted as to my success with relief from the pain.
Thanks again for all of your helpful advice!
Hi again,
I think that I answered my own question. I did a Google search on Krill Oil and Fish Oil and found that ALL the sources say that Krill Oill is better. One source, Life Extension, said that adding Astaxanthin 4 mg to doses of Krill Oil can have added benifits. Do you agree? Now that I’ve convinced myself that krill oil is better than fish oil, how much krill oil should I take for OA symptoms? The minimum but still with benifits?
Richard
Hi again,
Do you know of a brand of Krill Oil that contains high amounts of EPA and DHA so that I wouldn’t have to take so many pills as you suggest for Shiff Mega Red Extra Strength? Mega Red Extra Strength 80 capsules costs $26.24 at costco.com which is the cheapest source. I’m so confused, I don’t know what to do. I’m looking to you for advice.
Thanks,
Richard
Hi Richard – krill by definition has very little Omega-3. If you find a special brand that has high levels, then I would guess that it is a blend of fish and krill oil. Since you have OA, my advice is to find a high-EPA fish oil.
Hi Richard – I don’t agree. I explain why here: http://www.omegavia.com/category/krill/ If you can get krill oil for free, then yes, take it as much as you want. Otherwise, fish oil is a much better value. If you must take krill oil, then take MegaRed. 8 to 10 per day. back off down to 4 or 5 pills per day and see if it helps. You’ll have to find the dose that works for your level of inflammation.
Hi Dr. Kutty,
Sorry for so many messages. I’ve searched the internet for the best krill oil supplement and found a product named NutraGold NKO Neptune Krill Oil Gold 1000 mg 60 capsules, serving size 1 capsule per day. Here is the information andthe ingredients:
Krill Oil Gold’s Benefits
NKO Neptune Krill Oil is the only krill oil on the market clinically proven to benefit cardiovascular, cognitive, joint and women’s health. Other krill oils cannot use the benefits associated with the studies as their compositions and extraction procedures are not the same. Moreover, not all krill oils on the market are 100% derived from krill. NKO is a superior Krill Oil with the highest levels of EPA, DHA and Astaxanthin.
Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 1 softgel
Servings per Container: 60
—————————
Ingredient — Amount per Softgel
NKO Neptune Krill Oil — 1,000 mg
Phospholipids — 460 mg
Total Omega 3 — 300 mg
EPA — 150 mg
DHA — 90 mg
Other Omega 3 — 60 mg
Omega 9 — 65 mg
Omega 6 — 12 mg
Astaxanthin — 1.25 mg
As you can see, the amounts of the key ingredients are more and greater than Schiff Mega Red Extra Strength 500 mg capsules two per dose. The cost is only $29.95 for a 60 capsule 2 month supply. That makes it more cost effective than Shiff Mega Red. Have you ever heard of this product? Do you think it would be a good choice for me. I’m looking for relief from OA knee joint a lower bak pain. I deeply appreciate your taking the time to read my messages.
Richard
Hi Richard – yes, this product is definitely a better value than Schiff MegaRed. NKO Krill is good quality, but sadly, NKO facility blew up in an explosion last year and I dont know if they are making more product…
Is the [krill oil] phospholipid-Omega-3 bond chemical or Van de Waal ?
And if it is the latter, would it be expected to re-form if broken by heat ?
Is omegavia oil an ethyl ester derivate ?
and do you consider purified [fish oil] oil superior because DHA/EPA competes against some other component, or because DHA competes against EPA, or..
Hi Junebug – a chemist in our midst, have we? Wow.
It’s not van der waals forces. It’s actual bonds. If you heat krill oil, you will break the bond and then you have something that’s equivalent to really weak fish oil with some phospholipids. That’s why krill oil is purified using solvents like acetone or nail-polish remover (NKO brand) or alcohol (Super brand.) Acetone is easier to evaporate (separate) off the krill solute but has an iffy safety profile. Hard to know level of solvent residue in commercialized product.
OmegaVia is an ethyl ester. More here: http://www.omegavia.com/ee-fish-oil-vs-tg-fish-oil/
I consider purified fish oil superior simply because it has a very high Omega-3 content. Omega-3 content is the #1 thing I look for in a fish oil.
I would like to take fish oil instead of krill oil. I have gained some knowledge about astaxanthin and phospholipids. What dosage would you recommend to take of astaxanthin and phospholipid supplements along with fish oil? I would like to take 3000-4000mg dosage of fish oil. Do I take these supplements the same time I take the fish oil ? Do I take all of these before or after a meal? Those Costco salmon burgers sound good but do I need to take astaxanthin and phospholipids supplements with them?
Hi Betty – astaxanthin is a good antioxidant, but is not necessary. I take it if I think I’m going to be outdoors in the sun, to provide myself an internal sunscreen. If you take it every day or in large doses, you skin can turn slightly orange. Phospholipids are great and necessary, but the best source is egg yolks. You can also take phosphatidylserine or phosphatidylcholine supplements if you wish. Taking these phospholipid supplements with fish oil will not increase the absorption of fish oil. If you do decide to take these supplements, it does not matter if you take it with fish oil or not. Just take all of this with meals – that’s a lot more important. If you’re eating Salmon burgers, you can skip all these supplements for that day, assuming they are wild salmon and not farmed.
Can you please give a list of brands of fish oil (other than OmegaVia) that contain at least 80% omega-3 and can qualify as pharmaceutical grade. THANKS
Hi Betty – here you go: http://www.omegavia.com/favorite-fish-oil-brands-part-2/
Now that I have a better understanding of how DHA/EPA works, and the problems it is supposed to solve, I can see things from Vin Kutty/OmegaVia’s perspective in the Krill versus fish oil question. At http://www.lef.org (who have considerable insight in the disease process), referring to “the raging inferno”, the inflammatory process that cause atherosclerosis, they (and others) emphasize that a minimum of 2400 mg of DHA+EPA daily is needed to make a difference, and that is at a relatively early stage of the disease. That is 2.4 gram of DHA+EPA, not 2.4 gram Krill or fish oil. One gram of Krill oil (2 capsules) gives 65 mg DHA and 140 mg EPA, so it takes some capsules and it gets expensive. I do believe Krill oil (fresh, cold processed, etc.) is superior, so I take as much as I can afford (1 gram DHA+EPA), but I top it up with fish oil.
When I say Krill oil is superior, it is mainly because I think the chance of getting oil that is not rancid is higher – some low cost fish oil brands/batches really are rancid at an early stage of production – but I also want to avoid taking D-alpha-Tocopherol alone. OmegaVia pass my quality requirements, as they use a natural mix of Tocopherols. It would be better if fish oil did not need refinement because it would be on triglyceride form, but that would mean much more oil and more burping since triglycerides do not blend with the water phase in the stomach. All things considered, I see the need for a product such as OmegaVia, and thanks to Vin Kutty for valuable information about Krill oil, which is little better than fish oil if not processed right.
Last I would like to say (..Carthaginem esse delendam), that every time you buy something made in China you support pollution of the environment, sea food (fish) in particular, because China rely heavily on coal for energy, and that creates a steady plume of mercury across the pacific ocean, which is transformed to methylated mercury and accumulated in the food chain.
Thank you, Junebug! Enjoyed your comment.
You mentioned several points and my responses: yes, LifeExtension is a wonderful organization to whom I subscribe. I buy a lot of my supplements from them. The 2.4 grams is a rather random number, but I agree with the sentiment and the recommendation. Glad that you are topping off krill oil with fish oil. Good plan. I don’t agree that chances of getting oil that is not rancid is higher with krill. That’s painting all fish (and krill oil!) with the same brush. Either can be stinky and horrid. It all depends on how the raw material is handled. One of my blogs talks about my opening a krill oil sample in the office and my getting temporarily evicted from the building as a result! Agree on China, but not just from an environmental perspective, but from a quality (from a whats-in-it-for-me) perspective as well.
This is a phenomenal comparative review and explanation of the krill oil vs fish oil debate. Folks ask me about this comparison all the time, and I point them to this blog.
Hello! Love this article!
I just started taking fish oil. I bought the following for $10: GNC Triple Strength Fish Oil with Krill–60 pills/two per serving.
EPA 647
DHA 253
NKO 300
I wish I would have read this article before my purchase. Would your recommendation be to switch to a better brand?
THANKS!!
Hi klagmo – GNC brand is fine. You get better bang for the buck if you go with their regular Triple Strength Fish Oil. The pills are big but you get a decent amount of Omega-3 for a good price. They have stronger, more potent and purer fish oils too but potency and purity costs a bit more.
Really appreciate your website Vin. Quick question: I’m early 40s and my crossfit coach recommended I take 4g of fish oil daily to help with soreness/stiffness in workout recovery (telling you this because I’m not focused on cholesterol issues at the moment — nor do I have arthritis, just muscle/joint stiffness after working out hard). Your cost-benefit commentary on fish vs krill is pretty clear. My issue is this: I’m a big baby about swallowing pills, and the krill pills (got MegaRed at Costco for $22 for 110 pills) are a lot smaller! Do you know of a pharma grade fish oil pill that is small? And, if so, is it just the omega-3s (adjusted for the 1.6x absorption factor) that I’m trying to compare? Or is it something else?
Thanks so much in advance!
– Tim
Hi Tim – we have a small, pharma grade product about to be released. Available on Amazon.com in about a week and on our website by mid September. But if not that, there is an Alaskan fish oil at Costco (blue label and clear bottle) that is far better krill oil. Skip the krill. 4 grams of fish oil a day is OK for a couple of weeks, but not long term. Crossfit folks have drunk the koolaid on fish oil – more is NOT BETTER. Same goes for exercise. Too much of a good thing. Since you’re not battling chronic illness, you should not need more than 2 grams per day plus a baby aspirin on days you work out.
I am totally confused now reading all these questions and answers. Fish oil and Krill, or fish with so much of this and that and then Krill with this and that?
I need a more definitive answer with the numbers please. How much fish oil, how much krill, how many Omega 3-9 and how much DHA and EPA?
Thanks.
Hi Randi – what is your health goal? The dosage will depend on that. See this page: http://www.omegavia.com/fish-oil-dosage/ Either way, if you do the math, you will find that getting the right amount of Omega-3 will involve too many pills or too many dollars if you choose Krill oil.
You do not need any additional Omega-6 and Omega-9 is a non-essential fat that’s found in olive oil.
Hi Vin,
Believe it or not, I just read every post on this website, whew! Some serious info on here! Thanks for putting in all the time to educate everyone.
I’m not sure if this website is still active for answering questions, but if it is, I was wondering if you had any thoughts on a couple of products I’m considering:
1. OmegaK by Jim Strong (has a strong marketing ploy with a great call to action, but that doesn’t mean their product is worth a hill a beans)
2. 100% Pure Cold Pressed Antarctic Krill Oil by Viva Labs at KrillOil.com which a client of mine is considering buying and well, to be honest, I’m a little confused myself about all the products out there, so I want to tell her something intelligent.
If you can, please let me know your thoughts on these products, and if you don’t recommend either of them, what in your opinion is the best product currently? Thanks in advance Vin
Hi Todd – I believe you and my mother are the only people who’ve read this entire blog. So welcome to the family.
I have no idea what Omega K is other than that it has krill oil in it. Couldn’t find a product label and the site or product has no transparency – if I cant see what’s in what I’m buying, then I’m not buying. Why would you consider it over several other krill oil products?
I like the Viva Labs product a lot more – much easier to find info on the product.
If you’ve read everything I’ve written on this site and are still considering krill oil, then I’ve failed. Guess I need to be clearer.
What’s my favorite products: see here – http://www.omegavia.com/favorite-fish-oil-brands-part-1/
Could you please comment on the OmegaK product? Thank you.
Hi Perry – got asked this question just a couple of days ago and this is what I had to say then:
“I have no idea what Omega K is other than that it has krill oil in it. Couldn’t find a product label and the site or product has no transparency – if I cant see what’s in what I’m buying, (or see the faces of people selling it to me!) then I’m not buying. Why would you consider it over several other (more established) krill oil products?”
My opinion has not changed since I posted that. But am curious about what draws you to that product. Is there something that I’ve missed?
NKO or AKER, who is a better suppliers of krill oil? They both provide the real krill oil, not made by fish oil?
Hi Eric – I prefer Aker’s Superba because of the solvent (alcohol) they use. NKO’s patent reveals that they use acetone and I’m not thrilled about acetone. Sadly, Acetone is also highly explosive and is what resulted in the explosion of their facility in Canada, resulting in some deaths. On the plus side, NKO has more science than Aker. Neither are made from fish – it’s the real thing.
Thanks. I think omega-3 in krill oil is 30% and its omega-3 content is less than the omega-3 concentration in some pharmaceutical grade fish oil. For Phospholipid in Krill oil, you means that it bonded with omega-3 and enhance the bioavailability and absorptivity. What other functions are with phospholipid.
Hi Eric – Omega-3 in krill oil is nowhere near 30%. Used to be 10-15%, but it is being concentrated to around 20% nowadays. If you want Omega-3, get pharmaceutical grade fish oil. If you want phospholipids, eat egg yolks. If you MUST have marine phospholipids, krill oil is a very good source. Yes, the phospholipids increase absorption. I’ll write a blog about the benefits of phospholipids someday, but it is too large a subject to get into here.
Hello, Vin,
Sorry I’m late to this party.
I reviewed Schiff MegaRed Omega-3 Krill Oil on Amazon and panned it. It contains NO Astaxanthin. I guess the amount is so small they can’t even measure it.
I also reviewed and panned Schiff MegaRed Extra Strength Omega-3 Krill Oil. It contains only 25 mcgs (that’s micrograms, not milligrams) of Astaxanthin. That is an abysmally small amount.
Both products were selling at Costco but it seems that Costco pulled the regular strength one and now only stocks the Extra Strength one, for $23.59, current price.
RWM
Hi RWM – in the good old days of krill oil (2011), it was marketed as being great for you because it had Astaxanthin an phospholipids. Dr Mercola went on the Oz show and said Astaxanthin was the greatest thing ever. This just worsened the stampede to buy MegaRed and Mercola krill oils. Most people still think krill oil has a lot of astaxanthin in it. It does not. It used to. Not any more. About 5 years ago, it was not uncommon for krill oil to have 3 or 4 mg of astaxanthin per pill. Then it became 200 or 300 micrograms (0.2 or 0.3 mg). There’s been a steady drop. Nothing has changed with krill itself, but the processing and reporting has changed somewhat. Mercola still claims 1 mg per SERVING. That’s 2 pills per serving. So 500 mcg.
Believe it or not, I am actually OK with getting 25 micrograms or less of astaxanthin per day. Why? Because unless you ate a lot of seaweed, astaxanthin has not been a part of human diet over the eons. There is no NEED for it, even though it is a very good antioxidant and makes a nifty internal sunscreen. I take it before I go on vacation to Hawaii. I am opposed to using regular sunscreen because of what it does to Vitamin D production in the skin.
What I am not OK with is marketing a product around a feature and then not offering a far reduced level of that feature after the market has embraced that product.
We bought a new car for my wife over the weekend. The finance guy figured out what I did for a living (credit check) and proudly told me that he took Mercola krill because it has ‘Asta…Axa…Axta…what’s that stuff?,’ he said. Astaxanthin! ‘Yeah that’s it!’ I didn’t have the heart or time to get into the details. No floor mats. No undercoating. No astaxanthin.
If you want MegaRed, Costco is still one of the best places to get it. MegaRed is one of the biggest supplement products in the world and it’s the #1 ‘Omega-3’ brand by a long shot. And will continue to remain so for a long time.
My thoughts on why krill oil is popular here: http://www.omegavia.com/brenda-watson-omega-3-and-vitamin-d/
Vin, are you saying that Schiff is intentionally processing Astaxanthin out of its krill oil? If so, why?
I currently take 12 mgs of Astaxanthin daily. If I were to rely upon krill oil for my Astaxanthin I could never get the amount of Astaxanthin I want or believe I need.
Yet, krill oil is promoted for its Phospholipids and Astaxanthin benefits, neither of which is contained in fish oil. Isn’t this misleading?
RWM
Hi RWM – no, that’s not what I’m saying. Aker Biomarine, the Norwegian company that supplies Schiff with krill oil, processes the oil. Their intent is not to remove the astaxanthin out of the oil. I’m sure they’d prefer to have it in there at higher concentrations. The reduced astaxanthin concentration is an unintended consequence of processing/purification from what I’ve been told.
Yes, it is a bit misleading. Read my detailed opinions below.
Don’t mean to get personal, but how’s your skin color? Are you starting to look a bit orangish? This can happen. I doubt there is any harm in taking 12 mg, but it’s probably more than you need. There is a dosage race within the astaxanthin market. Just a matter of time before someone launches a 15 mg pill and then everyone will be selling 15 mg.
Krill oil is a much better source of phospholipids than it is Omega-3 or astaxanthin. I’m perfectly OK with it being marketed as a marine phospholipid. But I have issues with it being marketed as a powerful antioxidant or a potent source of Omega-3. It is marketed as being better than fish oil because it has antioxidants – this is a bit misleading given our discussion. Yes, 25 mcg of astaxanthin is present and it’s absent in fish oil. So it’s not entirely false, but it is stretching the truth. The phospholipids certainly have benefits, but krill phospholipids have barely been studied. I prefer to get my phospholipids from egg yolks, a nutrient-dense food that contains so many nutrients that I consider it (and liver) my natural multivitamin.
It would be fair to market krill oil as a marine phospholipid. But consumers don’t recognize that word. They don’t feel like they need it or lack it. Nobody would buy a product marketed as such. So it’s a non-starter. But everybody recognizes Omega-3 and antioxidants. Virtually everybody hates fishy burbs and horse pills. And nobody wants to take handfuls of pills with each meal. That’s how krill’s (absolutely brilliant) marketing campaign was born: Just one pill a day. No fishy odor. Tiny pill.
As a krill oil marketer once admitted to me, ‘There is no fishy odor because there is no fish. It smells of krill, not fish, so our Legal approved the claim. Besides there is so little ‘stuff’ in a pill that there is nothing to burp up. Your body barely notices it.’ Enough said.
Having said all this and looking past all the gimmicks, I know krill oil works. If I got it for free, I’d take it. You’d require about half as much Omega-3 from krill as you would from fish to notice the same benefits. That’s pretty powerful! But that also makes it ridiculously expensive. I’ll guess that I need about 1500 mg of krill oil Omega-3 per day to equal what I get from 3000 mg of Omega-3 from OmegaVia. That’s 13 Extra Strength MegaRed pills a day at a cost of about $4 a day. I’d go thru a bottle every 5 or 6 days.
OMG. You’ve uncovered the reason John Boehner is always “tan”…he really taking mega-doses of astaxanthin! Bingo. Mystery solved. 🙂 And I thought he just loved carrots….
Thanks for the warning on not ODing on the asta. I wondered if there was an upper limit.
Do you heard a krill oil product named RIMFOREST. It is made by Olympic seafood company’s krill oil. Is it credible?
Hi Eric – yes, a new company. They are credible. Good product.
I checked out Rimfrost’s Sublime ™ krill oil. It is processed in a two-step ethanol process onboard ship. They claim that you can trace where your krill were caught with GPS. Interesting….check out their product life cycle at http://www.rimfrostkrill.com/value-chain. They also claim that they are only one of two companies that have their own boat to catch krill.
Who is the other company, Vin? Neptune?
Oh, and Rimfrost oil is likely already in Neptune branded products considering that in their lawsuit with Rimfrost, they secured a deal with Rimfrost to get krill oil from them for their Neptune products for three years (this was after the Neptune factory exploded a couple years ago, and they realized they needed a third-party supply chain as a safety.)
Hopefully, Neptune will feel obliged to inform consumers when they are including Rimfrost krill oil in their products….I wrote to Rimfrost to see where/what products here in the US contained Rimfrost Sublime oil….
Hi PJ – I don’t know who the other company is, my guess is Aker (Superba).
And I like ethanol as a solvent. But it requires more heat than acetone or isopropanol, so there could be some damage to the Omega-3-phospholipid bonds. Don’t know for sure, but just a theory. Before Neptune applied (purchased) their acetone extraction patent, I am certain that the IP developers tried extracting with ethanol, but probably chose acetone instead to keep the extraction process at lower temps.
When I take the omega-3 capsules, indeed, i do not know how to make me healthier with omega-3. The Capre(KRILL OIL) said that they can also reduce the LDL-C, but fish oil can not reduce LDL-C. Krill oil is better?
Hi Eric – Capre claims to be able to reduce LDL-C. Not sure how much. It is still in pre-approval clinical trial stage. We need more data. Even if it does, the cost/benefit does not add up.
Hi Vin,
I am planning to consume Blackmores Omega Cardiwell that contains EPA 420mg & DHA 210mg. I don’t have any health issue. Is 1 capsule a day enough for me?
Hi Asmizan – if that level of EPA and DHA is for 1 pill, then, yes that’s good enough.
Hi Vin, again.
Today i read an article by Dr. Mercola ‘Could This Be Nature’s Near-Perfect Blood Sugar Regulator?’ at mercola.com and found some quite misleading sentences in my opinion.
“So, krill will help lower your triglyceride and cholesterol levels and increase your energy production, whereas fish oil does NEITHER and in fact may even raise your cholesterol level, according to the latest research.”
“Some studies have shown that krill oil may be 48 times more potent than fish oil. This means you need far less of it than fish oil, as confirmed by a 2011 study published in the journal Lipids”
Can you read & check all the facts in that article and give your opinion about it?
Hi Asmizan – I’d rather not fact-check everyone who has written outrageous things about Omega-3. I wouldn’t get much else done! This is the downside of educating yourself with the internet.
I read through this entire thread, and keep seeing different brands of fish oils recommended. Why is it that I am not seeing OmegaVia compared much to all the others that are being touted (i.e. Richard and DrVita SuperOmega)?
I have a few other questions as well. My daughter has Prader-Willi Syndrome, Autism and a few other additional diagnoses. She’s in two research studies. Long story short, there is a theory that PWS patients have brains that are literally starving to death because they can’t process carbs well enough and so instead need to be on a MAD or ketogenic diet. It seems that when they are in ketosis, the hunger becomes manageable and cognition and positive behavior goes up. Through anecdotal stories, I’m hearing that ketosis is occuring in PWS children much easier through modified dietary changes that are closer to the MAD diet.
It seems that Omega 3s will help PWS tremendously, along with B vitamins and iron to help improve speech (for the Speech Apraxia) and neuro-functioning. What dosage and what brand of fish oil would you recommend for a 4 yr old 38# female with PWS; and for a 48# 7 yr old female with ADD? Would you recommend any other supplements for either of them in addition to the fish oil, and if so, what kind and how much? It needs to be as pure as possible, esp. for the 4 yr old. It’s not just a matter of feeling better, it’s a matter of increased cognitive functioning, brain growth and future quality of life. Please feel free to email me personally if you feel that is a better way to communicate this information. Thank you in advance for your time in answering these questions.
Hi Laurie – this blog’s purpose is to discuss Omega-3. Sometimes, I will happily recommend other brands (other than OmegaVia) if that’s the right call to make. OmegaVia is not for everyone.
It is an old wives tale that the brain needs (or must have) carbs to survive. If this were true, Greenlanders and all the arctic people who survive several months on whale and seal blubber would all be dead. I’ve been in ketosis for weeks and I’m still here (much to some people’s disappointment :-)). There are essential proteins and essential fats. But there are no essential carbs. Keep that in mind. One downside of a very low carb diet is that gut bacteria suffer – there is not much for them to eat, if all you’re eating is fat and protein. If the child has been on antibiotics, this gets worse.
I’m not sure I want to recommend ANY brand of Omega-3 for a 4-year old with these issues. I’d much rather you feed the child a healthy diet that includes wild fish (salmon etc.), liver from grass-fed lamb/cow/bison and egg yolks from pastured chicken. Stay the heck away from gluten! Same for the 7 year old. I normally send parents to Nordic Naturals and Barleans, but in your case, I truly feel that diet is the right tool. Not supplements.
My big reason for takem megared is the size. I can’t swallow big pills. Is there a krill oil out there with the recommended dosage of Omega 3 that is small or am i stuck taking 3 megareds a day?
Hi David – don’t let size be a factor. There are dozens of high Omega-3 fish oil pills that are small. We just introduced one: http://www.amazon.com/OmegaVia-Pharmaceutical-EPA-Only-Burp-Free-Mini-Gels/dp/B00D37S0HC/ This has about 5-times as much Omega-3 as a regular MegaRed pill at less than half the price.
Krill oil by definition is low in Omega-3. If it has high Omega-3, then someone blended in fish oil. That’s adulteration. You’re doing better than most people by taking 3 MegaReds but you’d be in better health if you took a few more.
I was doing a search of krill oil vs fish oil and found your site. After an hour of reading I reached the bottom of all the comments and my brain is swirling with information. Talk about a crash course in fish oil! I am a long time vegan getting worried my diet is lacking when it comes to brain health. I take Flora brand DHA (algae source) 4 capsules a day. When I can stomach the taste I take Oceans Alive Marine Phtyplankton, one dropper.
Am I doing enough or would it be more beneficial for me to start adding a fish oil supplement to my diet? I’m not crazy about the idea but willing.
I appreciate the vast amount of information provided. I especially appreciate the facts provided about krill and the hype and cost of it vs fish oil.
Hi Annemarie – you’re fine with the algae DHA. No need to change. If you want, you may want to look at some algae based products that also have some EPA. No need to switch to fish oil.
However, please make sure you are getting enough Vitamin B12. Vegans are invariable short on Omega-3 and B12. If you are a vegan for ethical and moral reasons, then I commend you. If, however, you are a vegan for nutritional reasons, I’m afraid I have bad news for you. Vegetables, fruits, nuts, olive oil, coconut oil etc should be the biggest part of everyone’s diet. But there is nothing amiss with a vegan diet that a few egg yolks (and liver) can’t fix – hope I’m not offending you.
Hi and thanks for your reply. No offense taken at all. In fact I appreciate your comments and suggestions.
B12 levels are good. I get a B12 shot monthly.
Just today I got back the results of recent blood tests and everything was fine except my hs-CRP level is 3.6, in the high risk group. I’m totally baffled. A year ago it was 0.2 and my diet hasn’t changed except I’m eating more plant fats. It seems fish oil capsules are beneficial to bring the CRP number down. So I will be adding fish oil capsules to the supplements I take daily. Suggestions as to dose would be appreciated.
thanks
Hi Annemarie – glad you’re on top of your B12 needs.
You’ll need to get with an integrative/functional med doctor to get to the root of the sudden and dramatic increase in inflammation. Not a good thing. Lots of things can cause this. Fixing the diet helps and should be your first step. Veggie fats…the only one I truly trust to be harmless is coconut oil due to its extremely low Omega-6 content. Even olive oil has about 10-12% Omega-6. Same for avocado and macadamia oil. All other veggie oils are guilty.
Omega-3 can help. Try 1000 mg per day, and if you are fine with that, increase to 2000 mg with a strict watch on Omega-6 from veggie oils and nuts.
hey man,
I sent you an email about this as well but I’ll put this here just in case you don’t see it or are slow to reply, if this is quickest way to get a reply:
I take nutrigold triple str. fish oil now. I take 3 grams a day for cardio health basically. it’s ifos 5 star tested and all that junk. that’s why I bought it, b/c I know it’s supposed to be high quality stuff.
they also make a triglyceride form, with lower omega 3 in them obviously.
is it really better to switch to trig. form? it’s gonna be a bit more costly obviously, and the potency isn’t the same, but a lot of people/companies say it’s better for you (Styrofoam cup test., bioavailability, etc)
can you give me your HONEST opinion about what you really think about this?
ALSO – I’ve read that taking fish oil can actually be bad for you in the long run (quick google search will yield results about what I’m talking about). is that true? or have you heard anything about that? studies were done I guess about prostate health in the long run. that sort of thing, so I’m concerned obviously even though I’m only in my 20’s.
I smoke so I’m trying to increase circulation, so that’s why I started taking fish oil again. Do you think fish oil is the best option for that kind of need, or would you recommend a different supplement for what I’m looking for (cardio health, circulation, etc.).
thanks,
– R
Hi R – there are a lot of arguments about this subject on the internet, where everyone has strong opinions and believes they are correct.
As a response, we published this blog that will answer all your questions: http://www.omegavia.com/fish-oil-ethyl-ester-vs-triglyceride-revisited/
I certainly think you could benefit from Omega-3. But you will have to read the above link to make up your mind about which one is right for you.
I am a woman in my late 40s and my Doctor has recommended that i take 4 1000 mg fish oil tablets a day to improve my HDL (curren level 43). My triglycerides are under control and i need no help with that. I have been taking these for close to 4 years but the progress is rather slow ( i started at 37).
I was not aware that I should be checking the omega 3 content until i read this blog. I checked the bottle i have and it looks like the brand i am using has 300 mg of fish oil per capsule (of which i take 4). The brand name is Spring Valley). Is the slow rate of progress due to the brand name and low potency? I am sensitive to price but if you can recommend a value for money brand with higher potency i would be willing to pay a little more to get the benefits i need.
( i checked my trilycerides to HDL ratio as you suggested and it is under 3 but my -Doctor says it needs to be at t0 for a woman. Obviously i am not going to undermine my Docor’s recommendation but is there any relevant research that i should discuss with him about my HDL being acceptable given my ratio?
Thanks in anticipation.
Hi Gauravi – fish oil and Omega-3 does not affect HDL. Not sure why your doctor thinks so.
Increasing exercise and the saturated fat content in your diet will increase HDL but people are not happy about doing either. Don’t take Spring Valley. Take any other brand but that! Here is a lower priced fish oil product that our company sells: http://www.amazon.com/Strength-InnovixLabs-Concentrated-Burp-Free-Capsules/dp/B00FM9KNSI/
Hi – expecting Omega-3 to increase HDL because it reduces triglycerides and that these two markers are ‘inversely proportional’ is deeply flawed thinking. That’s just not how it works. Granted, most people with high TG have low HDL and vice versa. But this is not necessarily always the case. Let’s put aside genetic causes…high TG is almost always a proxy for high sugar and carbohydrate consumption. Fixing that in the diet fixes the problem. Low HDL usually means inactivity and reduced healthy fat consumption…at least that’s the lifestyle fix. If you use diet changes to lower TG, then you will notice an increase in HDL. But if you use Omega-3 to lower TG, you may not. This could be why every study with fish oil shows only a very slight increase in HDL, if that.
HDL is a stubborn marker. Typically it moves only when you do.
You are making some of the classic incorrect assumptions about paleo diets of hunter gatherers, that they all died at 30. Sure, lions ate them. They had no medical care, so a scratch can become a fatal infection. Violence and tribalism got the rest. But if they survived these, they did not get any of the modern chronic diseases – diabetes, arthritis, blood pressure etc. The few untouched hunter gatherer societies from the last century and the couple that are still left today prove this. Paleo and Ornish diet may seem at odds at first, but dont dismiss any diet that tells you to avoid sugar, refined flour and vegetable seed oils. Both Ornish and Paleo diets say these things. So do most of the other successful diets like Zone or South Beach. A strict Ornish diet is far better than the standard american diet, but any diet that naturally absent in Vitamin b12 and DHA Omega-3 (where you need supplementation) is biologically flawed.
About avoiding coconut oil and ghee – you were misled. Pure and simple. 🙂
Thank you for your promt answers which are absolutely on point as far as the questions i asked. So a couple of follow up questions,
Both Ornish and the Paleo diet say stay awat from refined flour, veg oils and sugars. So i get that. But then there are significant difference from there on.
Per Ornish poly unsaturated fats and mono unsaturated fats are the good fats and saturated not so much. Per Paleo and your own recommendations saturated fats like coconut oil and ghee are the good fats.
Further i read a broef description of Paleo and it looks like it more or less bars all the proteins i would typically consume as a vegetarian. (yes i do consume fish oil tablets for its health benefits but i see it as a medicine. I do not eat fish). So then according to you is there a way to make a lifestle change that would allow me to stay at ahealthy weight throughout mylife? I have been sedentary but can certainly commit to modest aerobic routines 4-5 times a week. I have lost 30-35 pounds atleast 3 times in the last 8 years and weigh more than ever. I can give up added sugar, fried food and wheat flour that your oriinal email recommended but both Ornish and Paleo ask me to do much more and in opposite directions. Atkins is nit even a possibility because even the proteins have some carbs when they are from vegetarian sources so i simply cannot meet those numbers. Giving up vegetarianism is more than a lifestyle issue. It is more of my faith, as you probably understandbut any other changes is something i am prepared to commit to).
Also there seems to be some agreement as o what are bad carbs (siple carbs) but zero agreement on what are bad fats. Why is that?
Hi Gauravi – if you are a vegetarian for religious or ethical reasons, then make sure you eat vegetables and starchy roots and tubers instead of grains. I would encourage you to consider including eggs in your diet if you’re OK with it. If you eat fish oil supplements and eggs, and you get your starches from vegetables and roots instead of grains, get your proteins from lentils, beans and some yogurt…and you will be far healthier than 99% of people.
Don’t focus on weight. Focus on health and the weight will take care of itself.
Forget about the details of Ornish or Paleo. You have to glean from those diets what you can to adapt to YOUR NEEDS. What works for other may not work for you. Start with what Paleo and Ornish agree on – elimination of sugar, grains and refined vegetable oils. If you’re afraid of coconut oil and ghee, fine, then stick with olive oil.
It will take a book to explain why experts cant agree on good fats vs bad fats. At least, all experts agree on olive oil.
Thank you for listening to my questions with an open mind and redponding with such clarity and insight.
I imagine that i would be comfortable eating an unfertilised egg. Anyway you suggested yoghurt, lentins, beans a d eggs as protein sources. Is there a reason you singled out yoghurt instead of a more generic fat free dairy source? What about soya milk? Also when you say sugar should be avoided, would i be correct to interpret it as being against added sugar or are you suggesting naturally occuring sugar in fruit and dairy?
Are sll grains problematic or pnly wheat, rice and corn? I was thinking of bajri, rajgira etc ?
I would not be bothering you with such petty questions but so much of gge ingormation in public domain is internally inconsistent that one does not know what to believe.
Virtually all eggs sold are unfertilized. Chickens will lay eggs on a schedule even if there are no roosters around. So take advantage of that – the protein from eggs are FAR SUPERIOR to anything from vegetables. The only reason I eat dairy is for the fat – butter, ghee, heavy cream and occasionally full-fat homemade yogurt. Once you remove the fat from milk, there is nothing in it that interests me. The fat in it will increase satiety and reduce craving for snack and the when you remove the fats, you will likely remove Vitamins A and K2 that you desperately need if you’re a vegetarian. Low-fat dairy is a very bad idea. Soy milk is worse. This is not the forum to get into that. Sugar from all sources, except may be a serving of fruit or two per day is fine. Yes, sugar from dairy should be reduced as well. Re grains, some people tolerate white rice and I eat it occasionally when I travel or at restaurants, but everything else is on my list of things to avoid. Wheat is all the way at the top of the list.
Hi Vin,
May I know where can I get Omegavia products in Singapore. I can’t find a shop which carries this product. Also I notice only GNC & Blackmore brands carry good Krill Oil Supplements also they are expensive, any other brands carry good Krill Oil in Singapore?
Thank you.
Hi Nair – you can get OmegaVia from 1st Nutrition in Singapore. Email: adrian@1stnutrition.com
If I were you, I’d pass on krill oil and focus on getting Omega-3 from concentrated fish oil. Krill has very little Omega-3.
Hi Vin
Thank you for the prompt response. By the way which fish oil from omega via you recommend.
Also How is blackmores eco krill oil. They are msc certified and below are the detials.
Euphausia superba (Krill crustacean oil) 1000 mg
Equivalent phosphatidylcholine 300 mg
Equivalent eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) 140 mg
Equivalent docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) 65 mg
I am not sure whether they are GRAS certified and the product is good quality.
Hi nair – in my opinion, the only reason to take krill oil is the phosphatidylcholine…but you can get all the phospholipids you need from eating eggs. So why bother? Eat seafood or take a fish oil supplement and eat an egg every now and then.
Regular OmegaVia is an all-purpose product. EPA 500 is ideally suited for depression, inflammation etc. More here: http://www.omegavia.com/products/
Hi Vin
Re phosphatidylcholine, you are way off track. The biggest advantage with krill oil is that 59% of the molecules in krill oil have an Omega 3 as one of the two tails of the phospholipids, and a further 10% have Omega 3 on both tails. When a phosphatidylcholine molecule crosses the cell boundary it is carrying a much more useful load than the PL from egg which is dragging across a saturated fat. You have 32 plus trillion cells in your body and many thousands die every hour, why not replenish them with Omega 3 phospholipids.
Do a Google on Liposome images you and will see the hydrophobic tails holding hands in the outer shell of the structure. Cells are virtually identical in regard to that outer shell, just a lot more going on with transport across the boundary.
HI Joe Cave – I don’t disagree with any of the facts that you’ve stated. That’s the thing about facts…you can’t disagree with them. It’s great that krill PL are bound to Omega-3. It’s damn near perfect. But my point remains: get your phospholipids from eggs and your Omega-3 from fish. You get more of both that way and it makes a heck of a lot more financial sense. There is no downside to what I’m proposing, after all, saturated-fat-phobia belongs in the 1990s, now that we know better.
Hello,
I am trying to find out how much Hylaronic Acid is in Mega Red for some joint pain I have. But can’t find out, do you know? Hylaronic Acid is the only thing I have found that helps with a super bad toe joint problem I have had for about 20 years.
Hi Carl – as you can see from this page, they do not disclose the amount of Hyaluronic Acid in their proprietary formula. http://www.schiffmegared.com/shop-products/megared-joint-care/megared-joint-care-30-count
My suggestion is to buy a Hyaluronic Acid supplement separately or one that declares exactly how much is in there. Like this: http://www.amazon.com/Doctors-Best-Hyaluronic-Chondroitin-Capsules/dp/B003C5F8FW
HI Vin, Just need some advice, l have started taking Cleanmarine Omega 3 Krill oil for women & im 2 weeks into them, but they make me feel strange & confused, don’t get me wrong my skin, hair & nails are great but don’t like the other side effects im getting, is there another krill oil you could recommend, This is the contents of the ones l have:
Phospholipids (Omega 3 rich) 316mg
Omega 3 156mg
EPA 84mg
DHA 39mg
Omega 6 18mg
Omega 9 72mg
Vitamin D3 200% of RDA
Vitamin B1 2.8mg 255% RDA
Vitamin B2 3.2mg 229% RDA
Vitamin B6 4mg 200% RDA
It would be great if u could recommend a krill oil that doesn’t have theses side effects l would be really happy with that, thank you, look forward to hearing from you.
Hi Heather – I am not a fan of krill oil. Besides, I don’t know what brands are available where you are. My suggestion is to take a concentrated fish oil that gives you about 1000 mg of Omega-3 per pill and then, perhaps, add a multivitamin on top.
Vin, Can’t I simply eat an 8 oz (farmed) baked salmon fillet once a week to get the Omega-3 I need at 65? Fish oil and krill oil concern me as I have GERD and I’m talking about more than just belching!
Hi David – you will get a fair amount of Omega-3 from salmon, both farmed and wild. Farmed salmon have less Omega-3 than the wild ones but not by much. The issue with one 8 oz filet is that it may not be enough to suppress inflammation. The other issue with farmed salmon is that they are high in Omega-6 fats, which have a countering effect to the anti-inflammatory Omega-3. So if I were you, I’d eat it twice or three times a week to get adequate Omega-3, but you still have to contend with the high Omega-6 levels of farmed fish.
Hi Vin,
We have a close friend who is 72 who has cardiomyopathy and whose doctor prescribed large doses of krill and sardine/anchovy oil. She wants to know which one she should take or both?
Hi David – go with sardine/anchovy oil. I have written extensively about why I feel that way.
Any world if they are testing for BMAA yet? I won’t be touching any Krill supplements until they do.
Hi Ozbloke36 – few or none of the krill oil companies are publicly talking about this in the US. Krill oil sales have plummeted in the US in the last couple of years. Sales are still brisk in places like Australia and NZ where krill oil was hyper-marketed.
Hello,
I read sometimes ago that fish oil can increase the risk for prostate cancer? what is your opinion regarding this?Can a man use large doses of fish oil to lower the triglycerides? or should use lower doses? How may pills of omegavia per day help lowering the triglycerides? thank you
Hi Grenn – the prostate issue has already been addressed and put to bed. But, as they say, it’s hard to keep a good myth down. Everything you may want to know about it is here: https://omegavia.com/how-omega-3-can-improve-prostate-health/
Lowering triglycerides is best done with the combination of a low-sugar and low-carbohydrate diet, intense exercise, and high-dose Omega-3. Higher doses of Omega-3 are more effective, but please note that high triglycerides are not a result of Omega-3 deficiency. High triglycerides are the result of excess carbohydrates/sugar in the diet – a little bit of the sugar is stored in muscles as glycogen, but muscles can only store a small amount of carbs. The bulk of the excess sugar/carbs is converted to triglycerides (fats). The body can store an unlimited amount of fat, so that’s what it does.
The only way out is to reduce carbs, daily exercise, and between 3000 and 4000 mg of Omega-3 per day (3 to 4 pills per day.)