What Is Krill Oil and Why Is It Beneficial?

Many of you may be subscribers to Dr Mercola’s newsletter at http://www.mercola.com/ . If not, consider it an invitation as Dr Mercola is a good source to educate yourself on many topics when it comes to health.

I was asked yesterday if I take fish oil and why not. Generally knowing many of our water sources are contaminated with environmental pollutions which means our fish are literally “toxic”, I typically choose to clear fish off my personal menu. What I do supplement with instead is krill oil for a bountiful supply of omega 3.

I have pulled some information from Dr Mercola’s website here to give you the “ quick and dirty” on what exactly krill is and it benefits. Knowledge is power so here is his angle and education on krill.

Krill oil is made from krill, a small, shrimp-like crustacean that inhabits the cold ocean areas of the world. Despite their small size, krill make up the largest animal biomass on the planet. There are approximately 500 million tons of krill roaming around in northern seas.

Krill oil, like fish oil, contains omega-3 fats such as eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA). However, in fish oil, these omega-3 fats are found in the triglyceride form. In krill oil, they are found in a double chain phospholipid structure. The fats in human cell walls are in the phospholipid form. The phospholipid structure of the EPA and DHA in krill oil makes them much more absorbable.

Krill oil also contains vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin D and canthaxanthin, which is a potent anti-oxidant. The anti-oxidant potency of krill oil is, in terms of ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorptance Capacity) values, 48 times more potent than fish oil. The astaxanthin found in krill oil provides also excellent protection against ultraviolet light and UV-induced skin damage.

Dr Mercola is not a major fan of too many supplements as he believes your best source for optimal nutrition is through whole foods and I AGREE! Krill oil, however, is one of his exceptions as most Americans consume far too few omega-3 fats, and way too many omega-6s.
Your ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats is 1:1. Today, however, most people’s ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 averages from 20:1 to a staggering 50:1. Those kinds of ratios spell serious danger to your health. So serious, in fact, that even the mainstream health media now reports that lack of omega-3 is one of the most serious health issues plaguing contemporary society.

As far as supplements are concerned, two of the best yet simple ways to improve your overall health include:

1.Increasing your intake of antioxidants
2.Increasing your intake of omega-3 oils

And krill oil accomplishes both of those missions. Dr Mercola used to recommend that you take fish oil to enhance your intake of omega-3 fats. And high-quality fish oils are certainly great products with many important health benefits. However, fish oil is weak in antioxidant content, whereas krill oil contains potent antioxidants. In a perfect world, you would be able to get all the omega-3s you need by eating fish. Unfortunately, the vast majority of our fish supply is now so heavily contaminated with industrial pollutants and toxins like mercury, PCBs, heavy metals and radioactive poisons that I just can’t recommend it any longer. Even the slow-to-react FDA and EPA have put out health advisories warning against certain fish and shellfish consumption for young children, women who are pregnant or may become pregnant, and nursing mothers.

Dr Mercola believes krill oil is the perfect substitute for fish consumption as krill is not plagued with the problem of heavy contamination. Being on the bottom of the food chain, krill simply do not have enough time to accumulate dangerous levels of toxins like other marine sources.

Krill has been shown to be beneficial for a really wide range of health issues, including:

Support for concentration, memory and learning
Blood sugar health
Healthy joints, with an increase in joint comfort
Fighting signs of aging
Protection for cell membranes
Cholesterol and other blood lipid health
Healthy liver function
Relief of normal PMS symptoms
Bolstering your immune system
Healthy mood support
Optimal skin health

Krill Oil is a Potent Treatment for Inflammation and Arthritis Symptoms. Several studies have been published on the remarkable effectiveness of krill oil, including a 2007 study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition which evaluated the effect of Neptune Krill Oil (NKO) on patients with chronic inflammation and arthritis. After just 7 days of treatment, krill oil reduced inflammation by more than 19 percent, while the placebo group had an increase of inflammatory C-reactive protein of nearly 16 percent! It also significantly reduced pain scores, reduced stiffness and reduced functional impairment. After 14 days of treatment, krill oil further decreased inflammation by almost 30 percent, while the inflammation levels of the placebo group increased more than 32 percent.

The study concluded that krill oil at a daily dose of 300 mg significantly inhibits inflammation and reduces arthritic symptoms in as little as 7 to 14 days!

YOU CAN ORDER KRILL OIL AT www.mercola.com