Krill Oil for Cholesterol and Triglyceride Managment

Omega 3 fatty acids, traditionally from foods (mainly oily fish) or fish oils, are known to be effective in reducing total and LDL (the ‘bad’ cholesterol) and reducing blood triglycerides (‘fat in the blood’).  Krill oil was also found to be very effective for lowering cholesterol - according to a scientific study published in the 2004 issue of Alternative Medicine Reviews.

Blood Lipids

There are four main tests for blood lipids - total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides. High levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides are harmful and are associated with heart disease - the higher these values, the higher the risk. On the other hand, HDL cholesterol is known as the ‘good’ cholesterol because the higher the levels of HDL, the lower the risk of heart disease - i.e. it protects against heart disease.

Krill Oil

Krill oil is obtained from krill, a crustacean rich in the long-chain omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. In krill oil, these fatty acids are bound to phospholipids, which make these fatty acids theoretically more bioavailable than those found in conventional fish oils. In addition, this oil contains astaxanthin and vitamins A and E - powerful antioxidants that carry health benefits of their own and prolong the shelf life of this supplement.

 

 

 

Krill Oil & Cholesterol Study

The study was 12 weeks in duration and was a double-blind, randomized trial. The subjects were 120 persons between 18 to 85 years old - all diagnosed with mild to very high blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The subjects were randomized into 4 groups:

-Group A: these received krill oil at 2 to 3 g once daily
-Group B: these received krill oil at 1 to 1.5 g once daily
-Group C: these received fish oil at 3 g daily
-Group D: these received a neutral placebo (3 g daily)

The subjects did not known which supplement they were getting (they did not known which group they were in).

Lowers Total Cholesterol

After 12 weeks, it was found that the subjects receiving the low dose of krill oil (1 to 1.5 g daily) exhibited over 13 % reduction of their total cholesterol levels. Those taking the higher dose of krill oil (2 to 3 g daily) exhibited an even higher decrease in total cholesterol levels: 18 %.

In comparison, the subjects taking the fish oil only exhibited a reduction of 5.9 % of their total cholesterol levels. The subjects taking a placebo recorded a worsening of their cholesterol levels - after 12 weeks these were up by 9 %.

Lowers LDL Cholesterol

An analogous effect was observed for LDL levels, with krill oil being more effective than fish oil at reducing this lipid. In fact krill oil at 1 g a day achieved a reduction of 32 % in LDL levels and at 3 g a day a total reduction of 39 % was achieved. On the other hand the group taking fish oil only exhibited a reduction in LDL levels of 4.6%. The placebo group did not exhibit any improvement in LDL cholesterol.

Increased HDL

With regards to HDL cholesterol (the ‘good’ cholesterol), krill oil significantly increased this beneficial lipid: 1 g krill oil daily resulted in a 44 % increase while 3 g krill oil daily resulted in a spectacular increase of 59 %. On the other hand, fish oil at 3 g daily resulted in only a very minor increase - 4.2 %. No change was observed in the placebo group.

Lowers Triglycerides

Again, krill oil was more effective than fish oil in reducing triglycerides - 3 g of krill oil reduced triglycerides by 27 % while 3 g fish oil reduced triglycerides by only 3.2 %.

Conclusion

This clinical trial exhibited that krill oil at 1 to 3 g daily is very effective, and much more effective, at cholesterol and triglyceride levels management than fish oil. Krill supplements are therefore very effective at preventing heart disease.