Krill oil has potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that enable it to effectively address a variety of health issues.
People use krill oil supplements to address everything from arthritis pain and stiffness to anxiety, cognitive health, PMS symptoms and more.
Best of all krill oil is natural and safe and is available without a prescription. Below we present the 20 most important krill oil benefits.
20 Benefits Of Krill Oil
If you are looking for a powerful antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties krill oil is an outstanding choice. Here are 20 of the most important benefits of krill oil as determined by our panel of experts.
1: Krill oil can reduce inflammation.
Inflammation (1) is a natural part of our body’s immune system response. But it can also be a significant source of pain. In the case of rheumatoid arthritis (2), the immune system malfunctions and begins attacking healthy tissues in the joints. This produces painful inflammation that exacerbates an already painful condition. Krill oil is known for its robust anti-inflammatory properties.
2: Krill oil is good for your heart.
Krill oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Fatty anything might not sound great. But omega-3 fatty acids help reduce LDL, or ‘bad’, cholesterol levels. At the same time, they can enhance HDL or ‘good, cholesterol levels. Both of those results are good for your heart. Krill oil also lowers triglyceride (3) levels in the blood. This is beneficial to your heart both in the short and the long term.
3: Krill oil is good for your immune system.
Most people are unaware that many common health problems can trace their roots to free radicals (4). Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules that course through the body bleeding healthy cells of electrons. This causes those formerly healthy cells to die. And this cell death compromises your immune system. Krill oil fights the action of free radicals.
4: Krill oil has brain benefits.
Cognitive decline is a major concern for older individuals. Fortunately, there is clinical evidence that taking a supplement like krill oil (which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids) can play a role in fending off cognitive decline (5). It cannot reverse dementia once the process has begun. But, in some people, it seems to prevent cognitive decline from occurring in the first place.
5: Krill oil has potent antioxidant qualities.
Above, we mentioned that krill oil can fight the effects of free radicals. It can do that because it is rich in antioxidants (6)(7). Antioxidants are the natural enemy of free radicals. In fact, they are the only weapon the body has to fight the scourge of free radicals. Antioxidants keep your immune system healthy and help prevent heart disease and other conditions. Krill oil is rich in antioxidants.
6: Krill oil is good for your skin.
The same antioxidants that are so good for your heart and immune system also protect your skin from free-radicals. Free radicals are a major cause of skin problems, including skin cancer (8). They can be created by internal or external forces, including bacteria, exposure to UV rays, and air pollution. Antioxidants protect your skin from free radicals regardless of how they are created (9).
7: Krill oil may relieve depression.
Research indicates that omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA play an important role in the process of neurotransmissions in the brain (10). That, in turn, is believed to have a beneficial effect on mood and to relieve depression and reduce overall feelings of anxiety. That is not to say that krill oil is a cure for depression. But it does have quantifiable therapeutic benefits that can help.
8: Krill oil is rich in DHA and EPA.
DHA and EPA (11) are those omega-3 fatty acids we keep mentioning. DHA or docosahexaenoic acid, and EPA or eicosapentaenoic acid, can only be found in seafood. DHA is crucial to the development and maintenance of cell membranes. While both DHA and EPA play an important role in preventing and treating a host of diseases, maintaining brain function and reducing inflammation.
9: Krill oil may help relieve PMS symptoms.
Premenstrual syndrome (12) is a complex combination of symptoms brought about by hormonal changes in a woman’s body during her menstrual cycle. One of its most odious characteristics is intense pain and cramping. It is now believed that inflammation may play a central role in generating much of this pain (13). Because krill oil can reduce inflammation, it can likely help reduce PMS pain.
10: Krill oil improves metabolic activity.
Metabolic activity is the process of turning the food you eat into energy and mass (14). Metabolic activity is present every second of every day in every one of our lives. It shapes who we are and what we can and cannot do. Krill oil contains EPA and DHA fatty acids that play a key role in enhancing metabolic activity. The more efficient your metabolism, the better off you are both physically and mentally.
11: Krill oil can reduce high cholesterol.
Not too long ago, all cholesterol was thought to be dangerous. We now know that is not true and that there are two kinds of cholesterol; LDL and HDL (15). LDL retains the title of ‘bad’ cholesterol. While HDL is now considered beneficial because it rounds up bad cholesterol and moves it to the liver for disposal. No one is quite sure how it does it, but krill oil can reduce the amount of LDL cholesterol.
12: Krill oil can reduce the risk of heart disease for people with diabetes.
Although the research is limited, there is reason to think that krill oil supplementation can reduce the risk of someone with diabetes developing heart disease (16). This is not the same as saying krill oil can prevent diabetes because there is no evidence that it can do that. In fact, it may represent a danger to diabetics. If you are diabetic, talk to your doctor before taking krill oil.
13: Krill oil is very pure.
Krill are tiny, short-lived crustaceans harvested from the oceans around Antarctica. Those are some of the cleanest waters on earth. As such, krill are typically free of dangerous manmade pollutants like mercury, which are oftentimes found in the most popular types of fish harvested from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans (17). The same fish that often wind up in fish oil supplements.
14: Krill oil is more easily absorbed by the body than fish oil.
The mechanism by which the body absorbs omega-3 fatty acids in krill oil is somewhat different than how it absorbs fish oil. In a nutshell, krill oil fatty acids attach themselves to phospholipids (18), rather than triglycerides like fish oil. Triglycerides are only soluble in fat. Whereas phospholipids are soluble in both fat and water, which is what enhances their absorption.
15: Krill oil can relieve joint pain.
While arthritis is a significant cause of joint pain, there are quite a few others (19). What most of them have in common is inflammation. As we mentioned above, krill oil reduces inflammation. Therefore, it can be useful in reducing joint pain, not just for those with arthritis, but for cancer patients, people with broken bones and sprained ankles, and many more.
16: Krill oil is good for athletes.
Athletes routinely push their bodies to the max. The result of all that effort is not only enhanced performance, but sore muscles, swollen knees and ankles, and sore hips and shoulders. Because of its robust anti-inflammatory qualities, krill oil supplementation is a common-sense way for athletes to speed recovery and prepare themselves for the next game, race or practice.
17: Krill oil can help treat inflammatory bowel disease.
Inflammation is most visible when it attacks the joints. But, as we have discussed with PMS, it can also attack the soft tissue and organs, including the intestines. Ulcerative colitis is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (20) wherein the lining of the large intestine becomes inflamed and sores develop. By reducing inflammation, krill oil can relieve some of the pain and discomfort of this condition.
18: Krill oil helps you digest the food you eat.
Yet another benefit of the anti-inflammatory properties of krill oil is its ability to aid digestion. A digestive tract free of inflammation is one that will process food more efficiently. You are also likely to experience fewer bouts of indigestion, constipation, or diarrhea. And because your body is processing food more thoroughly, you will also glean greater nutritional value from the food you eat.
19: Krill oil does not leave a fishy aftertaste.
Virtually anyone who has ever taken fish oil knows about its notorious aftertaste. That fishy aftertaste can linger for hours and reassert itself when you burp. Krill oil, on the other hand, typically has a much more mild taste and little or no fishy smell. It also does not produce those fish-flavored burps that fish oil is so famous for.
20: Krill oil is more sustainable than fish oil.
Overfishing (21) is threatening to create a world without seafood in the near future. The fish oil industry, while not solely responsible for the looming catastrophe, is not helping the situation any. Krill, however, is another story. It is estimated that krill may be the world’s single largest species in terms of total biomass. And only a tiny portion of the global krill population is harvested each year for krill oil.
Conclusion
Krill oil has gained widespread popularity for its ability to reduce inflammation, bolster the immune system, enhance the health of your skin, reduce cholesterol, aid in digestion and more. If you are looking for a simple natural supplement to help you achieve better overall health consider krill oil.