Which brand krill oil

Viva Naturals has one of the highest doses of raw krill oil among our top picks, making it an excellent candidate for boosting your mental wellness. While the research on using krill oil and other sources of omega 3 fatty acids for depression, anxiety, and other mental wellness issues is still in its infancy, it suggests that higher doses may be beneficial.

Krill oil is a great supplement for people looking to reduce their risk factors for heart disease, improve their mental health, and decrease pain related to joint inflammation caused by arthritis. T he added antioxidant content of krill oil, and its potentially greater bioavailability, help amplify these effects.

To evaluate krill oil, we took stock of all of the options on the market, evaluating them on their levels of three key bioactive compounds. First and most important was the omega 3 fatty acid content, which can be measured directly by the levels of DHA and EPA. These are two specific kinds of omega-3 fatty acids that have been directly connected through strong experimental research to better cardiovascular health.

We dropped any krill oil supplement from our list that did not specify the breakdown of its omega-3 fatty acids. As we discuss later, some research has found equivalent effects between krill oil and fish oil, even when krill oil has substantially less omega-3 fatty acids.

As such, we made phospholipid content an important though secondary factor in our rankings. All else equal, we prefered krill oil supplements with a greater phospholipid content. Astaxanthin is what gives krill oil its distinctive deep red color. Like other deeply colored natural compounds such as coffee or resveratrol , astaxanthin has powerful antioxidant properties. These properties give krill oil a leg up against other sources of omega-3 fatty acids, so again, all else equal, we preferred krill oil products that had greater astaxanthin levels.

Krill oil combines omega 3 fatty acids and antioxidants. The research on the benefits of krill oil is fairly new, but it appears that krill oil offers many of the same benefits as fish oil, but with some additional perks. These benefits are widely documented and affect a myriad of health conditions. Krill oil could help reduce risk factors for heart disease. Omega 3 fatty acids and especially their primary active ingredients, DHA and EPA are associated with a decrease in risk factors for cardiovascular disease, as reported by a study published by the American Heart Association 1.

Krill oil can help improve mental health. There is good evidence for their benefits in mental health too: a review in the Journal of Clinical Psychology in discussed the various uses of omega 3 fatty acids in the prevention and treatment of depression 2 , and other research indicates that it can help prevent cognitive decline in the elderly 3.

The real question is whether krill oil offers any additional or independent benefits beyond those of normal fish oil. Krill oil may offer benefits that fish oil does not. Some evidence from animal studies is promising. In a study, researchers experimentally induced rheumatoid arthritis an inflammatory disease of the joints in mice 4.

The researchers split the mice into three groups: one which received a krill oil supplement, another group that received a fish oil subject, and a final group that acted as a control. The researchers found that the krill oil was particularly effective at staving off rheumatoid arthritis in the mice.

Because the krill oil reduced markers of inflammation at the cellular level in the mice, the researchers proposed that krill oil has especially effective inflammation-fighting properties. Further research substantiated these claims in human subjects.

In a short two-week randomized trial, a paper published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that volunteers with rheumatoid or osteoarthritis received either a krill oil supplement mg per day or a placebo to serve as a control group. The researchers found that blood levels of inflammatory chemicals decreased in the krill oil group when compared to the control group.

Though the duration of this study was short, and longer-term studied would be needed to study the clinical outcome of such an intervention, the evidence is promising that krill oil could be a useful treatment for arthritis and other joint pain related to inflammation. Krill oil has also been found to decrease the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome in women.

One study, funded by a company that manufactures krill oil, found that women who took a krill oil supplement over the course of three months experienced fewer symptoms of premenstrual syndrome and had to take fewer over-the-counter pain medication during the course of the study to treat their symptoms 5. Krill oil may also be more effective than an equivalent dose of fish oil when it comes to reducing risk factors for cardiovascular disease. That was the conclusion of a study in the journal Alternative Medicine Reviews 6.

That study split a large population of volunteers into four groups that received low or high doses of krill oil, fish oil, or a placebo. The researchers followed the subjects for 90 days and studied the change in blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood triglycerides—high levels of any of these are strong risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

The study found that, when delivered at equivalent doses, krill oil resulted in a greater reduction in cholesterol and triglycerides than fish oil. Not all researchers are enamored with krill oil. One study by Stine Ulven and colleagues Akershus University College in Norway studied the differential effects of fish oil and krill oil in human volunteers 7. They found that neither had a significant effect on several markers of metabolic activity, but they did find that fish oil and krill oil resulted in a similar increase in omega 3 fatty acids in the blood, even though the DHA and EPA content of krill oil was only two-thirds that of fish oil.

Much like its cousin supplement, fish oil, krill oil is extremely well-tolerated. One of the key benefits of krill oil over traditional fish oil is that there is less concern about PCB and mercury contamination in krill oil, because the krill used to produce it are harvested from very cold, infrequently-travelled antarctic waters. In fact, the krill used in this product has been certified by the Marine Stewardship Council MSC , which ensures that sustainable harvesting practices are used.

It has also been third-party lab tested by IKOS. In addition, the krill used to make this product was wild-caught in the Atlantic and certified sustainable by the MSC. This supplement has been verified by United States Pharmacopeia USP , a trusted name in third-party supplement testing. The krill used in this supplement is also Friend of the Sea-certified.

It only contains the ingredients in the softgel capsule in addition to high quality krill oil. Although the third-party testing company is not specified, this supplement is manufactured in a Good Manufacturing Practices GMP -certified facility, which ensures that the manufacturing plant meets Food and Drug Administration FDA requirements. Friend of the Sea is a project of the World Sustainability Organization that certifies and promotes seafood from sustainable fisheries and sustainable aquaculture.

In addition, it contains only the softgel capsule ingredients, plus sorbitol and ethylvanillin to enhance the taste. Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol that tastes sweet, but it can irritate people with irritable bowel syndrome IBS. If you have IBS, you may want to choose a different krill oil product 2. Although it has undergone third-party testing, the manufacturer does not disclose the company that completed this testing. It has been subjected to third-party testing, but the testing company is not disclosed.

It also contains rice powder as a filler. In addition to Atlantic krill, it contains only the softgel capsule ingredients and ethylvanillin for flavor. Each serving of this product contains only mg of krill oil and 60 mg of omega-3s, whereas most other krill oil supplements contain 1, mg of krill oil per serving and at least mg of omega-3s. The most important consideration in choosing a krill oil supplement is whether it has undergone third-party testing.

Third-party testing is a voluntary service that a supplement company must pay for, but it ensures that the supplement contains what the label claims it does. All of the products on this list have undergone third-party testing to some degree. The best supplement companies will also disclose which third-party company or companies conducted the testing and allow you to view the reports on their website.

Are there any medical reasons why a person shouldn't take krill oil supplements? Because krill are classified as shellfish, people with known shellfish allergies should not take the supplements.

Pregnant women, those who are breastfeeding, and patients on prescription blood thinners should also consult with a doctor before taking krill oil supplements. Krill oils we recommend Best of the best: BulkSupplements' Pure Krill Oil Softgels Our take: These softgel krill oil capsules make great economic sense when purchased in bulk, and the potency is comparable to more expensive brands in specialty stores.

What we like: Capsules are smooth and easy to swallow. Each serving contains 1, mg of pure krill oil. Product is sold in bulk and stored in protective bags. What we dislike: Some reports of capsule leakage.

Product is not always burpless, noticeable fish odor and taste. Best bang for your buck: Bronson's Antarctic Krill Oil Our take: Some may find the standard 1, mg capsules difficult to swallow, so these mg versions from Bronson are easier to take throughout the day. What we like: Capsules are small and easy to swallow. Few reports of "fish burps" among users.

Contains capsules; good price point for the quantity. What we dislike: Serving size is two mg capsules. Some unpleasant side effects reported. Choice 3: MegaRed's Superior Omega-3 Krill Oil Our take: The MegaRed's capsule size of mg may be smaller than others, but it is a good introduction for those who are new to taking fish oil supplements.

What we like: Easy to find on retail store or pharmacy shelves. Small softgel capsules easy to swallow and space out over time. Uses a sustainable source of krill. What we dislike: Each capsule contains mg of krill oil, which is far less than the accepted therapeutic level of 1, mg.