Krill oil significantly increases plasma levels of omega-3 EPA and DHA, study shows
Highlights
- Krill oil is a source of highly bioavailable omega-3 fatty acids
- Significant increases in plasma levels of omega-3 EPA and DHA levels reported
- Effective supplementation dosage is 2g/day of krill oil
Summary
This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involved 75 overweight or obese men and women, 35 to 64 years of age, who were assigned to take four capsules per day containing 2 g/day of either krill oil (providing 216 mg/day EPA and 90 mg/day DHA), menhaden oil (providing 212 mg/day EPA and 178 mg/day DHA), or olive oil (control) for 4 weeks. Subjects were encouraged to take 2 capsules with each of two meals.
Results indicate that krill oil and, to a lesser extent, menhaden oil significantly (P<.001) increased plasma EPA and DHA compared to control (see Table 1) and is well tolerated with no adverse effects.
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Table 1. Increase in Plasma EPA & DHA with 4 Weeks Treatment |
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Treatment (2 g/d) |
EPA (mmol/L) |
DHA (mmol/L) |
|
Krill Oil |
178 + 39* |
90 + 40* |
|
Menhaden Oil |
132 + 28* |
150 + 30* |
|
Olive Oil (Control) |
3 + 14 |
-1 + 32 |
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* Significant difference (P<.001) compared to control. |
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These findings indicate that omega-3 fatty acids found in krill oil, which are in the phospholipid form, are highly bioavailable and increase plasma EPA and DHA levels.
