Krill Oil Research
July 3, 2009 Written by JP
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When selecting nutritional supplements we all strive to use the most effective products available. But what should we base that determination on? One option is to ask others about their personal experiences. This is commonly referred to as anecdotal evidence. Another source of data can be found in the scientific literature. Here we’re trusting that researchers are performing well designed and impartial research in a more controlled manner. Since these types of studies typically involve larger groups of people, the results may apply to broad segments of the population. But there’s another very prevalent manner of learning about dietary supplements and that is information provided by the manufacturers themselves. My contention is that we ought to examine all three sources of input. Ask questions of your colleagues, family and friends. Read the product literature provided by nutraceutical companies and pose any inquires that you might have. Finally, investigate whether modern science has produced any evidence to back up the other two sources. I’ll apply this model to examine an area of debate that’s currently active in the natural health community: Is krill oil superior to fish oil?
Krill oil is a supplemental source of powerful antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids and phosholipids derived from tiny crustaceans harvested largely in the Southern Ocean waters of the Antarctic. Krill oil proponents claim that it is essentially a superior form of omega-3s. Krill contain a rather unique reddish antioxidant called astaxanthin, and they’re also rich in phospholipids, which help emulsify fatty acids and enhance their absorption and retention.
A new study presented in the Journal of Nutrition appears to support this point of view. Research conducted in a group of overweight rats found that krill oil provoked a 42% decrease in fat (triglyceride) build-up in the hearts of the test rats. Fish oil only lead to a marginal decline in cardio-lipids of 2%. When the authors of the study examined the livers of these animals, they discovered a 60% reduction in fat in their livers, as opposed to 38% in the livers of rats fed fish oil. The normalization of fat content in the heart and liver indicate potential benefits to overall heart function and an improvement in insulin sensitivity, which can be impaired in cases of fatty liver disease. In addition, the krill oil test subjects exhibited positive changes associated with a reduced “inflammatory response”. (1,2)
A study from 2008 demonstrated anti-cancer and heart benefits in relation to krill oil (KO) supplementation. In that trial, rats who were fed KO showed weight loss and a drop in LDL “bad” cholesterol, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The scientists also tested krill oil in an in-vitro model of colon cancer. The scientists concluded that, “Treatment of colon cancer cells with KO also resulted in time-dependent inhibition of cell growth”. (3)
Krill oil has also been evaluated in other health conditions as well. The results of those studies have all been positive and, in a roundabout way, can be applied to what we currently know about heart disease.
- In 2007, a paper was published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 90 participants with heart disease and/or arthritis (osteo or rheumatoid) with elevated CRP (C-reactive protein) levels were provided with KO or a placebo for a 30 day period. CRP is a measure of inflammation in the body. By the 7th day of treatment with KO (300 mg daily), there was a 19% drop in CRP levels. The placebo group exhibited a 16% increase in CRP. By the 30th day of treatment, there was a 31% reduction in CRP in the krill oil group and a 32% rise in CRP in the placebo group. In the arthritic patients, there were significant improvements in pain and stiffness scores, and a trend towards “reduced functional impairment”. (4)
- A 2003 study on 70 women with PMS and dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation) found that those taking KO for a total of 90 days demonstrated reduced discomfort, pain and emotional symptoms relating to PMS. This experiment compared equal dosages of KO vs. fish oil – 2 grams daily for the first 30 days and then 2 grams daily for 8 days prior to menstruation and during the first 2 days of the menstrual cycle. (5)
Chronic inflammation is now believed to be a contributing factor in many cancers and cardiovascular disease. The fact that KO appears to reduce inflammatory markers and symptoms may provide a clue to part of its cardioprotective effect. A human trial from 2004 is perhaps the strongest piece of evidence that supports the krill/heart health link. That study produced a profoundly positive shift in cardiovascular risk factors in a group of 120 volunteers. A starting KO dosage of 500 mg daily reduced blood sugar levels, LDL, total cholesterol and triglycerides, and raised the beneficial HDL cholesterol in the participants. The men and women who were given fish oil didn’t fare nearly as well. (6)
There are several other important factors to consider when comparing fish oil and krill oil. Preliminary studies going back to the mid 90s demonstrate that krill oil appears to be safe. (7) However, some manufacturers and health authorities caution that those with severe shellfish allergies should discuss krill oil with their physicians prior to usage. It’s also important to note that fish oil has been studied extensively over the past several decades. Literally thousands of research papers have been published on the health effects of omega-3 fatty acids found in fish. Fewer than 10 studies on krill oil have been presented in peer reviewed medical journals.
When I looked over all of the reliable data I could find about krill oil, I came to the following conclusion. Krill oil seems to be an extremely promising antioxidant/omega-3 supplement. Substantial evidence suggests that the astaxanthin content of krill largely contributes to its net effect. (8,9,10) Astaxanthin is the same carotenoid that gives wild salmon its pink hue. But there may also be something to the phospholipid content of this crustacean. That’s the only explanation I’ve found as to why a lower dosage of KO could produce equal or greater effects than higher dosages of fish oil.
Be forewarned: Krill oil can be quite expensive. The real question is how much you’ll need to take to derive the same benefits as I’ve reported here. If you need a lower dosage, such as 500 mg, then it can be relatively affordable. But some users may require larger quantities (2-3 grams a day). The best deal I’ve found online costs roughly $20 for 90 (500mg) softgels. I think at that price, it’s certainly worth a shot for anyone who might benefit from it. I also think that KO may be an attractive alternative, because krill softgels are typically smaller in size and have a milder aroma. The issue of smell and taste can be further helped by freezing the KO and swallowing the frozen capsules. This is a good technique for taking any softgels with a strong after-taste.
Update: March 1, 2010 - Recent Internet reports about supposed “krill oil dangers” do not appear to be coming from reliable sources. I’ve been keeping a close eye on the scientific literature and I haven’t found any evidence of new concerns regarding krill.
Be well!
JP
Related Posts:
Tags: Arthritis, Fish Oil, Heart
Posted in Nutritional Supplements
July 4th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
Great article, JP. I started taking 2 grams of KO after you posted of your dad’s success with the supplement. Have you read of the distributor, J Edwards, offering large amounts (thousands of gelcaps) at a substantial savings. I wish we could find a buyers’ coop through which we could benefit from such savings.
http://www.bulknaturaloils.com/fishoil/krilloil.html
July 4th, 2009 at 8:56 pm
Apparently their price is $1,060.00 for 10,000 gelcaps(500mg). That would be about 10¢ per gelcap.
http://www.bulknaturaloilsstore.com/superbakrilloilsoftgels.aspx
July 4th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
On second thought, NSI’s deal of $40/300 sgs sounds pretty good. http://www.gonsi.com/products/product-detail.cfm/sku-835003005444
July 4th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
Thanks, Iggy!
The Superba krill oil (from your first link) is the variety that was used in the most recent study I cited. The bulk price for it is fantastic – at $.10 per softgel.
The concern I have about the NSI product is that they don’t state that it contains phospholipids. Neptune Krill Oil and Superba (the two clinically tested krill oils) clearly state that they’re rich source of phospholipids. In addition, the NSI product appears to be substantially lower in DHA and EPA than these other two sources. In short, I’m just not sure if the NSI would be as effective.
Be well!
JP
July 10th, 2009 at 12:36 am
thanks for posting.
i going to give krill oil a try. i have always used fish oil and i thought it was the best.
July 21st, 2009 at 8:54 am
Hi there , good article but I cant find the 90 softgels for $20.00 . Can you let us know where you got them ?
July 21st, 2009 at 11:12 am
Cindy,
Here’s one online source for this kind of deal. There may be others out there.
http://www.swansonvitamins.com/SWE033/ItemDetail?n=4294967191
Be well!
JP
July 24th, 2009 at 5:10 am
Good if it is a cure or even a treatment and remedy for arthritis…many are simply disgusted finding a cure for this pain.
October 29th, 2009 at 8:35 am
Wow what a fantastically thorough article…I love soaking up information like this! Ive been using krill oils for the past 6 months and I can honestly say Ive never felt as good as I do after having used it!
October 29th, 2009 at 11:32 am
Thanks, Geoff. I’m happy to hear of your success.
Be well!
JP
November 10th, 2009 at 8:09 pm
I think the author has really captured the current state of knowledge on Krill Oil. I actually tried to create a neighborhood group to buy the wholesale krill oil but didn’t find the interest. And yet there is no question that there are many people who would be interested if we could just connect. In fact, I would even be willing to run it for a group of people that thought they would consistently want to participate. In the meantime I have contacted NSI and asked them about the phospholipids and their product. If I get a decent answer, I’ll post it.
Cheers.
November 10th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
Thanks, Michael.
I’d love to hear what NSI has to say about the phospholipid content of their product. Please let us know.
Be well!
JP
December 17th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
Great writeup. Been taking fish oil for awhile and am considering a change. I just bought my first bottle of MegaRed after seeing it on the shelves forever and after hearing dozens of weekend radio programs spamming my eardrums with their krill oil claims. First dose down (with a side of Co-Q10)..
December 18th, 2009 at 12:06 am
Thanks, Chris!
I hope you find good results with the krill oil.
Be well!
JP
January 6th, 2010 at 8:08 pm
Nature’s Way Krill Oil is the one that i prefer.
I buy Krill oil from
http://www.mynaturalmarket.com/nature-s-way-krill-oil-500-mg-60-softgel-capsules.html
January 21st, 2010 at 9:34 pm
jp,
I noticed on my new MegaRed bottle it says NKO instead of Superba krill oil. Does anyone know when/why this changed and what it means for effectiveness etc?
January 21st, 2010 at 9:45 pm
Kriller,
I’m not sure why Schiff made the decision. But, to the best of my knowledge, both the NKO and Superba are excellent krill oil sources. I wouldn’t hesitate using either one.
If you contact Schiff and get an answer, please let us know what they say. If they give you the runaround, please let me know that too and I’ll contact them myself.
Be well!
JP
January 22nd, 2010 at 3:48 pm
This is for general nutrition and wellness information only. This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Nigel : Welcome,this is Nigel. How may I help you?
Kriller : I noticed on my new MegaRed bottle it says NKO instead of Superba krill oil. Do you know when/why this changed and what it means for effectiveness etc?
Nigel : We actually switched from NKO to Superba. The effectiveness is the same. It just changed who we get the krill oil from.
Kriller : So.. it’s possible that this “new” bottle I just bought was from “old” stash?
Kriller : Because my bottle that I had before this said Superba
Nigel : We just switched the companies in the last couple of months. It is an older bottle. The new product is made by Superba
January 22nd, 2010 at 8:48 pm
Thanks for posting your exchange, Kriller!
Here’s their official public comment on the matter:
http://www.npicenter.com/anm/templates/newsATemp.aspx?articleid=24900&zoneid=11
Be well!
JP
January 23rd, 2010 at 1:24 am
A good friend of mine had been taking MegaRed NKO Krill Oil for quite awhile. She is not getting the same mental sharpness and feeling of well being from the MegaRed Superba Krill Oil formula
January 23rd, 2010 at 3:36 am
Thanks for letting us know that, DW.
It would be interesting to hear from anyone else who’s noticed similar differences between the two sources of krill oil.
I’ve used NKO (Now Foods brand mostly) and Avantis krill oil (Jarrow Formulas) without any detectable difference between the two.
I haven’t tried Schiff’s Superba krill oil yet.
Be well!
JP
February 2nd, 2010 at 10:02 pm
re DW’s comment. the strange thing is my experience has been the complete opposite. i felt more results in regards to skin softness from superba than the nko. i wonder how much is placebo effect and what the real difference is between the two brands.
February 2nd, 2010 at 10:34 pm
JP, care to share your daily dosage and the reasons you take it? Thanks!
February 2nd, 2010 at 10:45 pm
Marcella,
Thank you for sharing your experience comparing the two krill oil sources. It’s helpful to know.
As best as I can tell, NKO and Superba are very similar/nearly identical from a nutritional standpoint – re: astaxanthin, DHA, EPA and total Omega-3 content. But that’s not to say that there isn’t some other difference that your body may have picked up on.
Be well!
JP
February 2nd, 2010 at 10:48 pm
Just Wondering,
I take 500 mg with breakfast and 500 mg with dinner.
I’m mostly using it support cardiovascular health and to keep any systemic inflammation at a very low level.
Be well!
JP
February 4th, 2010 at 12:59 am
I’ve spent a LOT of time researching krill oil. One thing people should be aware of: The level of astaxanthin naturally occurring in krill oil is rather low (about 50 micrograms per gram of Krill oil). Neptune and now Enzymotic both produce extremely high quality oil using a so-called “cold extraction” process which (it is claimed) preserves the full bioactivity of the compounds. Both companies also supplement the naturally-occurring astaxanthin with esterified astaxanthin (that’s both good for people and it also protects the krill oil against oxidation). The supplemented level is 1.5 mg/gram of oil.
Aker BioMarine, which produces Superba krill oil now used in Mega Red and several other brands, doesn’t supplement the astaxanthin level. I’m not sure what the implication of that is with respect to product stability. Also, I don’t know what kind of extraction process Aker uses to obtain the krill oil. Because of my uncertainties, I’m hesitant to use products with Superba Krill oil. Costco sells Mega Red at a great price; however, the Mega Red label recommends a single 300 mg softgel per day – that’s the lowest recommendation on ANY krill oil product label. I’ll stick with 1000 mg/day.
FYI: Azantis, a company in Colorado, sources Enzymotic krill oil and provides it to several companies (for example, to Source Naturals ArticPure oil and Jarrow Forumulas; interestingly, both of those companies also package a krill oil using Neptune krill oil).
From everything I’ve seen, the best bargain in high-quality krill oil right now is NOW Foods Neptune krill oil. I’ve seen it for about $33 for 120 500-mg softgels. That’s about $16.50 a month. Many companies offer free shipping either with promotion codes or minimum orders.
Finally, the recommendation to freeze the softgels before taking them seems to go against the recommendations of the manufacturers. I haven’t had any digestive issues with krill oil, so I have no motive to do “tricks” to make it more palatable.
February 4th, 2010 at 1:12 am
Thank you for your valuable contribution, WH! I appreciate it!
I don’t have any digestive issues with krill oil either. However my mother does and unfortunately, she’s not the only one. This is the primary reason why Now Foods has just released a 1,000 mg NKO softgel that is enterically coated.
http://nowfoods.com/Products/078346.htm
Be well!
JP
February 4th, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Hi, JP,
Yeah, I noticed that new NOW product the other day. And it’s price is pretty much the same as their “regular” krill oil.
One other thing about price: I’ve seen brands that are VERY cheap (as low as 10 cents / 500mg softgel), but when I check the levels of EPA and DHA, they’re always significantly lower than for the Neptune, Superba, and Azantis oils (which are all around 150 mg EPA and 90 mg DHA, and about 400 mg total phospholipids). I think these less expensive brands are using krill oil produced from Euphausia crystallorophias or Euphausia pacifica krill, rather than Euphausia superba (the antarctic krill).
An interesting point about stability for the Superba oil: I still have a couple of bottles of the Schiff’s Mega Red I purchased six months ago at Costco (it contains Neptune oil): The listed expiration date is 5/11. Last week I went to Costco and checked the expiration dates for the new version of Mega Red that uses Superba oil: the expiration date was 3/11. Six months newer, but an expiration date 2 months older. Hmmm. It could be that the Superba oil used by Schiff was from an older production run by Aker or it could be that the shelf-life of Superba oil is much shorter.
February 4th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
That’s an interesting observation, WH.
An online site I often order from now lists the expiration dates of the products they carry. Apparently they can do so with sufficient accuracy due to their quick turn over and volume purchases. The only problem, re: krill oil, is that they don’t currently stock any Superba sourced products.
I can contact Aker and see what they have to say about this issue. I’ll report back with any information they provide.
Be well!
JP
February 5th, 2010 at 6:04 pm
I recently exchanged e-mails with an AkerBiomarine representative regarding the differences between Neptune Krill Oil and Superba krill oil. Here’s a brief overview of what I was told:
1. Superba krill oil is extracted using ethanol rather than acetone.
2. AkerBiomarine gathers the krill themselves using their own vessel. They also utilize a sustainable collection regime in order to ensure adequate populations of krill and minimal damage to surrounding sea life.
3. Superba does not contain added astaxanthin. However it naturally provides between 100-150 ppm of this carotenoid.
4. Superba soft gels are guaranteed to be stable for 18 months.
I’ll ask the same questions of Nutrisan Nutraceuticals (the makers of NKO) and see what they have to say.
Be well!
JP
February 6th, 2010 at 3:24 am
Great info, LP.
Today I received a supply of NOW krill oil. The “Best By” date stamped on the bottom of the containers is 11/2012 – 33 months from now. So I’m almost certain that NKO has a shelf life of three years.
Is the difference merely because Aker is being very conservative and/or that Neptune Technologies & Bioressources (or is it Nutrisan Nutraceuticals? – I’ve never heard of them before) is being optimistic? Or does the astaxanthin supplementation make a big difference. Or is there something else?
The NOW geltabs have a somewhat unpleasant but not too strong odor of “bad shrimp”. Mega Red geltabs (with Superba oil) is strongly (“cloyingly?”) scented with vanillin, and you can’t smell anything else.
By the way, NOW on their container states a level of “esterifed astaxanthin” of only 1.25 mg, as compared with 1.5 mg for all of the other NKO krill oil brands I’ve checked. I contacted NOW and they emailed back, “We are not sourcing a different material [from Neptune], just being very specific in our labeling.”
I’m not entirely sure what that means. Maybe Neptune supplements at a rate of 1 mg per 1000 mg of krill oil, and the “natural” level is “at least” .25 mg. So perhaps NOW is being conservative.
The ethanol versus acetone method of extraction is very, very interesting. I would hope there’s no residue of either solvent left in the finished product. What do the manufacturers say?
February 6th, 2010 at 1:59 pm
WH,
Let’s both keep on digging for more facts/info. and see what we come up with. I’ve already sent an inquiry to the NKO people but haven’t received a response yet.
Incidentally, did you happen to read my previous column on astaxanthin and cardiovascular health? It ties into the conversation we’re having here.
http://www.healthyfellow.com/406/natural-heart-attack-protection/
One thing the AkerBiomarine rep also stated was that they felt as though the omega-3s and phosolipids were likely the most important elements of krill oil. However the rep did acknowledge that astanxanthin could be therapeutic at levels at or above 2000 ppm.
I wonder how many of the benefits attributed to krill oil are due to the astaxanthin component vs. the DHA/EPA + phospholipids?
Be well!
JP
February 15th, 2010 at 6:07 pm
Here’s a brief update on what I’ve heard from the makers of Neptune Krill Oil so far:
1. The shelf life of their product is 3 years.
2. They do not recommend freezing it.
3. One important detail that sets NKO apart from other krill oils is the amount of clinical study this particular krill has undergone.
4. NKO’s rep promised to send some comparative information on Neptune Krill Oil vs. other krill oil sources.
More to come …
Be well!
JP
February 23rd, 2010 at 1:04 am
JP,
Thanks for your site. I have found it very informative and quite helpful.
Hopefully, I’ve understood most of what’s been written here. For me, I am looking at Krill oil for the overall heart benefits and mood enhancement benefits. At this point, I am leaning towards the NOW 1g NKO softgel that is enterically coated. I hope I am on the right track with krill oil, especially for the mood benefit part of it. Or are the potential mood enhancements that I have read about overstated in their affect?
Thanks,
Chris
February 23rd, 2010 at 1:40 pm
Chris,
There isn’t much in the scientific literature specifically about krill oil and mood – apart from the PMS study I mentioned in the column.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12777162
However there’s quite a lot of data suggesting that omega-3 fatty acid intake (found primarily in fish and fish oil) can provide an antidepressant effect in various populations:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19909687
http://content.karger.com/produktedb/produkte.asp?typ=fulltext&file=000198167
http://content.karger.com/produktedb/produkte.asp?typ=fulltext&file=000198167
As far as I can tell, this is the primary basis for the claim that krill oil improves mood. Some health authorities also theorize that krill oil may be better absorbed and “brain ready” because it contains natural phospholipids – whereas fish oil does not.
In my opinion, it would be reasonable to try out krill oil in order to (hopefully) improve cardiovascular health and mood issues. I think there’s enough evidence and theoretical cause to give it a shot.
I would personally try using a 500 mg softgel twice daily rather than one 1,000 mg softgel/day. Some cardiologists, such as Dr. William Davis, believe it’s advantageous to split up the dosing of omega-3s. Finally, I’m not sure the enteric coating is beneficial or needed in most cases. For the time being, I’d avoid it.
http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2007/10/omega-3-fatty-acids-frequency-vs.html
I hope your krill oil trial works out well. Please report back and let us know how you’re doing.
Be well!
JP
February 23rd, 2010 at 3:04 pm
I recently went to Costco and purchased a container of the new Mega Red, made with Superba krill oil. The supply now at Costco has a use-by date of 12/2011 – 22 months from now. That’s very interesting if Aker says the shelf-live is 18 months.
I opened the bottle to see if I could detect any differences between the “new” and “old” (Nepune-krill-oil-based) Mega Red. The new Mega Red has a, cloying vanilla odor plus a very distinct “bad shrimp” smell (similar to, but stronger than, the smell of the Neptune-based NOW krill oil, which doesn’t add any artificial fragrances). “Old” Mega Red has only the cloying vanilla odor – not a hint of shrimpyness.
So, my totally unscientific conclusion is that the astaxanthin supplementation in Neptune-based krill oil (and by extension, to similarly-supplemented Enzymotic-based krill oil) preserves the krill oil better than the “natural” level of astaxanthin in Superba krill oil.
By the way, if I were going to purchase one of the better krill oils right now (I already have more than an 18-month supply), I’d get the NOW 1000 mg enteric-coated krill oil. A couple of web vendors sell the 60-pill container (2-month supply) for $30. In particular, Netrition.com also adds a 5% discount for a $200+ order (meaning 7 containers = a 14-month supply). And the shipping is a fixed $5 – not a bad deal at all.
February 23rd, 2010 at 3:07 pm
Here’s a link to the netrition.com site:
http://www6.netrition.com/now_neptune_krill_oil.html
Note: I’ve never ordered from netrition, but the resellerratings.com rating is good: http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Netrition
February 23rd, 2010 at 3:22 pm
Oops,
Didn’t see the previous post about splitting the dosage. That’s a good point which I hadn’t considered.
I learn something new about this stuff every day.
Bill
February 23rd, 2010 at 10:01 pm
Bill,
Thank you for adding your observations about the scent of the different krill oil products and the expiration dating.
I’ve noticed that Jarrow’s krill oil (Phosphomega – containing Azantis Krill Oil) seems to have a milder scent than Now’s NKO. I’m not entirely sure why that would be. It could have something to do with the softgel itself. Now’s NKO appears to have a softer/thinner gelatin coating – I’m basing this on the feel of the softgels.
I’m looking forward to hearing back from the NKO rep. I think they *may* be putting together their official comparison based on our inquiry. In any event, I’ll post it as soon as I receive it.
Thanks again for your valuable input.
Be well!
JP
February 24th, 2010 at 10:44 pm
I was so happy to find this site. I have been going nuts trying to get info. on the different krill oils all on my own. One thing I have wondered is, why do the EPA and DHA values vary so much in the different brands (for the same amount, say, 1 gram, of krill oil)? Do you know anything about the vitacost.com NSI SKO brand? I wrote to them and they said the krill came from China, but that was all they could tell me. I have tried Dr. Mercola’s krill, which he gets from Aker, and I just ordered some krill from Vitacost and from Swanson’s Vitamins. I know the Swanson krill and Dr. Mercola’s krill come from Aker. Also, what is this about “cold extraction,” vs. ? Is the Aker (Superba) krill extracted this way? I think I will go order some of the NOW krill, now. Lol, then I can try it all.
THANKS!!
Elizabeth
February 24th, 2010 at 11:24 pm
http://www.stockhouse.com/Bullboards/MessageDetail.aspx?s=NTB&t=LIST&m=27746653&l=0&pd=0&r=0
According to this, NKO oil is extracted with acetone from frozen, raw krill. Aker uses extraction with ethanol from krill meal cooked and dried on the ship. I wonder if the heat from the cooking is detrimental to the EFA’s?
February 24th, 2010 at 11:38 pm
As I wrote in one of my posts above, the “big three” (Aker, Neptune, and Enzymotec) all use Euphausia superba as the source of their krill oil. And the phospholipid and EPA/DHA levels across those brands are virtually the same. I suspect that where you see lower EPA/DHA levels, the manufacturer is either using a different krill species, or using a less expensive process.
For example, on the Azantis website (Azantis uses Enzymotec krill oil), you will find:
“Azantis 2810 grade is a blend quality. It’s comparable with certain competing products in that it contains at least 28% phospholipids bonded with omega 3, and at least 10% omega-3. The astaxanthin levels are low.
The Azantis standard product 4225 is extracted in a 3 step process. If we skip the third step we get the 2810 blend quality. It’s marketed to be used in proprietory blends with other oils, ie flax seed oil, or olive oil. Certain markets, such as MLM and infomercials prefer unique blends over the original product.”
And if you search the web, you’ll find this from Enzymotec:
http://www.dairyreporter.com/Products/Enzymotec-launches-cut-price-krill-oil
“Our engineers were able to come up with a modified process, which would enable us to offer in parallel to our existing krill product, a new grade of krill oil,” it said. “The new product has modified phospholipids and omega-3 content but with a significantly lower price making this more suitable for other market segments.”
So, brands you see with lower EPA/DHA levels are almost certainly cheaper to produce. What a surprise.
I wrote to Mercola a few weeks ago and asked them if NKO was still the source of their krill oil (because I’d noticed that their EPA/DHA levels were VERY low – signficantly lower than for NKO). They responded:
“While we do not use NKO for our manufacturer, at this time we can not give out the manufacturers name as this is considered proprietary information.”
Look at Mercola’s label:
http://mercola.fileburst.com/PDF/product-labels/Krill%20Oil.pdf
90 mg EPA, 50 mg DHA, and only .6 mg astaxanthin per 1000 mg serving.
Clearly, Mercola is using a “cheapy” brand. If it’s Aker, Aker – like Enzymotec – must have a “discount” line of oil.
I find it rather interesting that Dr. Mercola – who in his video implies how his motivation is primarily to provide his customers with the highest-quality products he can find – is in fact charging a premium price ($25 for a one-month supply) for what appears to be a lower-grade oil.
February 24th, 2010 at 11:50 pm
I guarantee you that Mercola is using AKER as of late 2009. I will try to find the source. I keep asking him why his krill has less EPA, DHA, etc. He has failed to answer me. This is one of the things that has been driving me nuts.
February 24th, 2010 at 11:54 pm
Oh, about your “cold-extraction” question: I’m guessing “cold extraction” is a euphemism for the fact that the manufacturers are using solvents to extract the oil from ground raw krill, as opposed to using some other process that uses heat instead of solvents.
So “cold extraction” may just be krill-oil-maker’s lingo for saying, “Guess you’ll find out in thirty years if the higher Omega 3 level protected you from acetone poisoning.”
February 24th, 2010 at 11:57 pm
http://blogs.mercola.com/sites/vitalvotes/archive/2009/07/06/are-you-being-duped-by-the-krill-unsustainability-story.aspx
The info is right on Mercola’s site. It is also on the Aker site. Search “Aker Mercola”
February 24th, 2010 at 11:57 pm
The answer to your “Why the lower Omega 3 level?” question is simply, “We make more money this way.”
February 25th, 2010 at 12:06 am
http://myaker.net/text.cfm?path=2,35&id=468&lid=3 Here is the Aker link. You won’t have to scroll down as far as on the Mercola site to get the info. I was beginning to wonder if Mercola uses smaller capsules???
February 25th, 2010 at 12:07 am
Aker, like Enzymotec, clearly has a “cheapy” brand, and Mercola is purchasing it.
I also find it interesting that makers justify krill harvesting by pointing out how Euphausia superba has such a huge biomass. But that’s really beside the point. If the krill reproductive capacity is in rough balance with krill predation by whales, seals, and other krill-eaters, then adding mankind to the mix will eventually cause an imbalance. It doesn’t matter if krill biomass is twice or 100 times as great as mankinds’. The point is that that huge biomass is being consumed, and man is now in competition with whales.
February 25th, 2010 at 12:09 am
Yes, WH, but I really wanted Mercola to be an upright guy, darnit! I guess the all powerful dollar wins again
.
February 25th, 2010 at 12:26 am
But at least you’re not being driven nuts any longer – one of the many benefits of Bill oil.
hahahaha
Bill
February 25th, 2010 at 12:31 am
February 25th, 2010 at 1:16 am
What an excellent exchange of information! Thanks, Bill and Elizabeth!
Ready for the latest news about krill? I present to you a study about the effects of krill protein concentrate in rats.
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf9036408
Be well!
JP
February 25th, 2010 at 11:04 am
Hi JP!
Thank you for that article. It confirms what I already know–krill oil is good stuff! Here is a brief history of how it has helped me with depression.
I have a family history of depression. My dad was bipolar and his side of our family had cardiac issues as well. I have lived through some serious bouts of depression throughout my life. In addition, my children all exhibit ADHD symptoms to one degree, or another.
In my twenties, I began taking Prozac and it helped quite a bit. However, since I hit my forties, it stopped working as well. In fact, this past fall I was so deep into depression that I could barely get out of bed. I was also filled with so much anxiety (a new symptom, since my dad died five years ago) and this feeling that can best be described as dread, that I really wished I would just die.
My doctor (I have since changed doctors) had me on Prozac, Klonopin, and sleeping pills, and I was still a mess. In November I weaned myself off of everything but the Prozac. Then, in late December, I added NSI’s KriaXanthin, and, in January, Dr. Mercola’s krill product to my daily regimen of supplements. Within a couple of weeks, my mood had lifted substantially, and now I feel as good as I ever did, if not better.
I know some things about mental health, because I have studied psychology and I have a MA in counseling, but I seriously believe that doctors have mainly become pill pushers for Big Pharma, and that they will kill you, eventually, with all of their drugs, if you let them.
One thing still makes me sad. After studying all about Omega-3, I am convinced my family has been Omega-3 deficient for generations. It really would explain the heart and mental health issues. I bet my dad would not have died five years ago, at the age of just 63, if he had taken EFA supplements. I also wish I had known about these when I was pregnant with my children. Perhaps they would not have the attentional issues that they have.
The good news is, I know now, and I want to tell everyone–take your fish oil or your krill!
Now, back to finding the BEST krill
. I am convinced that Dr. Mercola’s krill works, but I do not believe that it is the best deal out there, and I know it costs too much. I can get twice as much from Swanson’s Vitamins for the same price.
February 25th, 2010 at 1:54 pm
Newsflash–I just learned today that Mercola WAS getting his krill from AKER for about three months. He has switched to a new supplier, and, Bill, you were right, he is buying the cheap stuff. He should have sprung for the high quality standard, over the mix; it would have saved his rep., at least, in my eyes. However, since his product DOES work for me, I am purchasing in bulk from his supplier, but I am springing for the higher quality product they sell. If you buy in bulk, there is no need to get the cheaper stuff.
February 25th, 2010 at 4:26 pm
Elizabeth,
Thank you for sharing your experience (and family history) with us! I’m sure others will see what you’ve been through and benefit from it. Your input is greatly appreciated!
Be well!
JP
February 25th, 2010 at 8:15 pm
I thought someone may be interested in the following correspondence I had with Tharos, a company that is working on getting us a solvent-free krill.
From Tharos Ltd
Mr Dimitri Sclabos
Good day Elizabeth
Thanks for contacting us per bellow quoted message.
Please be so kind to let us know how did you get our references.
Our solvent-free krill oil will be available by 2011, regretfully not before.
Is this of an urgency matter for you to count on a solvent-free krill oil ??
Do you work with krill end-products already ??
Which is your primary business line ??
Is there a different area within the krill industry we can serve you ??
Sincerely yours
Dimitri Sclabos
General Manager
Tharos Ltd
Of + 56 2 273 4966
Fx + 56 2 273 0395
Cel + 56 99442 5107
QUOTE
Hello,
I am very interested in your work with krill extraction. When might a solvent free krill product be available to the public (USA)?
Thanks!
Elizabeth A. Jesse, MA, LLPC
UNQUOTE
February 25th, 2010 at 8:20 pm
Elizabeth,
Thank you for posting that.
If all goes as planned, I’ll be attending Natural Products Expo West next month. I may be able to find some additional krill info. there.
http://www.expowest.com/ew10/public/enter.aspx
Be well!
JP
February 25th, 2010 at 8:27 pm
How cool, JP. That would be an awesome event to attend. Next week I am starting a new job, so I won’t be able to google all day. It will be good to come here to learn what you find out at the expo.
February 25th, 2010 at 9:06 pm
Elizabeth,
It should be fun and interesting. I hope to have lots to report back on.
Good luck with your new job!
Be well!
JP
February 25th, 2010 at 11:14 pm
(At least) Megared is marketed as an alternative to fish oil because it’s smaller, requires less pills per day, and doesn’t produce fish burps… so.. some of the posts I’m reading above seem to say krill oil is NOT the same as taking fish oil.. so.. if I take krill oil.. should I still be taking fish oil if I want the same benefits of fish oil that I was getting from the fish oil already? Or can I dump the fish oil and take krill oil? Frustrating. The benefit of big pharma is that at least you generally know what you’re getting because of regulations before it hits advertisements.
February 26th, 2010 at 12:51 am
Pharma Red:
The “reasoning” is that since cell membranes are composed of phospholipids, omega-3′s from krill oil – which is bound to a high level of phospholipids – should penetrate the cell membrane much more easily that omega-3′s from fish oil.
It’s not that the omega 3′s from krill oil are intrinsically “better” than those from fish oil; it’s that (theoretically) the omega 3′s from krill oil are more bio-available.
February 26th, 2010 at 12:54 am
So Elizabeth, the suspense is killing me:
Who is Mercola’s present supplier (let me guess: Azantis), and what are the details of this bulk deal?
Bill
February 26th, 2010 at 1:22 am
Pharma Phred,
I believe Bill already answered your primary question. I would just add that some health authorities are adopting a somewhat cautious attitude with regard to krill oil. They note that the vast majority of research on omega-3 fatty acids has been conducted on fish oil derived DHA and EPA. It could be that krill oil is many times more effective/potent than fish oil – due to the previously mentioned phospholipids and the naturally occurring and/or added astanxanthin. However not all studies show that big a difference between these two sources of omega-3s. If that turns out to be true, then the typical dosage of krill oil (1 gram daily) would likely be considerably lower, in terms of DHA + EPA content, than many fish oil supplements that are currently on the market.
http://www.nrjournal.com/article/S0271-5317%2809%2900161-4/abstract
At the moment, I take a multivitamin/mineral packet with breakfast and dinner that contains a high-potency fish oil soft gel. I also take 500 mg of krill oil with the same two meals. In essence, I’m hedging my bets.
Be well!
JP
February 26th, 2010 at 9:17 am
Aw, Bill, you already knew! You posted the Azantis material about the “blend.” I am getting the 12 packages of 60 for $192.00 plus about $7.00 for shipping. If I used my professional health practitioner status and got a sales tax ID number, I could purchase in higher quantity and at an even lower cost.
Pharma Phred,
I bet you could just take the krill and you would achieve the same benefits. At first, I was frustrated by the same thing as you, because most of the studies were done using fish oil; how do you compare fish oil to krill to duplicate the studies? Well, as far as dosage goes, you probably can’t right now. However, my guess is that you would get the same benefit from a gram, or two, of krill oil, and, yes, I think this is true even though the EPA and DHA in krill is substantially lower. In addition, I do not think it is the astaxanthin that makes the difference. This is only because I was taking four mg of natural astaxanthin for one year before I began taking the krill, and I was still depressed until I added the krill. This is just my opinion, of course, but I am convinced.
February 26th, 2010 at 9:26 am
Oh, you also get choline from the krill’s phospholipids. You don’t get this from krill. Choline is very important to brain function.
February 26th, 2010 at 9:27 am
Oops–I meant you do not get choline from FISH oil
! 
February 26th, 2010 at 11:57 am
Thank you for adding that info, Elizabeth.
It’s interesting to note that anti-inflammatory herbs and medications also appear to improve depression and vice versa.
Prozac and Celexa Exhibit Anti-Inflammatory Effects
Anti-depressant like effect of curcumin and its combination with piperine in unpredictable chronic stress-induced behavioral, biochemical and neurochemical changes
Hyperforin: More than an antidepressant bioactive compound?
Anti-depressant like effect of curcumin and its combination with piperine in unpredictable chronic stress-induced behavioral, biochemical and neurochemical changes
Hyperforin: More than an antidepressant bioactive compound?
Perhaps the combination of astaxanthin, omega-3s and phopholipids forms a potent anti-inflammatory effect (greater than the sum of its parts) which contributes to improve mental health. Just a possibility.
Be well!
JP
February 26th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Why did MegaRed decide to go with one 300mg dosage size when every one else it seems goes in 500mg increments and recommends at least 1000mg per day?
February 26th, 2010 at 3:17 pm
JP–I am SURE there is a synergistic effect. I LOVE my astaxanthin. I just meant that I needed the krill to make the effect complete. I just got a very cool analysis from Theros, the company that has invented a solvent free way to extract krill. It came in a PDF format. Will that come through here? It has the analysis for several different companies.
February 26th, 2010 at 9:26 pm
Pharma Phred:
Why is MegaRed marketed as a one-300mg-pill-per-day product? . . . . . Marketing.
It’s the same reason that Dr. Mercola stresses the wonderful non-bovine-based gelatin of his krill-oil pills. Clearly, you cannot possibly accept the 1 in 100-million risk of contracting BSE from bovine-based gelatin pills, so Dr. Mercola is going to keep your brain cells safe with his SPECIAL krill oil pills (and let’s just pretend that you don’t take those other 5 or 10 or 15 bovine-based softgel pills you already take every day). And don’t worry your fragile brain cells about the fact that Mercola’s krill oil is itself an inferior product – which will reduce its ability to protect you from all sorts of terrible conditions. Just keep in mind: NO CATTLE HERE.
Now THAT’s marketing.
February 26th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
WH,
So.. are you saying that one should ignore the marketing and if they decide to get MegaRed.. to take at least 3 per day? (900mg)
PS Isn’t a huge part of krill oil just… marketing.. at this point anyway? There is very little scientific evidence. Heck there’s just now conclusive stuff finally coming to fruition about fish oil..
February 26th, 2010 at 9:47 pm
Elizabeth,
I figured that’s what you meant. I just wanted to add the bit out the possible synergistic effect in case it wasn’t obvious to those just joining the comment tread.
Can you please e-mail me the PDF file you mentioned? If so, I can ask my webmaster if there’s a way to create a link for it and post it here.
Be well!
JP
February 26th, 2010 at 9:53 pm
Pharma Phred and Bill,
I believe this is the study that prompted the 300 mg dose:
http://www.jacn.org/cgi/content/full/26/1/39
Be well!
JP
February 27th, 2010 at 9:47 am
Now I want the goods on where NSI gets its krill supply from for its new SKO krill product. I have contacted them several times. First, they only told me that the krill comes from China. They finally gave me a company name, but they gave me the name of a co. that claims it does not supply krill to anyone!
February 27th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
Elizabeth,
That would be interesting to know. I haven’t contacted NSI about this because the price really isn’t all that appealing. For instance, you can find genuine NKO products for a little bit less than the higher-end NSI product.
I’ve noticed that NSI makes it a point to let their customers know when they’re using branded raw materials. So I’m assuming their source for this krill oil isn’t noteworthy but I could be wrong.
Do you mind revealing what company name they gave you?
Be well!
JP
February 27th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
Kyolic Wakunaga Nutritional Supplements was the name they gave me for the NSI SKO krill. When I called the company, however, they told me my information was wrong and that they do not supply krill to anyone. I wrote to NSI and am waiting to hear back. An interesting bit–the SKO label is almost identical to the Azantis label. For instance, both report 420 mg of phospholipids. That is a “unique” number for krill. Usually, I have seen 400 mg on product labels. Still, Mickey, the man I talked to from Azantis, did not appear to know where the SKO krill came from. I am sure he would have known if it was from his company.
February 27th, 2010 at 1:34 pm
Hi, Elizabeth,
Interesting. A while ago, I was checking out “NSI” krill oil (I think NSI is just Vitacost). The numbers on the SKO label exactly match those quoted on the Azantis website for their main (high quality) oil, so I concluded that SKO is just Azantis (= Enzymotec) krill oil.
On the other hand, the numbers on the label of NSI’s “KriaXanthin” product are REALLY low, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the source is some Chinese company whose real specialty is melamine.
FYI: For the cheapest krill oil out there, check out:
http://www.nutrabulk.com/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=145
1000 softgels, 1000 mg each, for $229! For comparison, that’s like $6.87 a month (assuming 1000 mg a day). But the numbers on the label are pretty low. And the quoted value of 15 mg phospholipids is totally wacky (since 300 to 420 mg is typical).
Bill
February 27th, 2010 at 1:35 pm
Elizabeth,
I thought it might be Azantis too. Very curious indeed. Please keep us posted!
Be well!
JP
February 27th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
Oops: I was responding to your previous post. I was writing my post as your were posting this new one.
February 27th, 2010 at 1:43 pm
Bill,
NSI is indeed Vitacost’s product line. They claim to be very conscientious about their quality control but I’ve had an issue with one of their products in the past.
Some krill oil supplements appear to be virtually devoid of phopholipids:
http://www.puritan.com/krill-oil-341/krill-oil-1000-mg-029546?NewPage=1#product
It must have something to do with the variety of krill used and/or the extraction technique.
Be well!
JP
February 27th, 2010 at 1:43 pm
Hi Pharma Phred,
I am leery of Big Pharma. They share their interests with Big Gov. and Big Gov. just launched a HUGE campaign to get us all to take a shot of H1N1 that we really did not need. I mean this. I have been keeping my vitamin D levels up for over a year and I take other natural supplements. I have not even had a cold this year. This is going to sound “on the fringe,” but I don’t mind–I believe Big Gov. has too much of an interest in population reduction for me to trust them with my health. I would prefer to ingest the krill and make up my own mind about what works for me and mine. I think we are doing well. I cannot recall the last time I had to take our children to see the doctor, and no one in my family takes the flu shot.
February 27th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
Hi, JP,
The Puritan’s Pride numbers are identical with those of the NutraBulk oil (I thumb-fingered the phospholipid total for Nutrabulk – it’s 5 mg, too). So they’re probably from the same source.
Maybe an extraction process that uses high heat destroys phopholipids, which would explain the use of solvents (and “cold extraction”) by other manufacturers.
Bill
February 27th, 2010 at 3:40 pm
Hi, Elizabeth,
I have a friend who is an epidemiologist who frequently participates in colloquia about infectious diseases. He’s considered a leading authority in that area (but I’m uncomfortable citing his name without his permission, since he often tells me stuff that hasn’t yet been officially released to the public). He doesn’t work for Big Pharma – he’s works for a company with a government contract to do research. And he’s complained to me about occasions where the government doesn’t tell the public “the way it is.” And when he disagrees with what the government says, he tells me. He’s definitely not pushing the government line.
I ask him what HE does to protect his health and that of his family. He fully believes in the H1N1 vaccine (it’s likely that there will be further “waves” of outbreak). He believes avian flu is a potential major risk for the future, and that a vaccine is badly needed. I’ve asked him about supposed links between vaccines and autism, and he doesn’t think there’s reliable data to support that conclusion.
But what it comes down for all of us is: We judge the ill-defined risks and ill-defined rewards of taking various health-related actions, and we go with what we subjectively believe. Cause and effect is so elusive for many health-related issues that it’s impossible to know with any confidence what’s right or wrong. I personally get the seasonal vaccine, and got the H1N1 vaccine. However, given the risks I’ve dug up about the Gardasil (HPV) vaccine, if I had an 11-year-old daughter I wouldn’t have her vaccinated. And so it goes.
You’re not wacky, just trying to figure out the unfigurable like the rest of us.
Bill
February 27th, 2010 at 6:33 pm
Thanks, Bill. Yes, I gave myself a psych. eval. just to be absolutely certain
.
February 27th, 2010 at 8:56 pm
Elizabeth,
My wonderful webmaster was able to create a link to the krill oil info. you sent me. The link leads directly to a PDF file that can be downloaded. Thank you again for sharing what you’ve uncovered. Excellent info!
http://www.healthyfellow.com/doc/krill-oil.pdf
Be well!
JP
February 27th, 2010 at 11:03 pm
Hi JP,
!
I am pleased that you can use this information. I can’t wait to learn what you find out at the expo
Elizabeth
February 28th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
Hi, Elizabeth,
Very interesting info from Tharos. Here are two other sources for info on Superba and NKO oils:
Superba:
http://www.superiornutraceuticals.com/pdf/Krill_Product_Spec.pdf
NKO (see tables 2 through 4, with tables 5 and 6 being kind of interesting, too):
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/scdocs/doc/938.pdf
The values cited by Tharos don’t always match these other sources.
I’m still searching for data sheets on Enzyomtec oil.
Bill
February 28th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
Great info, Bill! Thank you for posting it!
Be well!
JP
March 1st, 2010 at 10:09 am
To get some insight into the krill business, google on Krill Industry Report. There are 12 going back to June of 2007. Some reports don’t come up unless you add a number. So google on, for example, Krill Industry Report 12. The earliest ones are hard to find, so here are the links:
#1: http://www.asoc.org/Portals/0/pdfs/Krill%20Industry%20Report%201-062007.pdf
#2: http://www.asoc.org/Portals/0/pdfs/Krill%20Industry%20Report%202-%20071207.pdf
#3: http://www.asoc.org/Portals/0/pdfs/Krill%20Industry%20Report%203-091507.pdf
Bill
March 1st, 2010 at 10:27 am
Thank you for all of this great info. Bill! Man, I love this site. Hey, can one of you figure out where NSI gets the krill for the new SKO krill product? Customer service at vitacost is giving me the run around. They are now telling me that they cannot disclose the information!
March 1st, 2010 at 4:14 pm
Thanks, Bill!
Elizabeth – I’ll give it a shot and report back with whatever they have to say.
Be well!
JP
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:12 am
Ladies and Gents,
I e-mailed Vitacost today and presented our question. I mentioned that other companies, such as Jarrow Formulas and Now Foods, openly state their source of krill oil. I also commented that NSI’s/Vitacost’s other krill oil product (Kriaxanthin) provides it’s raw material source (Cyvex). We’ll see what happens …
Be well!
JP
March 2nd, 2010 at 8:06 am
I emailed Azantis. I figure their response, whatever it is – unless they say they have a policy of “neither confirm or deny” – will reveal whether the NSI SKO oil is azantis.
I also asked Azantis whether Enzymotec’s process involved solvents and if so, what the solvent is (I’m almost certain Enzymotec does use solvents, but it would be nice to know if it’s ethanol [relatively benign], acetone [not as good], or hexane [ugh]). And I argued that revealing the solvent is not the same as revealing the actual proprietary process.
We’ll see what we find out.
By the way, I found a short article on Tharos (don’t have the link handy right now) that stated (as Elizabeth’s info has already indicated) that Tharos has a non-solvent-based extraction process. The story also indicated that Tharos said that Aker and Neptune were both interested. But the motivation is not what you probably think – to produce a “cleaner” oil.
No, the big attraction of a non-solvent-based process is that the use of solvents is EXPENSIVE, in part because solvent-based processes cannot be performed on the ships that catch krill. Tharos’s process can be performed on-ship, and will reduce the cost of production 30%.
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:58 am
Thank you, guys! By the way, is anyone willing to say which krill product you like the best from the information available at this time?
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:09 am
I was just thinking what a chore it would be to learn the origins of every supplement I take
!
Mercola’s Whole Food Plus Minerals w. 5000 IU D-3
NSI’s Natural Astaxanthin
NSI’s Ubiquinol
NSI’s Resveratrol Grape Seed & Red Wine Extracts
NSI’s Omega-3 Mood Formula
NSI’s Superior Krill Oil (SKO, until the krill comes from Azantis)
NSI’s Probiotic 15-35
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:17 am
Elizabeth,
I think ethanol is more benign than acetone, so if that were the only issue, I’d prefer Superba oil to NKO. But I think Superba oil is less stable than NKO (at least in part because Aker doesn’t supplement the astaxanthin), and on the web the issue of omega-3 oils going rancid is mentioned in a log of places.
I also think that the Superba oil label exaggerates the EPA and DHA levels somewhat (if you compare the figures on the Superba-oil labels to the Superba spec sheet at the link above, you’ll see what I mean), whereas NKO clearly is using worst-case figures on its labels (they’re well below the figures on the EFSA document). So I think NKO is a little higher quality in that respect.
Enzymotec oil is a big question mark for me. I have no idea what solvent they use, and I don’t really know what their lipid profile is, other than that data provide by Tharos. I’m guessing – based upon some info I’ve come upon – that they use some hexane-based solvent, which I don’t like at all (but maybe they use ethanol or acetone). I’m curious how Azantis will respond to my question. I also plan on asking Azantis for a spec sheet – they say on their website that they provide it “to their customers,” so what objection could they possibly have to supply it to the ultimate customers, us?
In sum, right now I prefer NKO, and that’s what I use. However, you are getting great benefits with Azantis oil, so if I were you I wouldn’t switch.
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:31 am
Hi Bill,
I bet Azantis will give you the spec. sheet. They were very nice when I talked to them. I simply failed to ask for one when I talked to Mickey, but I am glad you have done so, because it will be interesting to see it. As far as the solvent, Mickey told me it is eliminated from the final product, so I am not too worried. However, I would still be interested in a solvent free product, if everything else was also good and the beneficial components were still preserved in the product.
Yes, the Azantis oil I got from Dr. Mercola gave me excellent results. I can only imagine that the premium grade from Azantis will be even better.
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:41 am
Oh–there will be one other difference in the Azantis (compared to Mercola) oil–the gel capsule vs. Mercola’s “capliques.” I really doubt that this is going to matter, though. Any thoughts?
March 2nd, 2010 at 2:45 pm
An update, a comment and a link:
I just got word from Neptune that their comparative literature should be ready any day now. I’ll post whatever info. they send me ASAP.
Elizabeth, I’ve used both NKO and Azantis krill oil. My choice depends on what’s in stock (at the online site I order from), the price and one other factor – I’ve noticed that the Now Foods krill oil (NKO) appears to have a stronger aroma than Jarrow’s krill oil (Azantis). The Now Foods soft gels seem to have a “thinner skin” which may explain this observation. From a sensory perspective, I tend to prefer the Jarrow product but it’s not a huge factor.
Bill, I believe this may be the column you were referring to?
Chilean firm proposes solvent-free krill extraction
I’ll take a look at the “caplique” claim when I have a few free moments. Right now, I’m tap dancing as fast as I can!
Be well!
JP
March 2nd, 2010 at 5:26 pm
Yep, JP, that’s the article. And notice that Hexane is mentioned and that Enzymotec reportedly indicated interest in Tharos’s process. And since we know that Aker uses ethanol and Nepune uses acetone, I put 2 and 2 together, and concluded that Enzymotec uses hexane.
With respect to capliques: Mercola claims that the capliques preserve the krill oil better, but I’m not sure what the basis of that claim is. Capliques are based on fish gelatin and normal gel-tabs are based on bovine gelatin; despite searching for a caplique/gel-tab comparison, I wasn’t able to find anything other than Mercola’s claims.
And Mercola’s claim is rather dubious considering the capliques have an obvious “join” at the middle, whereas gel-tab don’t. And ironically, there’s a place on Mercola’s site where he warns customers that occasionally the capliques leak. If they occasionally leak, how can they possibly be a better air-seal than gel-tab?
Mercola’s site also mentions the following points:
1. Improves bioavailability by promoting absorption.
This is arrant nonsense. Since when does one type of soluble container promote better absorption than another.
2, Avoids the use of plasticizers — chemicals that can exert a negative effect on your endocrine system.
If this is true, why not put the krill oil in a fish-gel gel-tab without plasticizers?
3. Possesses greater bioavailability due to reduced sensitivity to heat and moisture.
All I can say is, wow.
As I wrote in an earlier post, this is all “marketing” as far as I can tell. If Mercola is worried about getting the maximum amount krill lipids to human cells, why on earth does he use a low-grade krill oil?
Note: I found one manufacturer who puts high-grade krill oil (I think it’s NKO) in capliques, but it’s VERY expensive:
http://www.integrativepsychiatry.net/douglas_labs_neurokrill_caps.html
March 2nd, 2010 at 6:41 pm
Bill,
Yep–that is expensive. I wonder how they get all that EPA in the capsule–larger amounts of oil?? Hm…
Elizabeth Jesse
aka, Krill Detective (lol)
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:58 pm
I didn’t have time to do much digging today. But I’m pretty sure I found the manufacturer of Capliques – http://www.atrium-innovations.com/en/home.html
They don’t appear to have a North American e-mail address posted on their “contact us” page but they do list a phone number. I can try giving them a call tomorrow.
Be well!
JP
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:13 pm
Here’s Neptune’s patent for extracting lipids from animal tissue:
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6800299.html
Turns out they use BOTH acetone (to obtain what they refer to as “fraction 1″) and then an alcohol (to obtain what they refer to as “fraction 2″).
And how do they ultimately remove the solvents from the lipids? Why, to quote the patent: “To get rid of traces of organic solvents, lipid fractions I and II are warmed to about 125° C. for about 15 minutes under inert atmosphere.”
125 degrees C is 45 degrees Fahrenheit above water’s boiling point. I guess it would be fair to call this a “not so cold extraction” method. But at least it does appear to preserve the phospholipids.
Here is a quote of the most interesting parts:
“The starting material consisting of freshly harvested and preferably finely divided marine and aquatic animal material is subjected to acetone extraction, for at about two hours and preferably overnight. However extraction time is not critical to the yield of lipid extraction. To facilitate extraction, it is preferable to use particles of less than 5 mm in diameter. Extraction is preferably conducted under inert atmosphere and at a temperature in the order of about 5° C. or less.
“Preferably, the beginning of the extraction will be conducted under agitation for about 10 to 40 minutes, preferably 20 minutes. Although extraction time is not critical, it was found that a 2 hour extraction with 6:1 volume ratio of acetone to marine and aquatic animal material is best.
“The solubilized lipid fractions are separated from the solid material by standard techniques including, for example, filtration, centrifugation or sedimentation. Filtration is preferably used.
“After separation by filtration on an organic solvent resistant filter (metal, glass or paper) the residue is optionally washed with pure acetone, preferably two volumes (original volume of material) to recover yet more lipids. The combined filtrates are evaporated under reduced pressure. Optionally, flash evaporation or spray drying may be used. The water residue obtained after evaporation is allowed to separate from the oil phase (fraction I) at low temperature.
“The solid residue collected on the filter is suspended and extracted with alcohol, such as ethanol, isopropanol, t-butanol or alternatively with ethyl acetate, preferably two volumes (original volume of material). The filtrate is evaporated leaving a second fraction of lipids (identified as fraction II). Although the extraction period is not critical, it was found that an extraction time of about 30 minutes is sufficient at temperatures below about 5° C.
“Temperature of the organic solvents, except t-butanol, and temperature of the sample are not critical parameters, but it is preferable to be as cold as possible. However, in the case of t-butanol which is solid at room temperature, it is important to warm it before using it and to perform the extraction at 25° C. immediately.”
March 3rd, 2010 at 12:25 am
The latest wrinkle in the krill oil story:
“Valensa has teamed up with Aker BioMarine to launch a krill oil ingredient for supplements that bolsters the astaxanthin levels in krill oil.
Targeting general and cardiovascular health, the new Deep Ocean Krill ingredient combines Superba Krill Oil from Aker with Zanthin Natural Astaxanthin from Valensa.
Florida-based Valensa claims that the two distinguishing features of the new ingredient are its high astaxanthin levels and its stability – the product offers guaranteed shelf-life of two years.”
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Industry/Valensa-adds-astaxanthin-to-krill-oil-in-new-ingredient
Be well!
JP
March 3rd, 2010 at 9:41 am
Good Morning Everyone!
I can’t say enough about astaxanthin. It is awesome stuff. My skin looks so much better since I have been on it (over a year now)., and I would post a picture, but I do not know how on this blog). The thing is, the krill people are making such a big deal about the fact that this super antioxidant is in their krill. In most cases, there are only 1.5 grams of astaxanthin in a daily dose of krill. I take EIGHT grams a day, plus whatever is in the krill. It’s very cheap, too. It is only $9.99 for 60, 4mg capsules of Natural Asataxanthin (see BioAstin) at vitacost.com
Have a nice morning!
Elizabeth
March 3rd, 2010 at 3:31 pm
Interesting, JP,
To quote from the article:
“Thanks to the addition of its botanical O2B Peroxidation Blocker technology, Valensa says it can guarantee Deep Ocean Krill a two year shelf-life.”
This is definitely a positive development, but it begs the question: If the addition of Valensa astaxanthin to Superba krill oil will give the combination a two-year shelf life, then presumably Superba krill oil must currently have MUCH LESS than a two-year shelf life (despite what the Superba krill oil spec sheet says). I suspected as much, but this article pretty much removes all doubt and suggests to me that the actual shelf-life of Superba krill oil is no more than 1 year.
I know the manufacturers recommend against freezing krill oil, but what is their opinion on refrigeration?
Bill
March 3rd, 2010 at 3:36 pm
JP,
I just received the spec sheet from Azantis. Where can I email it to you as an attachment?
Bill
March 3rd, 2010 at 4:18 pm
Bill–I can’t wait to see it. My Azantis krill just came today!
March 3rd, 2010 at 4:49 pm
Bill–I believe I have been told you should not refrigerate krill. I guess it makes it sticky.
March 3rd, 2010 at 7:48 pm
Bill–can you email the Azantis spec. sheet to elizjesse@sbcglobal.net ?
March 3rd, 2010 at 9:03 pm
Bill,
You can reach me at jp@healthyfellow.com
Elizabeth may be correct about the humidity/refrigeration issue. I haven’t specifically asked though.
In other news, or non-news, I wasn’t able to contact Atrium Innovations (the makers of the Caplique soft capsules) today. I called around 3:00 PM my time but they were closed. I’ll try again tomorrow.
No word yet from Vitacost/NSI about their SKO product and nothing new from Neptune.
Be well!
JP
March 3rd, 2010 at 11:12 pm
So I’ve emailed the Azantis data sheet to JP (and of course, Elizabeth), which should be posted relatively soon. But a little more background info:
I exchanged emails with Mickey at Azantis, and I can confirm Elizabeth’s impressions that he is a wonderfully helpful guy. After looking at the data sheet, I noticed that the reported astaxanthin level seemed very low. Here was our next email exchange:
————
Thanks, Mickey,
I notice that a few of the numbers on the fact sheet are a little different from those on on your website and on the labels of products that use Azantis krill oil.
For example, on the Products page of your website, where you list “Azantis Krill Oil Supplement Facts,” the astaxanthin level is listed as 1.5 mg/gram – this is also the number listed on Azantis krill oil product labels. But on the fact sheet, you indicate “0.15 mg.” Is that a typo (did you mean .15% rather than .15 mg), or are you not including supplemented esterified astaxanthin on the fact sheet ?
Also, you show 183 mg EPA and 456 mg phospholipids (very high numbers) on the fact sheet, whereas on the website and product label the numbers are 150 and 420 mg, respectively. Are the data on the product labels conservative, worst-case values?
———————–
Mickey’s response:
The fact sheet was made awhile ago; the best way to figure out is a C of A on the softgels. Very good point on the esterified astaxanthin; all of our astaxanthin is esterified and is 1.5%, or 1500ppm. It is a typo on the data sheet that will be corrected. It should read 1.5mg or 1500ppm of Astaxanthin.
As to The EPA/DHA, we use low #’s on the label, and the same for the Phospholipids, because it is very hard to hit perfect #’s on each batch. So we use the #’s we know will be the worst case. It is the same for the weight of the softgels; we state that they are 500mg when we know they are overfilled to 510mg most of the time, but we keep the 500mg as the base #.
————————–
And Elizabeth, you’ll be interested to know that Mickey confirmed that NSI SKO is indeed Azantis oil (but Mickey also said that that oil was sold to Vita Cost 11 months ago, so buyer beware). NSI KriaXanthin is NOT Azantis oil (not even the cheaper, 2810 blend-quality oil).
Anyway, that’s the news that’s fit to type for now.
Bill
March 3rd, 2010 at 11:24 pm
Fantastico, Bill! You and Elizabeth are quickly becoming the first couple of krill oil! You’re both discovering wonderfully useful information. Thank you both!
PS – Kriaxanthin comes from this source.
They claim to use no solvents in the extraction process.
Be well!
JP
March 4th, 2010 at 1:37 am
Ladies and Gents,
Here’s the Azantis PDF courtesy of Bill.
Be well!
JP
March 4th, 2010 at 8:46 am
Thanks, Bill! Awesome work. Now, I am waiting with bated breath to hear what is NOT fit for printing, lol!
JP, I think you should do a movie about this called, The Krill Detectives. The stars of the film would all have OCD when it comes to investigating krill. What do you say?
Seriously, though, this has to be one of the most informative krill research places, ever–at least for consumers.
TTYL-
March 4th, 2010 at 10:31 am
My latest “investigation” is on the refrigeration question. Some places (including Mercola) say, “Please do not refrigerate.” But they really don’t say why. I found a blog where one of the posters said (like Elizabeth suggested) that the gel-tabs get all sticky in the refrigerator.
But I found another site that said the shelf-life of krill oil gel-tabs would be doubled (to 4 years) by refrigeration, and that the stickiness is caused by moisture penetrating the plastic bottle. So they recommend storing in glass bottles.
Anyway, anything that can preserve the healthful qualities of krill oil to the maximum extent possible (without going crazy about it) would seem to me to be desirable. So I’d like to get to the bottom of this. It simply doesn’t make sense to me that refrigeration (as opposed to freezing) would be a bad thing.
Bill
March 4th, 2010 at 12:31 pm
The Krill Detectives, eh? It does have a ring to it.
Bill – I’m almost certain it’s the higher level of relative humidity in the refrigerator that’s the concern. In the past, I would use liquid fish oil that required refrigeration. I can’t image why krill would be any different. Glass bottles and silica packets would probably do the trick, IMO.
Be well!
JP
March 4th, 2010 at 12:46 pm
One difference between krill and fish oil is the phospholipids, which make the krill oil water soluble. So I can understand how, if water vapor penetrated into the plastic bottle and through the gel-tab’s shell, you could end up with more and more water getting into the krill oil, which (perhaps) would in turn cause the gel-tabs to start breaking down ==> stickiness issue. Further, the extra water (which contains dissolved oxygen) in the krill oil would probably causes the oil to oxidize more rapidly.
So, yeah, refrigeration COULD cause serious problems. But I’m guessing it’s not the refrigeration, per se. And I guess there’s a similar concern with freezing. Still, in a well sealed (and perhaps evacuated) glass container, I wouldn’t think it would be a problem.
March 4th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
For now, the 2 year shelf life is good for me. I guess I may want to freeze it if I was planning to stockpile it. Maybe that is not such a bad idea. If Big Pharma is ever able to get a monopoly on krill, I am sure the price would go way up. It seems to me that some of the krill people are trying to do that right now with the astaxanthin *sell*. Astaxanthin is not currently expensive, though, so I am unimpressed by the hype about more astaxanthin in the krill, even though I really, really like astaxanthin and krill
.
March 4th, 2010 at 1:04 pm
Actually, Big Pharma, if they were wise, would make a Prozac/Krill/Astaxanthin/Ubiquinol “blend” for depression. I bet it would work much better that way!
March 4th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
Good point, Bill. Thank you for making it.
I found a contact person at Atrium Innovations. I e-mailed him and I’m awaiting a reply re: the Caplique technology.
Here are a few krill oil links I thought might be of interest:
Krill Oil Manufacturers and Suppliers
Krill Oil Pre-Clinical Testing (Drug Development) –
Significant Anti-dyslipidemic Effects Confirmed
Drug Candidate CaPre™ Improvement of Glucose Tolerance
Reports on Medical Food Candidate Preclinical Research
NeuroBioPharm
Be well!
JP
March 4th, 2010 at 4:09 pm
From Mickey at Azantis:
“The reason that you should not put krill oil softgels in hot or cold weather is that the phospholipids in gelatin softgels react to the temp, phospholipids are very unstable and they clot. The exact reason for this I do not know but it does effect the softgel.
“It is after the biomass has been processed that the oil becomes very sensitive to heat and cold. Again it is hard to explain why phospholipids act, but if a company uses a thin softgel or sometimes a two-piece capsule they will find the weak point in the capsule usually where the seal is and sometimes come through.”
Me again:
I don’t believe the phospholipids are “unstable” in the sense of breaking down. What I believe is actually going on is that as the krill oil absorbs water (from water vapor from the air), the volume of liquid increases, putting pressure on the capsule (and given the presence of water, perhaps partially dissolving it, too). The oil would then push through any weak point. Which explains why Mercola’s capliques are more subject to leakage (they have a very obvious seam) than normal gel-tabs.
March 4th, 2010 at 4:42 pm
Hi–
I was reading through this blog and noticing how we have all “evolved” in our understanding about krill. It might be helpful to summarize our findings for new people who read this so they aren’t confused by reading an earlier post that someone wrote before they had more information. Does that make sense?
March 4th, 2010 at 9:07 pm
Ladies and Gents,
I just exchanged e-mails with Mickey of Azantis. If all goes as planned, I’ll have the opportunity to meet him in Anaheim next weekend. Looking forward to it.
Elizabeth – I think that’s a good idea. I’ll go through the comments and try to pick up on the main points and do my best to summarize them. I’m in the middle of a few projects at the moment but I’ll have the summary up soon. We can all add to it, of course, and amend it as needed.
Be well!
JP
March 4th, 2010 at 9:17 pm
The latest … Neptune Technologies & Bioressources Inc. distances itself from the current fish oil controversy.
Be well!
JP
March 4th, 2010 at 9:26 pm
How cool. Mickey seems like a very nice and dynamic man. I wish I could come out to the expo next month.
I started making a “krill detective chart,” lol. Mine is rather crude right now, but I think having one would make it nice and neat for new readers, so they do not have to try and follow our brain storming through a hundred plus posts.
Oh, Mickey sent along a great book with my Azantis order, by the way. It is called Brain-Building Nutrition: How Dietary Fats and Oils Affect Mental, Physical, and Emotional Intelligence, by Michael A. Schmidt, Ph.D. The book is filled with great information and it does discuss krill more than the earlier book written by Dr. Stoll.
March 5th, 2010 at 12:12 am
Elizabeth,
The good news: you got an interesting book about krill oil. The bad news is that we’ll be expecting a book report!
Seriously though, I’d/we’d love to hear your thoughts about Dr. Schmidt’s book.
Be well!
JP
March 5th, 2010 at 1:04 am
That Neptune article has some very interesting information. I was under the impression that Neptune supplements the astaxanthin content of its krill oil, pretty much in the same way Aker will soon be doing with Valensa astaxanthin. But Neptune’s Harland says NKO astaxanthin is “naturally occurring”, as if no supplementation is performed.
If you look at Table 17 of Neptune’s patent (see link above), you’ll see that the total astaxanthin resulting from the two lipid fractions produced by the extraction process is about 215 micro-grams/gram of oil, or .215 mg of astaxanthin. That .215 mg is what I would refer to as “naturally occurring.”
So, where does the additional 1.3 mg come from? I have a guess:
Those two concepts (supplementation and “naturally occurring”) can be reconciled if by “naturally occurring” Harland actually means “naturally occurring in krill,” but not necessarily naturally present at full (1.5%) strength in NKO immediately after oil extraction. Perhaps Neptune extracts astaxanthin from the solid matter (including krill exo-skeletons) left over after oil extraction, and then some sort of process is performed to esterify it (bind it) with omega-3′s in the krill oil.
Enzymotec krill oil also has 1.5 mg of “esterified” astaxanthin. Maybe, JP, when you meet with Mickey you can find out what all this astaxanthin stuff really means.
At any rate (and Elizabeth, this is for you), I think it’s quite likely that the NKO and Azantis esterified astaxanthin is probably much more bio-available than plant-based astaxanthin.
Another, unrelated, tidbit that I picked up from that article is this designation, “NKO(R)”. What does that “R” stand for? To me, the implication is that there’s some other letter that designates another, lower (blend) grade of Neptune oil.
March 5th, 2010 at 1:15 am
My bad. I think the “R” in NKO(R) is just supposed to the the “Registered Trademark” designation.
My imagination sometimes goes a little crazy. :-/
March 5th, 2010 at 10:30 am
Hi Bill,
!
Well, darnit, they should not have put that (R) in such an unrecognizable format
Have you seen the book on astaxanthin? I will send the link to JP. Anyway, BioAstin does make the natural version of astaxanthin. I am not sure about this esterified vs. plant based issue. I will need to check it out.
March 5th, 2010 at 10:37 am
Aw, JP, a book report? That will require me to access my higher order cognitive capabilities, lol! Are you expecting master’s level work? Okay–I will do it, but it may take a couple of days.
March 5th, 2010 at 1:03 pm
More “skinny” on the SKO product from Vitacost: The manufactured date on my bottle says 0110. I assume this means that the product was made in January of this year. Now, if Vitacost (or NSI) bought the krill a year ago, my guess is this SKO only has one year left of shelf life. Hm. I wonder how long they will continue to sell it?
March 5th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
Elizabeth,
What Use By date is on the SKO bottle? It SHOULD be based on the date the krill oil was manufactured, not the date the pills were manufactured and/or bottled by NSI.
One thing I forgot to ask Mickey was: What is the shelf-life of Azantis oil? If they supplement their astaxanthin in the same way Neptune does, then the oil should be stable for three years (assuming Neptune’s claimed shelf life is accurate).
Of course, the clock actually starts ticking on the date the oil is manufactured by Enzymotec. On average, it might take a couple of months for Azantis to receive it, and then up to a few more months before all of a given batch of oil is completely sold out to manufacturers. So the NSI oil could easily have been 4 months old before NSI received it.
Now you know, Elizabeth, why I’m concerned about stability. And this isn’t just a question of whether the oil is consumed within the oil’s shelf-life. Frankly, I’d hope to consume oil well before the shelf life has expired. Same-day bread is wonderful; four-day-old bread may not be stale yet, but it isn’t nearly as good.
Fresh is better (and I can be awfully fresh).
March 5th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
Bill,
Mickey said the shelf life in Azantis oil is 2 years. However, he also said that after 2 years, the oil only loses about 5% of the beneficial components. This is not too bad when you consider that Azantis puts more “good stuff” in it than what they report. Maybe this is why Neptune claims a 3 year shelf life. My guess is that Azantis could get away with the same claim, but they want to make sure they are absolutely not scamming people.
There is no use by date on the SKO product, and since we have heard it was purchased by NSI a whole year ago, my guess is that it only has one year left if a use by date were to be placed on the bottle. So, the question is, how “fresh” is the NKO oil, really
?
Elizabeth
March 5th, 2010 at 3:58 pm
Bill – I’ll try to find out all I can about the astaxanthin issue when I speak to Mickey at Expo West.
Elizabeth – Thank you for the book link. Any type of book report will be welcome. No pressure. We grade on a curve around here.
Still no reply from Neptune or NSI.
Be well!
JP
March 5th, 2010 at 4:00 pm
I don’t know if the FDA has rules regarding whether supplement manufacturers (by whom I mean those slapping a label on the product and selling it to consumers) are required to be restricted by the supplement’s inherent shelf life as opposed to when they placed it in the bottle.
Because of the uncertainty as to the actual age of supplements, I think it’s wise to purchase supplements originally manufactured by major players (rapid turnover of raw materials), packaged by major manufacturers (high turnover of inventory), and sold by major resellers (rapid turnover of stock). So, for example, krill oil from Mercola is probably fresh. Same for NOW NKO sold by Swansons. And if the seller will cooperate, we can always ask for the Use By date (if there is one).
I have a feeling that the Use By date is left off the most recent NSI SKO bottles because it would have looked bad.
March 5th, 2010 at 4:04 pm
JP,
I wrote Neptune, too, asking about astaxanthin and quoting from yesterday’s article and their patent.
Bill
March 5th, 2010 at 7:30 pm
Brain-Building Nutrition: How Dietary Fats and Oils Affect Mental, Physical, and Emotional Intelligence, 3rd edition, by Michael A. Schmidt, PhD.
Dr. Schmidt provides readers with a valuable resource that looks into the world of essential fatty acids (EFAs) and their effects on almost every aspect of human physiology.
In Dr. Schmidt’s book, we learn that our brains are made up of nearly 6o percent fat and that we have the capability to improve our health, substantially, by including certain fats and oils in our daily diets. Dr. Schmidt covers the science behind EFAs and discusses how to get the brain-fats we need in his chapter on food and supplements. He also talks about the dangers of trans fatty acids on the brain in a chapter entitled, The French Fry Generation.
One thing I like about Dr. Schmidt’s book is the fact that he addresses the benefits of using krill oil. Most of the earlier work written on EFA’s mainly discussed the use of fish oil as a source for beneficial fats. As we know from all of the studies, fish oil can be helpful for protecting heart health, reducing bad cholesterol, treating depression, PMS and ADHD; however, it does not contain the choline rich phospholipids that our brains need. In his book, Dr. Schmidt discusses what can happen when we do not get enough choline. He refers to the work of Dr. Richard Wurtman, who found that the brain can actually “cannibalize” when enough choline is not provided in the diet! Dr. Schmidt also discusses phospholipid supplements in his book and mentions that the fatty acid in krill is a close match for our own brain phospholipids.
The other parts I really like about Dr. Schmidt’s book are all of the studies that he includes discussing how EFA’s protect the brain against neurological disorders, like Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, and Alzheimer’s disease. The case study he writes about concerning the use of EFA’s in reducing violence in prisoners is also quite fascinating.
Finally, the book includes a helpful question and answer section and several useful appendixes–a table of foods with the highest antioxidant content, a body mass index (BMI) table, contents of Omega-3 in marine and fresh water fish, and much more.
Despite my joy in finding this wonderful book, I still believe there is an audience out there (including me) who would like to see a newer book written where krill oil is used as the main source for EFAs in all of the case studies. Until that happens, Dr. Schmidt’s book is a very, very useful reference.
~Elizabeth A. Jesse, MA, LLPC
March 5th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
http://www.amazon.com/review/R30G4ARQDB1S93/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm
The above link is to the book review I posted on Amazon. Happy reading
!
Elizabeth
March 6th, 2010 at 12:13 am
Bravo, Elizabeth! Well done. I feel like I have a good sense of the book already.
Brain cannibalism? Yikes! I’m off to make some eggs (another good source of choline) and take some krill oil pronto!
Be well!
JP
March 11th, 2010 at 11:35 pm
Here’s some very basic information provide to me about the supposed advantages of capliques vs. soft gels. More on this to come …
Be well!
JP
March 12th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
Does anyone know anything about Good Health USA (Good Health Naturally? I have ordered from them before, but not the Krill oil and I wondered about the quality of it. Thanks!
March 12th, 2010 at 8:34 pm
Hi Michelle,
I clicked on the label of the krill in question. It has hardly any astaxanthin, ZERO phospholipids, low levels of EPA and DHA, and it costs almost $1.00 per capsule. My conclusion? I would not buy it. Try Jarrow or Source Naturals. The krill costs less with these companies and is a much more potent.
March 13th, 2010 at 2:47 am
Michelle,
I agree with Elizabeth. The Good Health USA product is more expensive and less impressive than other krill oil products I’ve seen – in terms of the astaxanthin and omega-3 fatty acid content. I’d look for other brands that clearly state their phospholipid content and provide higher levels of astaxanthin, DHA and EPA.
Be well!
JP
March 15th, 2010 at 10:09 pm
Ladies and Gents,
I’ll put together another krill oil column shortly. I have quite a lot of new information to share. Some of it is based on my recent visit to this year’s Natural Products Expo West.
Be well!
JP
March 16th, 2010 at 7:35 am
Hi JP,
I can’t wait to hear what you learned!
April 5th, 2010 at 2:09 am
HI ALL,
Very interesting posts. So, what is the “best” krill available for the money? I just ordered 4 bottles (each bottle is a 3 month supply)from Mercola. It was expensive. From what I have learned from you guys, that may not have been a wise purchase. Maybe I should return them. Which product is the best choice?
Thanks,
RON
April 5th, 2010 at 9:23 am
Hi Ron,
My issue with Dr. Mercola is that he uses oils from several different suppliers and the values for the Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) and the astaxanthin levels in his krill product are often much lower than what you would get if you stuck with one supplier. You can check this for yourself just by reading the labels.
After weeks of seeking answers from the main krill oil suppliers, I, personally (and I only speak for myself) have chosen the NOW brand Neptune Krill Oil (NKO) for the following reasons:
1. The oil is extracted from frozen krill. I believe this preserves the dignity of the krill, over, say, extracting the oil from cooked krill.
2. Neptune had the original patent on krill oil and did most of the research that is available on krill oil.
3. Neptune is the only krill oil supplier I know of that maintains high levels of astaxanthin in their krill oil and that also extracts the astaxanthin directly from the krill–not from an outside source.
4. The chemicals used in the extraction process for the Neptune oil seem less toxic to me than what may be used in other oils. Even though these chemicals are “washed away” in the end product, it still makes me feel better to know they were less toxic to begin with.
5. The NOW brand of Neptune Krill Oil is reasonably priced at under $17.00 for a one month supply at Swanson Vitamins.
6. Swanson sells a lot of supplements. The high turnover of their product assures me that my krill will likely be fresh.
Again, the above is only my opinion.
Best Wishes,
Elizabeth
April 5th, 2010 at 11:45 am
Ron,
I’m putting together a new post on krill oil. One of my sources (of information) has been on vacation so I wanted to touch base with him before I compile my latest piece on krill.
Elizabeth is very well informed about krill oil. I agree with her comments about Dr. Mercola’s product – based on what I’ve read about it. I’d personally go with another source such as the Now Foods supplement Elizabeth mentioned.
Be well!
JP
April 6th, 2010 at 3:35 pm
Elizabeth, Ron, Michelle, JP,
I have never heard of KRILL until today and have been trying to find out all I can on the internet and then came across this site. I have several questions and I am hoping that someone will answer them for me.
I think I understand what brand of krill to buy….Neptune from the Swanson’s site. If this is not correct please let me know. I should take 500 mg twice a day.
I now get my fish oil from my chiropractor and it’s expensive – Ortho Molecular. Can someone advise me on what brand I could use in place that would be less expensive?
I have been diagnosed with mild CHF and will be having a stent placed next week Thursday. I need to start taking Plavix the end of this week and then probably for a year two after that.
Of course my doctors (regular & heart) are both insisting that I NEED to start taking Crestor or one of the cholesterol drugs and I am resisting. I want to try lowering my numbers with exercise, diet change and supplements of some kind. Can I take krill if I am on Plavix. And do you feel that cholesterol can be lowered without taking these poisons that the medical profession and the drug companies push down our throats?
I would appreciate any advise that any of you can give me.
Thanks,
Barb
April 6th, 2010 at 4:25 pm
Hi Barb,
I would not feel right giving you medical advice. However, you can probably find a reasonably priced, high quality fish oil. I would look at the label on what you are currently getting. Then do a search for oils with similar amounts of EPA and DHA in them. Look for oil that comes from fish in the Antarctica, because the waters are cleaner, and look for a molecularly distilled oil to further insure that the oil is free of any potential contaminants.
I do not take fish oil, anymore–just krill. I wish I could be more helpful.
Best Wishes,
Elizabeth
April 6th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
From altmedicine.about.com
“Cholesterol
Krill oil is being studied as a natural remedy for high cholesterol. In one study, 120 people were given krill oil, fish oil or a placebo. Krill oil reduced LDL (commonly referred to as “bad”) cholesterol by 34% and increased HDL (“good”) cholesterol by 43.5% compared to the placebo. In comparison, fish oil reduced LDL cholesterol by 4.6% and increased HDL cholesterol by 4.2%. Krill also lowered triglycerides.”
April 6th, 2010 at 4:46 pm
Barb,
I’ll add my two cents worth and then hopefully Elizabeth and Bill will chime in as well.
+ Neptune Krill Oil (NKO) is a good choice, IMO. However the Swanson Vitamins’ house brand no longer uses NKO in their product. But they do sell other brands of NKO on their site: Nature’s Way, Now Foods, Source Naturals and TwinLab. It’s important to verify that the product label specifically states that it contains Neptune Krill Oil. Otherwise it may contain a different source of krill which may not yield the same benefits.
+ 500 mg twice-daily is the typical dosage. I think that’s a good starting point – that can be adjusted as needed.
+ In terms of finding a lower-priced fish oil, it’s important to try to match a product that contains a similar amount of DHA and EPA (the primary omega-3 fatty acids). If you let us know the quantity of DHA and EPA contained in the product you’re using (per serving), we might be able to find you a more reasonably-priced source. In general, I like certain brands such as Carlson and Coromega. Nordic Naturals is also high-quality but kind of pricey.
+ I think you should ask your doctor and surgeon about the advisability of using fish oil or krill oil prior to the stent placement. Most physicians and surgeons recommend staying away from any supplements that may “thin the blood” close to surgical procedures. Fish oil and krill oil tend to inhibit platelet aggregation and thereby improve blood flow. The concern is that this effect may promote bleeding issues in the context of surgical procedures.
+ If your health team is open to the idea of combining medications and supplements (post surgery), perhaps they’ll find this abstract to be of interest:
http://www.ajconline.org/article/S0002-9149%2809%2901178-3/abstract
That’s the closest thing I’m aware of that supports the simultaneous use of omega-3s and Plavix.
+ Cholesterol can be effectively managed via diet, lifestyle and the judicious use of supplements. It’s possible that krill oil alone even may be enough to bring your lipid levels into an acceptable range – based on the target your doctors have set for you.
What some people decide to do is to ask their doctors for a trial period in which they attempt to lower their LDL cholesterol via natural means alone. This generally involves a experiment time frame of at least 3 months. That’s often enough time to see what you can accomplish without the assistance of a statin medication.
If you ultimately decide to use Crestor, please consult with your physicians about the wisdom of combining it with Coenzyme Q10. This *may* offset some of the adverse effects of this statin drug.
Be well!
JP
April 6th, 2010 at 6:12 pm
I see that the only prescription fish oil for heart health (LOVAZA) has 465mg EPA and 375 mg DHA in a capsule and the approved dose is 4 capsules a day. Maybe we can find a similar oil?
April 6th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
Elizabeth,
It sounds like Barb is using a non-prescription fish oil (the Ortho Molecular brand). If this is the product she’s using:
http://www.orthomolecularproducts.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=74edf340-e3aa-41eb-b2be-20e5d277cf43
… then perhaps Carlson’s Elite Omega-3 Gems may be a suitable alternative.
http://www.carlsonlabs.com/p-255-elite-omega-3-gems.aspx
It’s worth shopping around for the best price online. Prices vary dramatically. Some sites carry the 180 softgel size of the Carlson product for about $35 – which is often about half of the price of the Ortho Molecular fish oil.
Be well!
JP
April 6th, 2010 at 7:07 pm
Hi JP,
Yes. I was just wondering about the EPA and DHA ratios that a doctor would suggest for heart health. I know it is different than what Dr. Stoll recommends for mood. For instance, a 7:1 EPA to DHA ratio is recommended for depression. It looks like the EPA and DHA ratio is much less for heart. Quick, get me a math whiz!
April 7th, 2010 at 9:18 am
Thanks Elizabeth & JP for all of your input.
Elizabeth, you are correct that is the fish oil I use with an EPA of 420 and DHA of 300. The cost with tax is $57.81 for 180 capsules and I take 2 a day. I am not able to find any info as to what waters these fish are from. I have no idea if this helps anything or not as I have been taking fish oil for about 4 years. Worth the money or not?
I see that you said that it helps depression – just one more thing to add to my long list of medical issues and I can no longer take any kind of antidepressant because I am super sensitive to a lot of meds and if there is a side effect I will have it. That is why I am so terrified of having to take a cholesterol lowering drug and the fact that these drugs can damage muscles, brain cells, etc. all in this effort to lower the cholesterol. But as long as your numbers have been lowered – hey then it’s a success. It doesn’t matter if you can’t walk or have permanent muscle damage or can’t think clearly.
Back to the heart issue…JP thanks for the link to the article about fish oil, aspirin & Plavix. I start my Plavix tomorrow and take it until the time of the catherization. And then it sounds to me (from scouring the internet) that I will have to be on it for a year or maybe more if they put in a stent.
I am going to ask my doctor about Krill, which I am sure he doesn’t have a clue about. I will continue to check this blog out as I find what you have to say so intereting and valuable. Thanks for taking the time to respond to my post.
Barb
April 7th, 2010 at 9:52 am
Hi Barb,
The numbers game is kind of confusing when you compare fish oil to krill oil. Krill oil does not contain the same level of EPA and DHA as fish oil. Krill oil contains much less, BUT, krill oil is absorbed better by the body because it is attached to “human friendly” phospholipids. In fish oil, the EPA and DHA is attached to triglycerides, which means that less EPA and DHA is absorbed by the body. Although there really is no way to figure out how much krill oil would be comparable to a certain amount of fish oil, most of the studies that have been done used a gram, or a gram and a half of krill oil. That would be about 2-3 capsules a day of the NOW krill that you can get from Swanson Vitamins. I take 2 a day to help my mood and to maintain general health.
If you are taking fish oil, then you should be able to take krill oil, because krill oil is almost the same thing. It is just that krill oil is purer, is absorbed better by the body, and it has astaxanthin(an antioxidant)and choline(brain food)in it as well.
Best Wishes,
Elizabeth
April 7th, 2010 at 11:30 am
JP…
I forgot to say thank you for mentioning the COQ10 enzyme if I end up on Crestor. I have read that this is benefical to take if you are on a statin.
Thanks,
Barb
Oh…Elizabeth – thanks for explaining the difference between krill and fish oil in you last post.
April 7th, 2010 at 11:56 am
Barbara,
I think Elizabeth addressed your follow up questions very well.
I would just add a few additional details:
1) Krill oil *may* be problematic for some people with shellfish allergies/sensitivities. I haven’t seen any actual case reports of this happening but it’s a possibility that many experts caution about.
2) A form of Neptune Krill Oil is currently undergoing clinical trials in the hope that it will eventually be approved as a medication for the management of cardiovascular disease.
http://www.neptunebiotech.com/acasti-pharma/press-releases/201-neptune-reports-on-active-pharmaceutical-ingredient-preclinical-research
The primary focus of this preliminary research is on elevating HDL (“good”) cholesterol. However previous research that’s been published on non-prescriptive NKO indicates that it can also lower C-reactive protein, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and triglycerides as well.
Please visit this site: http://www.neptunebiotech.com/research/cardiovascular-health
Here’s a PDF file that you can print out and present to your health care team – about the lipid lowering effects of NKO:
http://www.neptunebiotech.com/images/documents/en/clinical_studies/Article%20hyperlipidemia.pdf
Be well!
JP
April 7th, 2010 at 8:21 pm
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Regulation/Neptune-accused-of-costing-krill-client-1m
April 7th, 2010 at 10:36 pm
Robert,
It’s hard to know exactly what the truth is in this dispute. As expected, both sides have different versions of what really occurred. Ultimately, this matter will likely be settled or hashed out in court. Hopefully the whole truth and nothing but the truth will eventually come out.
I guess my main question is this: Do you think this dispute should affect whether or not consumers choose to buy Neptune krill oil products? If so, why?
Be well!
JP
April 9th, 2010 at 10:18 am
Dear Robert,
I would like to see a big photo of all of the players in the krill oil industry,together, smiling, with a caption below the photo that reads, “why can’t we be friends?”
Until then, I await your response to JP’s post with great interest
.
Peace,
Elizabeth
April 9th, 2010 at 3:17 pm
There are differing opinions on whether a high EPA/DHA or high DHA/EPA ratio is better. It may be that either is good, depending on the intended benefit. I’ve read that for neurological health, a EPA is more important, but that for heart health, DHA is better. A high DHA fish oil supplement (500 mg DHA and 200 mg DHA per geltab) that’s also pretty cheap is
http://www.allstarhealth.com/f/natures_way-efa_gold_mega-dha.htm?utm_source=google&utm_medium=GPS&utm_campaign=5883
April 13th, 2010 at 12:30 am
The latest news, ladies and gents:
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Health-condition-categories/Cardiovascular-health/Krill-pre-clinicals-presented-at-symposia?utm_source=AddThisWeb&utm_medium=SocialAddThis&utm_campaign=SocialMedia” rel=”nofollow”>Krill pre-clinicals presented at symposia
“The pre-clinical results showed CaPre – an ingredient Acasti is hoping to enter into the prescription drug space – could reduced triglycerides by 60 percent and bad cholesterol (LDL) by 28 percent, while raising good cholesterol (HDL) by 25 percent.”
Note: “CaPre is owned by Acasti Pharma which is a subsidiary of Canadian krill leader Neptune Technologies & Bioressources.”
Be well!
JP
April 17th, 2010 at 9:13 pm
Latest update: My mom’s been trying out the Now Foods enteric coated krill oil (consisting of Neptune Krill Oil) with good success. Regular krill oil doesn’t agree with her – in terms of digestive upset & repetition of the fishy taste.
I’ll provide updates on her overall reaction to it in the coming days re: anti-inflammatory effects, etc.
Be well!
JP
April 19th, 2010 at 7:57 am
I and my husband have been taking Krill Oil for a good 8 months now. My husband more so for a odd back problem [fluid in lower back issues] as well as cholesterol. We have both been amazed at how effective Krill Oil can be. Being in the UK we couldnt get this readily if you were consuming upto 5 per day between us but we found this company
http://www.bulksupplementsdirect.co.uk/khxc/krill-oil-capsules.html
Jessica
April 19th, 2010 at 8:55 am
RE Robert Wirth’s http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Regulation/Neptune-accused-of-costing-krill-client-1m posting: I guess now we really know why they switched from NKO to Superba. HEH!
April 19th, 2010 at 8:58 am
“they” meaning Schiff’s MegaRed, which was mentioned far earlier in this thread of comments
April 19th, 2010 at 8:02 pm
Thank you for sharing your experience with us, Jessica.
It appears that the form of krill oil contained in the product you’re using is the Superba extract. Has your husband found any benefit re: cholesterol?
Be well!
JP
April 20th, 2010 at 12:57 am
I just spoke to my Mom tonight. She continues to feel considerably less (arthritic) pain since starting on 1,000 mg of enterically coated (NKO) krill oil per day. No digestive upset either.
Good news indeed!
Be well!
JP
April 21st, 2010 at 4:57 pm
Hi all,
First of all I wanted to say, great topic and posts.
I need some advise. I do not eat any type of seafood and was looking into taking fish oil capsules. But after doing some research, I think I will be getting started with Krill oil capsules instead.
I’ve noticed that the recommended dosage is 500mg twice a day.
My questions is – Is there is difference of taking two 500mg – split up during the day versus taking one 1000mg a day. (Maybe they recommend 2 500mg per day because you can take one in the morning and one later in the day – perhaps better for the body when it’s spread out this way?)
P.S. – I think I will be trying the 1000mg enteric coated NOW brand Krill Oil first. But also thinking that the two 500mg method may be more efficient for the body.
April 21st, 2010 at 5:28 pm
That is good news about your mom, JP
.
April 21st, 2010 at 7:31 pm
BM,
Thank you for your kind words.
I *think* it’s preferable to split up the dosage. That’s what I do – 500 mg in the morning and 500 mg in the evening/nighttime. I seem to recall that Dr. William Davis, a superb integrative cardiologist, recommends splitting daily omega-3 supplementation.
My Mom takes the 1,000 mg softgel once a day because the enterically-coated variety only comes in the 1,000 mg size for now. Fortunately, the size isn’t too big for her to comfortably swallow.
My only question is whether the enteric-coated softgels may actually *improve* the bioavailability of the krill oil. I have no proof of this – just wondering.
Enteric-coated fish oil seems to be useful in select populations – such as those with Crohn’s disease.
http://www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/11/7118.asp
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/334/24/1557
Be well!
JP
April 21st, 2010 at 7:33 pm
Thank you, Elizabeth!
I’m thrilled that she’s doing well with it. I hope the results continue onward and possibly even build with time. I’ll keep you all posted!
Be well!
JP
April 27th, 2010 at 10:48 pm
I recently noticed that Sam’s Club lowered their price for
Schiff’s MegaRed (90 softgels) from over $18 to under $14.
April 27th, 2010 at 10:51 pm
Thanks for reporting that, Iggy.
Be well!
JP
May 8th, 2010 at 12:52 am
Well, there’s been some rather big news in the krill oil world. Whole Foods, a major chain of health food stores, has decided to pull krill oil from their shelves due to “sustainability concerns”.
http://naturalfoodsmerchandiser.com/tabId/119/itemId/4693/Whole-Foods-discontinues-krill-citing-sustainabi.aspx
I’m following this story closely and will post an update with some comments of my own in the upcoming week.
In the meantime, I recently had a conversation with a krill oil insider – who shall remain nameless. He’s been following the reader comments on this page and wanted to clarify a few issues:
1) According to this source, solvent-free krill oil is indeed an attractive option. However, the solvent free extraction process apparently allows for too much water to be present in the final product which encourages higher levels of oxidative damage to the delicate oil.
2) In addition, he stated that solvent-free krill oil does not provide as long a shelf life as extracts that are derived via acetone and ethanol.
3) This particular krill oil provider claims that their end product is “virtually free of solvent residues” and is “way below” Proposition 65 standards.
4) He also mentioned that new studies on krill oil are set for publication in the next few months. No details were provided beyond that.
More to come …
May 8th, 2010 at 11:46 am
I am more concerned about the recent crude oil spill creating “sustainability” issues in the ocean than I am about catching krill for human consumption. I find it odd that a company is pulling krill from their shelves at this time, and I have to wonder if dirty politics, and not eco-politics, are somehow involved. I also have a strange feeling that the cost of krill oil is going to go up. Hm.
May 8th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
Elizabeth,
I’m still in the process of reviewing the matter. But if what Mickey states is accurate (in the linked article) then it does appear that this action by Whole Foods may be based on incomplete information.
I sure hope the krill oil prices don’t go up. Not only would that put more strain on my pocket book but it would probably inspire more lower priced and lower quality krill oil products to enter the market. A lose-lose situation, IMO.
Be well!
JP
May 10th, 2010 at 11:40 pm
The latest wrinkle in the unfolding story of krill oil at Whole Foods:
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Industry/Industry-requests-Whole-Foods-krill-ban-answers
May 13th, 2010 at 1:03 am
A natural products insider offers advice to the krill oil industry re: the Whole Foods issue:
http://www.npicenter.com/anm/templates/newsEditorial.aspx?articleid=27165&zoneid=42
May 14th, 2010 at 3:25 pm
Hey JP and Elizabeth a quick question. I was at GNC today and picked up the GNC brand Krill Oil. It says it’s made with Neptune Krill Oil but does not have specifics on the label as far as EPA’s and DHA’s. I bought it as opposed to the NOW brand Krill which you guys say is good. Basically I’m asking if the GNC UltraOmega made with Neptune is legit or should I abort and just get the NOW brand. Thanks!
May 14th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
Hi Chris,
I would hesitate to buy krill that does not disclose the EPA, DHA and astaxanthin levels AND a “use by” date on their label. NOW does all of this, and it is priced competitively as well.
Good luck!
Elizabeth
May 14th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
Chris,
I visited GNC’s website and found that the “supplement facts” state that each soft gel contains 500 mg of Neptune Krill Oil. That looks good. The confusing part is that the label (available in a PDF format only) claims that the NKO contains a minimum of 15% omega-3 fatty acids. Other brands of NKO, such as Now Foods, offer a label claim of 30% omega-3s.
http://www.gnc.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4021749
To my mind, one of two things are responsible for this discrepancy: 1) GNC is using a different grade of NKO or 2) GNC is being more conservative about the actual omega-3 content of NKO.
Let’s see if we can get to the bottom of this. Please try calling or e-mailing GNC and asking them about this oddity. If that leads to a dead end, try contacting Neptune directly. *If* they give you the run around, please let me know and I’ll contact them myself.
http://www.neptunebiotech.com/contacten
I’d love to know what they have to say about this matter. So please report back!
Be well!
JP
May 16th, 2010 at 1:07 pm
Hey Elizabeth and JP thanks for your help. I e-mailed both GNC and Neptune about this issue yesterday and still have not heard anything back. I will let you know if they give me a response.
May 16th, 2010 at 2:08 pm
Thanks for doing that, Chris. Looking forward to reading their response.
Please let us know if they don’t respond as well. If that’s the case, I’ll e-mail my contacts at Neptune.
Be well!
JP
May 16th, 2010 at 2:12 pm
re: update on the sustainability issue
At this time, I don’t plan to discontinue using krill oil in my personal supplement program. I don’t feel it’s warranted based on the data I’ve come across.
I originally intended to add some additional information on this topic but I’m still waiting on documentation that I was promised (by a krill insider) that has yet to arrive.
May 19th, 2010 at 10:09 am
Hey guys
I got an Email back from GNC. Let me know what you think.
Dear Chris,
Thank you for taking the time to contact GNC, we appreciate your interest in our company. As the largest manufacturer and retailer of nutritional supplements, we understand that customers depend on us for quality products and quality information.
The GNC UltraOmega Krill Oil contains 500 mg of Krill Oil per capsule, which is guaranteed to contain 30% of the weight of the Krill Oil as omega 3′s, therefore 150 mg total omega 3′s. The ratio of the omega 3′s is 15% EPA and 9% DHA, with the other minor omega 3′s at 7% of the total.
If you have any more questions or comments, please do not hesitate to email us back or call our Customer Service Department toll-free at 1-888-462-2548.
Bret
GNC Customer Service Representative II
Live Well
May 19th, 2010 at 10:16 am
Dear Chris,
It was nice of them to respond, but the totals are low. You would get more of everything in a different brand of krill.
Best Wishes,
Elizabeth
May 19th, 2010 at 12:39 pm
Chris,
Thank you for relaying GNC’s reply. Based on their response, it appears that the Neptune Krill Oil (NKO) they’re using is the same as you’d find in comparable 500 mg softgels. I’m basing this solely on the omega-3 fatty acid breakdown – which is almost identical to what’s described on the Now Foods label.
Just to be on the safe side, you can also ask them how many milligrams of choline, phospholipids and esterified astaxanthin is contained in their product.
As a comparison aid, the Now Foods NKO product (and similar NKO supplements) contain about 70 mg of choline, 400 mg of phospholipids and 1.25 mg of esterified astaxanthin – per 1,000 mg serving.
If you contact GNC again, please let us know if that’s what they claim as well. Thanks!
Be well!
JP
May 19th, 2010 at 12:40 pm
Elizabeth,
Please correct me if my math is off. It wouldn’t be the first time!
Be well!
JP
May 19th, 2010 at 2:08 pm
I am confused. If the GNC total Omega-3 Fatty Acids are 150mg per serving, then how does this compare to the NOW brand of Neptune Krill Oil, which has 300mg per serving? I must have missed something in the translation.
Elizabeth
May 19th, 2010 at 2:10 pm
Okay–I see–if the GNC is claiming 150 mg per capsule, THEN it is the same as the NOW krill. Duh.
.
May 19th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
Elizabeth,
I had to have a cup of coffee before tackling the numbers myself.
The labels differ with each brand you look at. Tricky!
Be well!
JP
May 19th, 2010 at 7:56 pm
Am wondering which brand of Krill is better. Jarrow or NOW? I’ve taken both, but went back to Jarrow as it doesn’t have a fishy odor. However, it does list other marine lipids such as anchovy and sardine in it’s ingredients. NOW lists Krill as it’s only marine source. Can someone explain?
May 19th, 2010 at 10:27 pm
Michele,
Jarrow uses Azantis krill oil. But the Jarrow label doesn’t quite match up with what pure Azantis krill oil provides. Perhaps the addition of fish body oil is at play here.
http://www.azantis.com/products.htm
http://www.jarrow.com/product/139/Krill_Oil
Would you mind contacting Jarrow and seeing what they have to say about this? If you do so, please report back and let us know their response. If you can’t get an answer from them, please let me know and I’ll follow up with Jarrow and/or Azantis myself.
Be well!
JP
May 19th, 2010 at 10:37 pm
Mercola convinced me to get krill oil, though I dont think I will buy from him.
I have been wanting to buy Source Naturals NKO from Amazon for months, but have been waiting for the weather to warm up. Are low temperatures bad for the krill oil? The lows have gotten up to the 50s where I’m at but it will dip to the 30s(!) for a few days. Should I buy now or wait?
From mercola.com
“Krill Oil is very stable and will last up to 2 years. However, do not store it in the freezer or refrigerator; extended exposure to temperatures higher than 100 degrees or lower than 50 degrees diminish effectiveness of the phosopholipid ingredients.”
May 19th, 2010 at 10:53 pm
Landon,
I’m looking into Dr. Mercola’s phospholipid/temperature claim. I’ll report back as soon as I find a reliable answer.
Be well!
JP
May 20th, 2010 at 6:27 am
JP,
Yes, I already contacted Jarrow and will post their reply. I’ve contacted them in the past and either received no reply or a very late one. Will keep you posted but I think I’m going to change back to NOW brand until I hear from them.
Michele
May 20th, 2010 at 9:24 am
Has anyone had any experience with the new NOW enteric coated 1000 mg softgel Krill Oil? One gelcap contains 1000 mg. compared with the usual 2 500 mg. softgels. Enteric coated to prevent fish odor.
May 20th, 2010 at 12:20 pm
Michele,
My mom takes Now Food’s enteric coated krill oil. She tolerates it better than the standard softgels. Based on her reaction, I’d say that it appears to be effective. She’s not a reduction in inflammation.
Looking forward to hear what Jarrow has to say about the fish oil/krill oil issue.
Be well!
JP
May 22nd, 2010 at 1:49 am
Thanks JP.
May 25th, 2010 at 2:33 pm
JP,
I contacted Jarrow by phone and spoke with Ken. Jarrow has only 70% Krill Oil in their product. He said the other marine lipids were to “standardize” the oil. I didn’t think you needed other oils to standardize Krill as it should be consistent either way. After speaking to a very nice gentleman at NOW, he agreed and said their Krill Oil was 100% Krill. He also explained the very strong odor saying Krill has the strongest fish odor he’s ever smelled. So, actually that’s a sign of a fresh product. No added astaxanthin in the NOW brand. I also question the 70% as Krill is listed last on the list of ingredients. I’ve tried to contact Jarrow in the past about supplements and they rarely answer an email, which I consider poor customer service. I’ll be switching to NOW.
May 25th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
It seems the general consensus here is that NOW NKO is the best krill product because they did all the initial research and they are the most open with the complete contents of their product. Any idea where to get it at the lowest price? I think I want to stock up. I have been using Mega Red for about a year now and believe it’s time to plunge into the “upgrade.”
May 25th, 2010 at 9:37 pm
OK – Checked Now-2-U, SwansonVitamins and Vitacost before stumbling on a distributor who fulfills thru Amazon.
Cheapest I found is 120 count bottle at Amazon for $31.97 with free shipping. Not sure if this link will work for you: http://www.amazon.com/Neptune-Krill-Oil-500mg-sgels/dp/B000TMM65G?&camp=212361&linkCode=wsw&tag=wyjefasi-20&creative=380789
Can anyone recommend a lower price? Never heard of the distributor before but I generally believe anything thru Amazon is pretty reliable since you have Amazon as your contact in case of fraud/quality issues.
May 25th, 2010 at 9:40 pm
I’ve found VitaGlo to have excellent prices on NOW products.
http://search.store.yahoo.net/cgi-bin/nsearch?catalog=vitaglo&query=Now+krill+oil&x=8&y=10
May 25th, 2010 at 9:54 pm
VitaGlo’s price for 120 gelcaps is $32.02 / free shipping over $50.
May 25th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
That’s a great price on Amazon. I just payed $41.43 per 120 ct. bottle on iherb. You do get a 5% discount when you spend $60.00 and over. I like to order from a source that moves their product quickly. Thanks for the info.
May 26th, 2010 at 12:10 am
Thank you for sharing that information, Michele.
Be well!
JP
May 26th, 2010 at 12:16 am
The Amazon and Vitaglo prices are very good. That’s better than the price I usually pay!
Be well!
JP
May 26th, 2010 at 12:48 am
Swanson’s is currently having a “marathon” promotion: If you type in MARATHON as the promotional code, you get varying discounts, depending on the size of your purchase. The largest discount is $26 for a purchase of $150 or more. Since Swanson sells NOW’s NKO 60-ct bottles for $16.86, if your purchase 9 bottles ($151.74) + $4.99 shipping – $26 discount, the total is $130.73, or $14.53 a 60-ct bottle. That’s the best price I’ve seen so far.
May 26th, 2010 at 9:18 am
Guys, beware of VitaGlo. I did some investigating on the company and was overwhelmed by the plethoras of negative reviews regarding their practice:
http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Vitaglo
http://www.bbb.org/upstate-new-york/business-reviews/health-and-diet-products-retail/discount-natural-foods-in-syracuse-ny-12000281/
May 26th, 2010 at 9:59 am
I’ve never investigated VitaGlo except to google for best price. I’ve bought from them over a dozen times, always with accurate and prompt service. I was angered when they refused to allow me to return unopened product that I had purchased over 6 months previously but was still a year before “use by date”. They told me that their policy was not to accept returns over 6 months old.
I’ve had problems with short shipments, mis-addressed shipments, and failure to give promised discounts from more famous suppliers, but not from VitaGlo.
I don’t trust online ratings and/or complaints because they can easily be posted by competitor-shills.
I only use VitaGlo for NOW products. I use Swanson for a few items, mainly 200mg Ubiquinol. I use iHerb for 5 lb bags of stevia and I use Beyond-a-Century for most other bulk powdered supplements.
May 26th, 2010 at 10:08 pm
The latest on the sustainability issue:
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Industry/Aker-to-gain-krill-harvest-certification
Be well!
JP
May 28th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
This is the email I got back from Jarrow. They currently use Azantis:
Dear Michelle,
Thank you for your e-mail to Jarrow Formulas.
Jarrow Formulas Krill Oil contains 70% krill lipid.
The next batch of Jarrow Formulas Krill Oil will be 100% krill, from a new supplier.
Best Regards,
Sarah Arias
Tech Support
Jarrow Formulas,Inc
May 29th, 2010 at 9:34 am
JP, I tried reading through all the comments here, but didn’t see the answer to my question. Have you heard of JD Premium’s Krill Oil? How does it compare to others? And, who is their manufacturer? Thanks. Gary
May 29th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
Thank you for posting that, Michele. That’s a really interesting development. I’ll look forward to seeing what supplier they choose to use.
I’ve e-mailed my contact at Azantis but he’s currently out of the office – vacation?. No response about the Jarrow question or the phospholipid/temperature question that Landon posed last week. Maybe soon.
Thanks again for sharing your findings with us. Much appreciated.
Be well!
JP
May 29th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
Gary,
It appears that JD Premium uses the Superba (Aker) krill oil extract – the same variety that is currently contained in Schiff’s Mega Red product.
I don’t know much about JD Premium. But I can tell you that Superba krill oil contains comparable levels of omega-3s (DHA and EPA) and phospholipids as the Azantis and Neptune krill oil extracts. The primary difference is that the Superba krill oil doesn’t add any astaxanthin to their product – the antioxidant carotenoid.
The folks at Aker believe their product is more natural because it doesn’t add anything to the mix. The reps for Azanthis and Neptune would likely tell you that they believe that the added/standardized astaxanthin content of their krill is partially responsible for the health promoting properties.
Thus far, only Neptune krill can really claim to have clinical proof that their krill oil impacts a number of health conditions. In the future, other (published) studies may help clarify if other krill oil extracts will yield similar results.
Be well!
JP
May 29th, 2010 at 3:49 pm
Thanks JP. I found this blog that shows it may be from Neptune? http://narattah.blogspot.com/2009/09/neptune-krill-oil-best-omega-3.html And what are they talking about when they say “esterified” Are all Krill Oils “esterified”? And, do you believe that because of Neptune’s clinical proof that they are the superior Krill Oil on the market today? How much should I expect to pay for the best types of Krill Oil? Thanks… just trying to make a decision which to try. Gary
May 29th, 2010 at 3:50 pm
And thanks for all the insights and links in these comments… I’ve been reading for hours!
May 29th, 2010 at 4:57 pm
Gary,
Sorry about that. It appears that I was mistaken. I saw the mention of the a “Superba extract” on this site and jumped to an incorrect conclusion:
http://corp.jdpremium.com/blog/2009/02/why-is-k48-krill-oil-absorbed-so-well/
Superba is a specific krill oil extract made by Aker BioMarine. However it’s also a variety of wild krill. The site must have been referring to the type of krill rather than the manufacturer. My error.
http://corp.jdpremium.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/doctors-packet-may-1809-3.pdf
Not all krill oils contain esterified astaxanthin. Some manufacturers “supplement” their krill with algae-based astaxanthin. Others claim to use only krill derived astaxanthin.
For the time being, the Neptune research is the best we have available. I’ve been told that forthcoming studies (from other manufacturers) will help consumers compare competing brands to Neptune. Hopefully that will come to pass soon.
Price-wise … I think you can expect to pay as low as $15 – $20 for 60 softgels of high-quality krill oil. Please refer to some of the price quotes reported by others a few comments back.
Be well!
JP
May 29th, 2010 at 5:02 pm
Michele,
I think I’ve solved the mystery. Jarrow has likely been using Azantis’ 45/25 grade krill oil. I originally thought they were using the 40/14 (pure) krill oil. That appears not to the be the case.
“Azantis also markets a standardized krill product in a 42/25 grade, with 1,500 ppm astaxanthin. This grade is standardized with fish oil, medium chain triglycerides and astaxanthin from algae to meet the premium quality specifications of the original krill oil quality. The high astaxanthin levels in this product give it a deep red, almost black color”.
http://www.azantis.com/products.htm
Based on the e-mail they sent you, it seems as though they’re not planning on “upgrading” to the 40/14 extract. I guess they’re moving on to another krill oil supplier altogether.
Be well!
JP
May 29th, 2010 at 9:22 pm
I started taking MegaRed a few days ago and I think it is helping with my aches and pains. My husband has artritis and takes Plavix for a previous stroke 9 years ago. Does anybody know if it is safe for him to take krill oil. Thanks
May 29th, 2010 at 9:48 pm
Barb,
It would be best to consult with his cardiologist prior to combining the two, IMO. More info. can be found at the following link:
http://www.vrp.com/deardoctorresults.aspx?ProdID=deard3700&zTYPE=3
Be well!
JP
May 30th, 2010 at 9:48 am
JP,
Thanks for the info. You’re right. Lot’s of great info on this site. I have lost my trust in Jarrow. You also had a great article on vitamin D. My husband has MS and I have my daughter taking 1000 mg daily as perhaps, a preventative since there is a strong genetic link.
May 30th, 2010 at 2:07 pm
Michele,
Please keep an eye out because I regularly post columns about MS. I have a few friends that are also living with MS.
Good idea about the Vitamin D, IMO.
Be well!
JP
May 30th, 2010 at 2:51 pm
On vitamin D–Do any of you have your D levels checked? I have done so twice through my doctor and the hospital lab since I began supplementing with D3. My last level was 41, and I am trying to get the numbers in the 50-80 range, as has been suggested for optimal health. So, I began supplementing with 5000 IU’s of D3 daily, Feb. 1. I just did a new blood level and am awaiting the result. What I wanted to let you know is that I am trying the home test that you mail in, through The Vitamin D Council. The test, through them, is just $65.00 and requires me to poke my finger with a lancet and catch the blood drops on a special card to mail. The price was so much better than what the labs and doctor visit costs, which is a big deal to me because we have a very high copay ($4,000. a year before our insurance kicks in). I just mailed my test in last week. I will let you know when I get my results.
May 30th, 2010 at 2:53 pm
http://www.zrtlab.com/vitamindcouncil/
This is the link to the Vitamin D Council in case anyone is interested.
May 30th, 2010 at 5:21 pm
Elizabeth,
Most of my family does. My parents get their testing through their doctor and is covered by insurance. Lucky! My wife and I need to pay for it on our own.
It would be great to hear about your new test results. I think I may need to increase my D a little bit. My last score was 51.2 ng/mL. This is even after supplementing with about 6,000 IUs. This goes to show you that our needs and requirements vary.
Maybe the added Summer sun will help out some as well.
Be well!
JP
May 30th, 2010 at 6:50 pm
Taking 10,000 iu/day,I got up to 79ng/ml. Then I cut back to 5,000 iu and my level dropped 23 points. I’ve now gone back to 10,000 iu.
May 30th, 2010 at 7:01 pm
Hi Iggy,
Thank you. I wondered about that–if, once you reach optimal levels, you can cut back and maintain. It sounds like in your case the answer is no. How often do you check levels? I have noticed that I do not get sick with colds and crap in the winter even at 41ng/ml., but there is cancer in my family (Mom) and I want the protection that may be available by maintaining higher levels.
Elizabeth
May 30th, 2010 at 7:11 pm
I get checked in spring and fall through my membership in GrassRootsHealth.
June 1st, 2010 at 12:36 am
re: sustainability/Whole Foods controversy
A video interview with a rep from Azantis and Neptune:
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Industry/Krill-industry-gathers-data-to-beat-Whole-Foods-ban
Be well!
JP
June 2nd, 2010 at 2:08 pm
JP,
Thanks for posting the video.
June 2nd, 2010 at 2:10 pm
Elizabeth Jesse,
I take 1000 mg of Carlson vitamin D per day and my levels are up to 66. Will check them again in another few months.
June 3rd, 2010 at 2:10 pm
Okay–I just got my vitamin D levels. I have been on 6,000 iu’s of D3 for about 4 months and my levels only increased by 5 points. The level is 46. My goal is to get beyond 50, so I am increasing my D3 from 6,000, to 10,000 iu’s a day.
Where do you live Michele? Do you get a lot of sun?
JP–Thanks for the video with Mickey and the Neptune rep.
Elizabeth
June 3rd, 2010 at 2:21 pm
Elizabeth,
Thank you for sharing your results with us.
What brand of Vitamin D are you using? Is it the dry form or a liquid filled soft gel? I believe Dr. William Davis recommends the latter – based on the notion that it will improve bioavailability.
http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/getting-vitamin-d-right.html
I think Michele is probably using a soft gel or drops – because of the Carlson brand mention.
http://www.carlsonlabs.com/s-4-vitamins-a-d-and-k.aspx
Michele – If you see this, can you please confirm which form you’re using? Thanks!
Be well!
JP
June 3rd, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Hi JP,
They are the Swanson brand capsules, but the capsules contain a dry powder. I always take them with my krill oil and other supplements. I just read somewhere that you should take your D3 with the largest meal of the day as well.
June 3rd, 2010 at 2:41 pm
Elizabeth,
Indeed. That advice is probably based on a recently published study:
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123276419/abstract
Be well!
JP
June 3rd, 2010 at 6:02 pm
Elizabeth and JP,
I live 5 minutes outside of NYC, a suburb in NJ, so I don’t get much sun and always use sunscreen anyway. It is a liquid gel cap and I take it right after breakfast with Ubiquinol, Krill Oil and B12 sublinguals. Hope that helps.
June 4th, 2010 at 5:47 pm
elizabeth
just read almost all the posts, definitely going to go with the NOW. i used Lovaza fish oil for a while last year, stopped then got a new prescription and i am pretty certain that it made me itchy. took a food allergy test and it showed no allergies. and ive been meaning to get back on the omega 3 bandwagon. anyway, the only reason i am posting is to respond to elizabeth’s post on how her mother has cancer. i am so sorry. but i see how much help you’ve been to everyone on this blog, and i am considering getting the book you recommended, and i thought i had to reciprocate by giving you some info that i came across that has changed my life.
G. Edward Griffin: World Without Cancer
you can find the videos online, and you can order the book. ive read the book, and other books written by the same author and i can say with 100% certainty that i will not contract cancer based on the simple adjuncts i’ve made in my diet based on this information. whether or not this has similar effect on your life or your mothers, i wish you both luck. thanks.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4312930190281243507#
thanks everyone for the info
June 5th, 2010 at 9:23 am
Re: ar
Hello! Thank you for the info. I just looked at the video you posted and read about the vitamin B17 and cancer. Do you take B17? What form do you take it in and where do you get it?
June 5th, 2010 at 7:00 pm
did you watch the entire video? because it explains everything; even part of what you probably read explaining that its unproven and quackery. i know it looks outdated, but the information in it has not been disproved. everything in the video is cited information in the book. he has another video(2005) which explains further the politics of cancer therapy which i recommend you watch as well.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8257934856995183554#
i use the apricot seeds..i eat like 7-10 a day. you can get them on amazon from apricot power. but for a cancer patient, much higher dosages are required, and those levels are safely administered via injection, in addition to pancreatic enzymes.there are high dosage b17 pills and pancreatic enzyme pills that apricot power also sells. i’m betting they are quite safe and good quality but you should investigate. eating too many of the seeds can technically kill you although no such case has ever been validated. and ive personally eaten up to 20 seeds in a day with no ill side effects. i am about 170 lbs for your reference. mind you they are very bitter and every other person i know who i’ve had taste them cannot stand them. i personally don’t mind the slight bitterness for the health benefits. you can get the seeds at whole foods too. they claim they seeds are from the hunza apricots. and they are much better tasting, though i’ve read they contain no “b17″; explaining the better taste. however, griffin states in the book that the hunza seeds naturally contain a lower concentration of “b17″ in comparison to California’s.
best
June 5th, 2010 at 7:54 pm
I’ve watched the video and make it a point to eat apple seeds and occasionally apricot kernels…also millet and alfalfa sprouts.
June 6th, 2010 at 10:02 am
I think I will try them. It sounds like they go down best with something sweet so I will probably chew them with raisins.
June 11th, 2010 at 1:44 pm
Dear Healthy Fellow Readers,
I’m so sorry about the disgusting SPAM messages that have recently been posted – sometimes even claiming to be from me. These are obviously not coming from me and I’m currently working with my webmaster to tighten security measures.
We recently instituted additional SPAM measures but they appear to be inadequate. Further steps will be necessary and will most certainly be taken.
I’m deeply sorry for any upset these comments have caused. Please accept my sincerest apology.
JP
June 11th, 2010 at 4:27 pm
Hi JP,
This blog is a wonderful resource. Thank you for looking out for us!
June 11th, 2010 at 10:29 pm
Thanks, Elizabeth!
I do my best!
I hope/think we have the problem resolved. Fingers crossed!
BTW, you too are a wonderful resource. You’ve added a lot of really great content to this column. Thank you for that.
Be well!
JP
June 15th, 2010 at 2:26 pm
Elizabeth Jesse Hi I just found this site I was going to buy from Dr Mercola until I found this site. Could u tell me what supplements you take & where you buy them – I have similar health conditions as you – Do you take extra choline? I live outside Vancouver, BC Canada – would u possibly know where I can get these products here
Thank you so much
June 15th, 2010 at 8:55 pm
Hi Gwen. You may have to try different things to see what works best for you. I am still making adjustments. Most of the supplements that I take come from Swanson Vitamins (online) and include a whole food multi-vitamin, vitamin d-3 (10,000 iu’s a day, but I check my blood levels every few months)the NOW brand of krill oil, astaxanthin and uniquinol. I also take the NSI brand of probiotics from Vitacost.com every day.
If I had to pare it down, I would not be without: a good multi-vitamin (I also like the Vitacost Synergy 3 formula and am thinking of switching back to it) krill, vitamin d-3, and probiotics. As far as extra choline, I get mine from krill oil and there are 30 mg in my multi, too.
Best Wishes,
Elizabeth
June 16th, 2010 at 3:23 pm
A company that sells krill oil in CA just tested the Walgreens & Costco krill oil and found that the Omega 3 levels are only about 50% of what they are claiming on their label. This is the Mega Red product.
June 16th, 2010 at 4:15 pm
Mike,
I’d be interested in seeing the lab results or certificate of analysis if it’s available/published anywhere.
Be well!
JP
June 17th, 2010 at 11:11 am
You will find an interesting monograph summarizing krill oil science to date at the following link.
It will download a PDF from the Alternative Medicine Review
Krill Oil Monograph
We really need more TOTALLY independent research papers on krill not funded or supported directly by those with a vested interest in promoting sales of krill oil.
June 17th, 2010 at 8:09 pm
Thank you for that, Ted.
I agree.
Be well!
JP
June 23rd, 2010 at 1:05 pm
A brief follow up on the recent post by Mike re: the omega-3 content of Mega Red.
I’ve just had the opportunity to review the lab results on two lots of Mega Red which were acquired at Costco and Walgreens.
The label claim for Mega Red states that each 300 mg soft gel contains 90 mg of omega-3 fatty acids. However the lab results I saw concluded that two separate lots of Mega Red contained the equivalent of only 36mg and 40.8mg per softgel.
I currently have an e-mail out to a contact at Aker BioMarine, the supplier of krill oil used in Mega Red, and Schiff, the manufacturer of Mega Red. I’m hoping they can explain how this discrepancy is possible.
I’ll report back with any additional information I come across.
Be well!
JP
June 23rd, 2010 at 7:02 pm
jp
Why the attacks on Megared?
Have there been any similar “trials” on the content of NOW NKO?
June 23rd, 2010 at 7:37 pm
I don’t consider this an attack. The MegaRed product either meets it’s label claim or it doesn’t. I think we all agree that nutritional supplement manufacturers ought to provide what they promise to on their labels. This is a matter of common decency and good business practices. Nutritional supplements are used to maintain and promote good health and should be produced and marketed in such a manner that reflects those goals, IMO.
I have an e-mail out to both Aker and Schiff. They’re feel to provide documentation that refutes the lab results I’ve seen.
It’s also possible that this a fluke finding. However the analysis I’ve seen tested two separate bottles of MegaRed and they both came up significantly short re: omega-3 fatty acids.
I’m only interested in the truth. Nothing more and nothing less. I want to help my readers to be able to truly benefit from whatever krill oil they purchase. In order to do that, they need to as much information as they can get.
re: Now Foods NKO
I haven’t seen any lab results for their NKO product. But please keep in mind that it’s not very common for independent sources to have products tested. There are very few examples of this. One exception is Consumer Lab.
Be well!
JP
June 24th, 2010 at 6:31 am
We all appreciate the info you bring us JP. Keep it coming! I like to know exactly what I’m putting in my body. I was taking Jarrow Krill Oil for a year before I found out there was only 70% Krill Oil in it. Please include any Consumer Lab info you come across relating to Krill. Your blog is the most informative source I’ve seen. Thanks again.
June 24th, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Thank you, Michele.
An update on Jarrow’s krill oil:
My understanding is that they’re switching to Aker krill oil (Superba) soon.
Be well!
JP
June 24th, 2010 at 12:34 pm
Landon,
I’m sorry for the lag time on this reply.
re: phospholipids and refrigeration
I spoke to a krill oil expert and he discourages freezing or refrigerating krill oil. The basis for this recommendation is that the phospholipids in softgels will expand when you remove them from the artificially cooled environment. This is problematic and undesirable.
It seems like Dr. Mercola was on-point with this claim.
Be well!
JP
June 24th, 2010 at 1:41 pm
One of your readers states that he took Jarrow’s krill oil beforew finding out that they only had 70% krill. This is true but he should know that the 30% fish oil are MCT’s one of the highest sources of enriched Omega 3′s. This was done so that the company had an equal product to what another krill oil company was saying they had. Krill in general are not high in Omega’s, their strength lies in the Phospholipids and Astaxanthin, the phospholipids carry the Omega’s. Having fish oil MCT’s to raise the Omega’s is a PLUS!
June 24th, 2010 at 2:31 pm
Mickey,
Are you saying that the 30% fish oil is emulsified with medium chain triglycerides?
Be well!
JP
June 24th, 2010 at 7:43 pm
An update on the Mega Red omega-3 controversy:
I received an e-mail from Schiff today stating that their own internal testing found much higher levels of omega-3s than the lab results I recently attained via a 3rd party source.
They went on to say that they suspect that the testing I saw may not have provided accurate results or perhaps used an “invalid reference standard”.
In closing they assured me that they planned to retrieve a “retained sample” from each lot and test them to verify their previous lab results.
I sent an e-mail back to Schiff stating that I’d be happy to report on whatever findings their internal review discovers.
More to come …
Be well!
JP
June 24th, 2010 at 8:20 pm
Would it be better to add another fish oil, like Mega Twin Epa which is higher in DHA and EPA in addition to 1000 mgs of Krill Oil daily for heart healthy benefits? Is that too much? Concerned also about blood thinning effects.
June 25th, 2010 at 3:36 am
Michele,
There are a lot of variables involved in making that decision. Diet. What other medications and supplements you’re taking. What health goal(s) you’re hoping to achieve. Etc.
I don’t think that adding 1,000 mg of fish oil is too much for most people in the sense that it would dangerous. Please keep in mind that many fish oil studies have used much higher amounts with relative safety. The same goes with krill oil. Preliminary studies on krill oil have employed up to 4,000 mg per day without signs of toxicity.
Bleeding issues can be assessed via blood work and/or by observing physical signs such as bleeding gums, bruising, broken capillaries, blood shot eyes, nosebleeds, etc. Generally speaking, I believe this concern applies *mostly* to those that are combining multiple supplements with “blood thinning” properties or select supplements and medications.
Be well!
JP
June 25th, 2010 at 7:33 am
Thank you JP. I take Krill for cholesterol lowering benefits and all the benefits from the added antioxidant properties. Also for some arthritis I’ve developed. I think I might add fish oil a few times per week for the added DHA. I’m also on aspirin therapy.
June 25th, 2010 at 11:43 am
Michele,
Have you tested to see if the krill oil is helping you reach your cholesterol goals? Added fish oil may not be necessary if the krill oil is already having a big enough effect.
Here are a few relevant links re: aspirin and fish oil
Treatment of Aspirin-Resistant Patients With Omega-3 Fatty Acids Versus Aspirin Dose Escalation
http://www.ajconline.org/article/S0002-9149%2809%2901178-3/abstract
http://www.schattauer.de/en/magazine/subject-areas/journals-a-z/thrombosis-and-haemostasis/contents/archive/issue/727/manuscript/10274.html
Be well!
JP
June 26th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
Thanks for the links, JP. Significant improvement in blood lipids about eight months ago on 500 mgs. Krill per day. Increased to 1,000 and will have levels rechecked in another month or so. Keep you posted. Has not brought my triglycerides down enough but I’m hoping the increase may have helped.
June 29th, 2010 at 8:40 am
I see nothing about Mercola’s Krill OIl. What do you think of it? Overpriced?
June 29th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
here’s a good price on Now krill oil…$14.49 for 60 X 500mg.
http://www.affordablesupplements.com/krill_oil_500_mg_now_foods.asp
June 29th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
Jan,
The price isn’t too bad if you buy the 3 month supply. However there are less expensive sources out there. More importantly, the levels of omega-3s and astanxanthin don’t compare very well to other brands that feature the top-tier Azantis and Neptune krill oils in their products.
Iggy gives an excellent example above. Thank you, Iggy!
Be well!
JP
July 4th, 2010 at 12:09 am
currently taking 1000mg NOW NKO krill oil per day. just for cardio and overall brain health
wondering..
i have recently developed scalp psoriasis (no connection to the krill oil, it just.. happens) – has anyone had any luck with increasing krill oil dosage to combat psoriasis? scalp is inflamed, with painful sores and incredibly itchy. not much scaling at this point (luckily).
July 4th, 2010 at 12:10 am
re ^ i should mention they have me on steroid shampoos (strong stuff) as well as tar & salicylic acid shampoos + antihistamines, but im trying to feel out natural routes…
July 4th, 2010 at 2:03 am
Josh,
Thankfully I haven’t had a recurrence of my psoriasis. But I’ve posted a few columns since then that may be of interest.
http://www.healthyfellow.com/179/mangosteen-for-eczema-and-psoriasis/
http://www.healthyfellow.com/525/adhd-psoriasis-and-stress-news/
http://www.healthyfellow.com/163/natural-skin-care/
Feel free to ask any follow up questions after reading them.
Be well!
JP
July 5th, 2010 at 1:23 am
Hello…
Thank you so much for your clever insights and your website. I have found it to be, extremely informative and very helpful. I (hopefully) understood quite a lot, however, since my first language is french, I did not understand all unfortunately. Would you be so kind to respond to these questions. I was wondering, what is the difference between NKO and Superba Krill Oil? Is there one superior to the other, in terms of quality and better end results concerning improvement of mood issues and cardiovascular health?
You see, I suffer with depression and currently i am taking, 1 Mega Red Superba krill oil softgel 300 mg, 3 times daily and 1 fish oil softgel 1,200 mg, once daily; EPA/DHA 684mg. In the past, I used to take 1 fish oil softgel, twice a day; however, since i started to take Mega Red krill oil last week, i cut down on my fish oil intake and I was wondering if i did the right thing. Would it be too much and can I have side effects, if i continue to take 1 fish oil softgel, twice daily with the krill oil as well?
Now since it has been only one week, that i take Mega Red krill oil, I cannot tell you for sure, if it is helping me, with my depression or not. I will eventually know in time. With that said, I am on a low carb diet, for the purpose of losing weight. I have lost 25lbs so far and i have 12 more to go. I take 1 potassium, 1 magnesium, 1 calcium/VitD and 1 multivitamine daily and like i mentioned previosuly, I take the krill oil for my depression, but also for the benefits from the added antioxidant properties and my general health as well.
What are your thoughts, on Big Red Superba krill oil’s quality? Do you have any idea, why they changed from NKO to Superba oil? I feel so bad, because i just purchased 3 bottles of Big Red Superba krill oil, last week and I have been going nuts, because i am not sure if i did the right thing anymore. Should i continue taking Big Red krill oil? My next purchase will be the “NOW” brand. By the way is that your preference, as far as NKO is concerned ? I would really like to take the same brand as you do.
To conclude, I like to be informed correctly, as to what i put in my body and i can’t even begin to explain, how I despise the fact, that perhaps i have been cheated by Schiff Nutrition Group, as to the quality of their krill oil. I feel like a fool.
Thank you for your help and your genuine interest, in keeping us informed with the truth.
Merci beaucoup pour votre aide et mes meilleures salutations.
Best regards
Sincerely,
Sarah Anaïs Duteuil
July 5th, 2010 at 2:52 am
Welcome, Sarah.
I’ll try to address all of the questions you’ve posed:
1. The primary difference between NKO and Superba is that NKO contains a larger amount of astaxanthin – the antioxidant carotenoid that gives krill oil its distinctive reddish color.
2. Most of the positive studies on krill oil have (thus far) utilized the NKO product. Hopefully future studies using different krill oil extracts will be published soon.
3. I can’t specifically comment on how much fish & krill oil will be right for you. But I can tell you that both of the dosages you’ve mentioned are considered to be reasonable in general. To the best of my knowledge, there haven’t been any trials that have examined a combined dosage of fish and krill oil. Therefore, it’s a bit of a guessing game in that respect.
4. I just received an e-mail back from Schiff, the makers of Mega Red. They contend that their products meet the stated label claims. It’s there assertion that the discrepancy found by the outside lab (which I posted about in earlier comments) is largely due to a difference in the testing methodology. In other words, Schiff and this other lab tested the products in a different manner and consequently came up with different results.
The lack of testing consistency in the krill oil sector will invariably lead to similar issues in the future. As it stands right now, consumers are left in a position where they’re obligated to trust the word of individual manufacturers … or not.
5. Schiff reportedly had an issue with the delivery of krill oil from Neptune Technologies. I’m guessing that played some role in the switch from NKO to Superba.
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Regulation/Neptune-accused-of-costing-krill-client-1m
6. I really can’t tell you whether or not to take the Mega Red product. I certainly wouldn’t throw it away. However, I might return it if I could get an exchange or refund. In general, I recommend NKO at this time because of the positive research that backs its use. I’m currently using the Now Foods version because I trust the quality and I think the price is among the lowest available.
Congratulations on your weight loss. Continued success!
Be well!
JP
July 5th, 2010 at 7:14 pm
Hello JP..
Thank you so much for responding to my message. I did some research online concerning NKO; Imagine my surprise when i found out, that Neptune Technologies & Bioressources, are in Laval Québec; approx 20 kilometers, from my home… (Neptune Technologies & Bioressources | 225, Promenade du Centropolis, Suite 200, Laval, Québec, Canada H7T 0B3 | Tél.: 450 687-2262; ) So I gave them a call ; their products are obviously available in Québec and they are distributed by Laboratoire LALCO, under the Brand Name PurKrill(TM). By the way, Laboratoire LALCO, are well known in Québec, for their excellent quality products.
With that said, since NKO® is a registered trademark of Neptune Technologies & Bioressources Inc. in Québec, Canada and the only company that holds the patent for krill oil extraction; I’m assuming that all NKO ,are made under Neptune Technologies & Bioressources Inc. in Québec, with different distributors in the rest of Canada and the USA…Am i correct to think so?.. I was also wondering; is “Now” NKO brand, the distributor or the manufacturer in the USA? and are they the largest one in the USA as well?
Now, please correct me if i’m wrong..but don’t all manufacturers/laboratories, have the obligation, to follow strict guidelines from Neptune Technologies & Bioressources, when they make the softgells or can they play with the NKO’s dosage /percentage/ purity of the products as they wish? I’m certain, that they must be tied, by a full proof contract with Neptune Technologies & Bioressources, in order to respect the purity of the product they distribute, for re-sale. Perhaps i am being naive; but logically, I do not think they are allowed to do so, since it is Neptune Technologies & Bioressources’s reputation and integrity on the line.
I would be curious to find out, the percentage of NKO in the “Now” NKO brand? Do you happen to know this information, for a fact?..As far as i know, Neptune Technologies & Bioressources, assured me, that the PurKrill brand is 100% Pure krill oil.
With that said, I contacted the store, where i purchased the Mega Red krill oil; i explained my issues and concerns (thanks to your precious informations) and i will be returning the 3 bottles tomorrow for a full refund.
Here are some interesting and pertinent infos and links i found on the web:
http://www.neptunebiotech.com/products/nko
http://www.npicenter.com/anm/templates/newsATemp.aspx?articleid=4225
http://lalco.ca/index.asp?Action=Prod&subID=13§ionNum=2&prodID=10677
http://www.neptunebiotech.com/corporate/press-releases/212-neptune-has-filed-a-patent-infringement-lawsuit-against-aker-biomarine-asa-jedwards-international-inc-and-virgin-antarctic-llc
“Now” NKO 120 sgels 500mg $28.99 + $1.99 shipping :
http://www.amazon.com/Neptune-Krill-Oil-500mg-sgels/dp/B001RYI8NY/ref=pd_sim_hpc_1
Thank you for looking out for us!
Sincerely,
Sarah
July 6th, 2010 at 12:16 am
Sarah,
All NKO should be equal in terms of composition and purity. But not all krill oil is the same. Only krill oil manufactured by Neptune Technologies & Bioressources can claim to be to NKO.
Now Foods is a distributor/manufacturer of NKO. Neptune T & B provides the raw material used in the Now Foods product. Now Foods is one of the biggest nutritional supplement companies in the US.
I don’t know for certain what arrangements have been made between Neptune T & B and the companies that carry their krill oil. I have seen products with varying dosages of NKO ranging from 300 mg to 1,000 mg of NKO per softgel. I also know that Now Foods carries an enteric-coated NKO product. But the varying dosages and enteric coating do not affect the actual composition of the NKO with respect to astaxanthin, omega-3s and phospholipid concentrations.
According to the label/supplement facts on the Now Foods NKO, it is 100% pure NKO.
The Amazon link you posted is a good deal on the 120 softgel NKO product by Now. It really pays to shop online.
I truly hope you find excellent results with krill oil. Please let us know how it works out for you.
Be well!
JP
July 6th, 2010 at 12:32 am
Here’s the latest krill oil study. It’s a trial that investigated the effects of fish and krill oil in an animal (mouse) model of rheumatoid arthritis.
Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20587038
Full text: http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2474-11-136.pdf
The krill oil used in this study was Superba krill oil by Aker BioMarine.
Be well!
JP
July 13th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
Re: Ordering Krill in Summer
I am running out of krill and need to re-order, but it is so hot and I do not want my krill melting during shipment. Ideas?
Thanks!
Elizabeth
July 13th, 2010 at 8:05 pm
Elizabeth,
I have a rather convenient solution for this but I’m not sure if it will apply to you. I live in Southern California and my primary online source for supplements is pretty close by. So I receive my orders within one business day – even with standard shipping. Thus far I haven’t had any problems with my soft gels melting, etc.
Some online stores offer expedited shipping for free or at a reduced cost *if* your order reaches a certain dollar minimum.
Otherwise, you might ask if they’d be willing to pack the krill oil in a “cool container”. Some outfits do this when shipping temperature-sensitive merchandise such as probiotics.
Hopefully others will have additional suggestions.
Be well!
JP
July 14th, 2010 at 11:28 am
Thanks JP. Darn–I wish I would have kept enough krill on hand to last me through the summer heat wave. I may just have to go and buy it for 24.00 at the Better Health food store. I can only assume that theirs is in good condition.
July 14th, 2010 at 4:34 pm
Hi, Elizabeth,
I wouldn’t be too concerned about krill gel-tabs melting. I was on a trip over the 4th of July weekend, and I had supplements – including krill oil – in my luggage, which I left in my car in 95+-degree weather for several hours. When I finally unpacked, there was no problem.
Bill
July 18th, 2010 at 12:41 am
I’d just like to thank all of you for doing such thorough research and spending your time so that the rest of us can benefit!
July 28th, 2010 at 11:32 am
re: krill oil label claims and purity
Just found this and thought some of you would be interested:
http://www.naturalproductsinsider.com/news/2010/07/enzymotec-krill-passes-cl-testing.aspx
Enzymotec supplies the krill oil for Azantis.
Be well!
JP
July 28th, 2010 at 3:39 pm
i take krill but i’m considering supplementing that with additional DHA. anybody have any insight on a good DHA supplement?? Carlson’s makes one that is concentrated..500 mg per softgel. and Source Naturals makes one that is 275 mg per softgel. and judging by strictly their alleged sources, i’d assume the source naturals is better because it comes from arctic fish.
July 28th, 2010 at 4:36 pm
AR,
It’s not cheap but Nordic Naturals makes a fine DHA supplement – Prenatal DHA. The name isn’t important.
Be well!
JP
July 28th, 2010 at 7:55 pm
Hello,
Does Neptune or Aker has passed testing by Consumer Labs and certified ?
Would like to find this out before I order my Krill Oil.
Apparently, Enzymotec has this certification and wondering whether if any other company has this also.
reference:
http://www.npicenter.com/anm/templates/newsATemp.aspx?articleid=28221&zoneid=2
Thanks for the input.
July 28th, 2010 at 10:13 pm
Tina,
To my knowledge, no. Companies generally need to pay to have Consumer Lab test their products. That appears to be what happened with Enzymotec. They paid a fee and passed the test.
The only time a company does not pay to have CL test their product is if CL independently decides to test a specific class of supplements – example: fish oil, green tea extracts, protein powders, etc. To date, CL has not tested krill oil as a supplement category.
The bottom line is that Aker and Neptune would have to pony up the money if they want CL to test (and possibly certify) their krill oil.
This is my understanding of the situation at least.
Be well!
JP
July 29th, 2010 at 8:46 pm
Hi JP,
I am thinking CL would not pass a product if it did not meet the quality specifications otherwise they would become legally liable. I think in an environment where Neptune & Aker has been questioned recently about having issues to meet their label claims – it makes me suspicious why Aker & Neptune do not pay few dollars to get their products tested ?
Hopefully we will see this happening soon..also, I checked from one of my old Shchiff Mega Red bottles and did not actually even see the breakdown of Astaxanthin/DHA/EPA/Phospholipids… for me it is a red flag to be honest..
July 29th, 2010 at 9:18 pm
Hello, Tina.
I agree that CL wouldn’t verify a product that doesn’t meet their quality specs. I’m not calling their testing or veracity into question.
re: Aker and Neptune quality
Please keep in mind that the claims about about Aker/MegaRed have not been proven. At this point, the only thing that can be conclusively said is that two bottles of MegaRed krill oil (containing Aker’s Superba krill oil) have been called into dispute with regard to meeting their label claims.
As far as Neptune krill oil is concerned, I’ve only heard claims from a competing manufacturer that their products are “light”. I haven’t seen any evidence to support this assertion.
Like you, I’d also value seeing Aker and Neptune submit to CL testing. However, I can’t go so far as to assume that their lack of participation in the CL testing program = proof that their products wouldn’t pass testing. This is an important distinction, IMO.
Do you happen to know how much it costs to go through the CL testing and verification program? I don’t. It would be interesting to know.
Thank you for your added thoughts. I’ll post any additional information I find on this topic.
Be well!
JP
July 29th, 2010 at 9:48 pm
As JP knows, I consider Consumer Lab to be an ethical joke. No “independent” testing lab that publishes comparative product ratings should accept remuneration from the companies that produce the rated products. Judges regularly recuse themselves when reminded that they have a financial interest in a company that they are asked to rule on.
Consumers Union refuses to accept any advertising or other payments from the producers of products that it rates.
July 30th, 2010 at 7:36 am
Iggy,
I understand your criticism and reservations about CL. Having companies pay for testing isn’t ideal. Having consumers pay to see the results also isn’t ideal. Even so, that doesn’t negate the test results, IMO. However, I can understand why it draws suspicion.
I agree with you that CL’s method of generating revenue could be improved. Unfortunately, I’m not on their board of directors.
Be well!
JP
August 2nd, 2010 at 1:38 am
I have read all the coments on krill etc and health and depression etc. My experience over 40 years as a Pharmacist that has studied vitamins and health issues and genetics and also sources of supply for nutritionals, will state in brief my own personal experience and knowledge. Everyone has personal experience and genetics in comprehending outcome. Buy cheap get cheap. First seek the supply source. USA,Canada,other country. Each has standards. KNOW THEM> My experience, is to start with a low dose of a qualified source, and notice improvement. Up the dose if no improvement. The krill I tried was no better than Omega 3. Now learn more about chemicl imbalance that also includes fish oils. Dr. Joan Larson,Minneapolis Mn has an excellent website
August 2nd, 2010 at 11:00 am
I appreciated reading your thoughts, Madeline. Thank you.
Be well!
JP
August 5th, 2010 at 12:57 pm
New research sheds a more positive light on krill sustainability:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100804151410.htm
“Using smaller vessels that allow access to shallow, nearshore waters, researchers from Stony Brook University and the Southwest Fisheries Science Center conducted the first multi-year survey of the population of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) in coastal waters near Livingston Island and discovered that nearshore waters had significantly higher krill biomass density than offshore waters. They also found that the nearshore waters had less interannual variation than offshore waters.”
“‘Although the spatial area of our nearshore survey is quite small when compared with that of the entire Scotia Sea, the high and stable densities of krill in shallow water may be more important ecologically than the offshore krill,’ said Dr. Warren.”
Be well!
JP
August 8th, 2010 at 8:07 pm
New research finds that krill phophatidylserine may improve learning and memory in aged mice – hopefully in humans as well:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20677367
An upcoming study, in humans, will hopefully let us know more:
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00867828?term=krill&rank=2
Be well!
JP
August 11th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
Hi JP,
Could you please tell me some of the side effects of taking Krill Oil? Does it interact with any drugs? Thanks
August 11th, 2010 at 1:27 pm
Vivian,
There appear to be few side effects associated with krill oil use. Some people report digestive upset. There is also a theoretical concern that people with shellfish allergies may also react to krill oil – though I haven’t seen any reports of this in the medical literature. Like other sources of omega-3 fatty acids (flaxseed oil, fish oil, etc.), caution may be warranted when combining krill oil with blood thinning medications.
Please keep in mind that krill oil is a “new kid on the block”. The number of studies that are available for review aren’t many. Therefore, it’s always possible that other adverse reactions and interactions may be clearer with time.
Be well!
JP
August 17th, 2010 at 2:53 pm
Can anyone give me some info on the GNC versions of their Krill Oil ……..is it from Antartica, etc.
August 17th, 2010 at 6:19 pm
Ratman,
The GNC product contains Neptune Krill Oil. It is harvested from the Antarctic and contains all the components most people are looking for: astaxanthin, omega-3 fatty acids and phospholipids. It also features an enteric-coating for those who have a hard time digesting oil-based supplements. It’s a bit pricier than some other brands but other than that, it looks just fine to me.
http://www.gnc.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4021749
Be well!
JP
August 18th, 2010 at 10:24 am
Thanks JP……….
August 18th, 2010 at 3:38 pm
New Vitamin D results after taking 2-5,000 IU gel caps of D3 a day for about 8 weeks: I am up from 46 ng/ml, to 93 ng/ml! I am cutting back to 1-5,000 gel capsule a day to get into the 50-70 ng/ml range.
August 18th, 2010 at 4:46 pm
Excellent news, Elizabeth. Thank you for the progress report!
Would you mind reminding us of which brand of Vitamin D3 you’ve been using? Have you been taking both soft gels at the same time or with different meals?
Be well!
JP
August 19th, 2010 at 7:17 am
JP, I checked the Krill products at GNC and they had a triple strength fish oil with Krill with EPA and DHA in the 500 to to 600 range. It had Neptune 300 of Krill. They also had another Krill product that didn’t mention anything about Fish oil just Krill.
Comments
August 19th, 2010 at 12:12 pm
I am taking thr NSI brand of D3 softgels. Mine come in the 5000 IU dose, and I take two together with a snack or a meal around the middle of the day, every day. Today, I have decided to take 2 one day (10,000 IU) and take 1 (5,000 IU), the next, to lower the dose a bit, since I am looking to have my levels between 50-80.
August 19th, 2010 at 12:30 pm
Ratman,
Yes, they also have a combination product that’s mostly fish oil. As you mentioned, it contains 300 mg of Neptune Krill Oil per 2 soft gel serving as well.
To the best of my knowledge, there hasn’t been any published research testing the effects of such a combination. Are the benefits additive? Competitive? Synergistic? It’s hard to say without any data to base an opinion on. So I think a reasonable position to take (for now) is the fish + krill oil product will (hopefully) provide the expected benefits associated with concentrated fish oil and a low dosage of krill oil.
A few additional comments: The difference in price is a mainly reflection of the higher cost of the Neptune Krill Oil. The higher DHA and EPA levels are a result of the concentrated fish oil which contains more omega-3s than krill oil.
Be well!
JP
August 19th, 2010 at 12:30 pm
Thank you, Elizabeth. Very useful information.
Be well!
JP
August 19th, 2010 at 12:33 pm
Thanks for the info everyone……….I purchased the Triple strenght fish oil with the 300mg of Krill ,,,,,,,once I have taken it for a month or so I’ll let you know the results…..
RATMAN
August 19th, 2010 at 12:35 pm
I hope it works out well for you, Ratman. Looking forward to hearing about your experience with it.
Be well!
JP
August 19th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
RATMAN,
It’s important to also increase the amount of fat-soluble antioxidants you take when you take fish oil. Maybe you already know this.
Best Wishes,
Elizabeth
August 19th, 2010 at 2:18 pm
Elizabeth can you explain the “”increase the amount of fat-soluble antioxidants”"…….certain other food list or what ???
Thanks
August 19th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
One thing you would probably want to take with fish oil is some vitamin E. The astaxanthin in your krill probably helps as well. Fish oil just is not as pure as krill, which makes taking antioxidants more important.
August 19th, 2010 at 4:05 pm
I take Dr. Seras Primal Force daily Multi Vitamin…….has plenty of Vitamin E….Thanks…..
August 19th, 2010 at 4:05 pm
Sorry,
I meant Dr. Sears……..
August 20th, 2010 at 6:37 am
Any thoughts on Aker Biomarines MSC certification? Jarrow is now using 100% Superba Krill Oil in it’s new version, versus 70% Azantis in the old one. Recently had cholesterol panel done while on NOW brand Krill for the last 8 months and everything has gone up. Odd. I’m adding a Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega and perhaps switching back to Jarrow, as Now doesn’t seem to be working for me and I have no idea why. My levels were substantially lower on the old Jarrow 70% version.
August 20th, 2010 at 1:34 pm
Michelle,
I think Aker is a fine company. Their Marine Stewardship Council certification comes as no surprise. I think it’s clear that their policies and practices keep in mind ecological and sustainability considerations.
That’s disappointing news about your test results. However, if your prior krill oil experience was positive … then you should probably try to replicate it by using what the same type of krill you used before: Azantis krill oil. Jarrow previously used Azantis krill oil and only recently switched to Superba krill oil. Superba differs from the Azantis krill oil because it contains a much lower level of astaxanthin. Aker’s assertion is that this makes it more natural because it includes no concentrated astaxanthin (added to the krill oil). On the other hand, Azantis believes that higher levels of astaxanthin are required in order ensure optimal therapeutic potential.
A few US brands that contain Azantis krill oil are: Olympian Labs and Source Naturals.
Be well!
JP
August 20th, 2010 at 6:23 pm
Thanks for the info and all of your input, JP. I appreciate it as always. I think I’m going to give the Superba a shot. I found a new Swanson version which seems identical to the Jarrow formula at a third less in cost. ProVitaminas.com is the only source that carries the new Jarrow Krill. I’m wondering if the higher amount of astaxanthin is that important or if it is ok to stay on the smaller natural amount long term. Don’t know. Also, I contacted Aker to get some more information on their extraction process. I seem to recall that they use ethanol and heat. Do you know anything about the pros and cons?
August 20th, 2010 at 7:43 pm
Michelle,
You’re most welcome.
Please let us know how Superba works out for you. Well, I hope.
Astaxanthin appears to matter. Most of the published literature on krill oil has used the Neptune extract which contains about 1.5 mg/gram of astaxanthin. The Azantis extract you used in the past contains the same amount but from a different source – from algae. There’s also been some positive research on algae-derived astaxanthin without omega-3s and phospholipids.
http://www.healthyfellow.com/406/natural-heart-attack-protection/
The one, preliminary study using Superba did not result in significant changes in lipid levels. However, the participants did not have elevated lipid concentrations to begin with and the study was of short duration – 4 weeks.
I spoke to an Aker rep awhile back and he basically stated that the heat involved in their extraction doesn’t result in significant quality differences or byproducts associated with excessive heat exposure.
Hopefully we’ll know more about quality issues in the near future. An inside source claims that ConsumerLab is preparing to publish a krill oil report in September.
Be well!
JP
August 21st, 2010 at 1:32 pm
Thanks again JP for the information and website. I did some more research and just ordered 4mg astaxanthin to supplement the krill. Seems like a powerful antioxidant without the toxicity issues of beta carotene. I’m also diabetic and read it regulates beta cells in the pancreas. My husband has MS and it will be beneficial for him as well. Sounds like a great anti inflammatory too!
August 21st, 2010 at 3:12 pm
Sounds like a reasonable combination to me.
I hope you and your husband find positive results. Please keep us posted.
Be well!
JP
August 26th, 2010 at 9:19 pm
I noticed someone earlier in the thread mentioned Amazon had SOURCE NOW NKO krill 500mg 120 caps for around $32 with free shipping. I clicked and found it is NOW(sorry I had to) just $29 with free shipping. Hey every buck counts right?? Anyway just wanted to share
http://www.amazon.com/Neptune-Krill-Oil-500mg-sgels/dp/B001RYI8NY?&camp=212361&linkCode=wsw&tag=wyjefasi-20&creative=380789
August 26th, 2010 at 9:26 pm
That’s a great deal. Thanks for the heads up HH.
Be well!
JP
August 31st, 2010 at 11:29 am
Hello friends, here comes my testomonial on krill oil.
A little over 3 months ago I had my routine blood work done and a follow up doctors appt. Let me tell you I have been batteling high cholesterol and high triglycerides for more than 5 years. On my last visit my total chloresterol count was 320 and my triglycerides count was 1,480. That is the highest it has ever been and I have been taken cholesterol and triglycerides medication along with a fish oil supplement. On my way out of the office my nurse told me to try krill oil. I didn’t know what it was and never heard of it. I went home got on the computer looked up krill oil and was fasinated with what I had read. I then went to C V S and found this krill oil called Mega Red. Now the direction say only one soft gel per day, however I was desperate so I up the intake to 6 a day that’s 1800 mg a day along with a better diet and exercise plan. Well my friends, I’m here to tell you today that I just got back from my doctors appt. and here are my numbers. total cholesterol 143 triglcerides 87. WoW is that remarkable or what. Anyway thanks for your research and posting all your info. It worked for me and hopefully it will work for others that have been batteling high choletestrol and high triglycerides. Have a great day.
Mark Hart
August 31st, 2010 at 12:03 pm
Congratulations, Mark! Thank you for sharing your experience.
A few questions for you:
Do you know if the Mega Red krill oil you used over the 6 month period was an older batch containing Neptune Krill Oil (NKO) or a newer batch containing Superba krill oil?
The changes in your lipid profile are dramatic to say the least. Did you make any other changes with respect to your diet/lifestyle and/or medication regimen that could partially explain your results?
I’d be interested to know any additional information you think might be relevant. I’m sure others would as well.
Be well!
JP
September 1st, 2010 at 10:12 am
Hey JP, here’s the deal. I started taking the Mega Red krill oil the 1st week of June. It is the Superba krill oil. I was taking it along with my regular medication Niaspan 500 mg twice a day and Gemfibrozil 600 mg twice a day and liptor 20 mg once a day per doctors orders. Now prior to June 1st I was just taking the prescribed medication along with supplement fish oil 2000 mg daily and received that terrible report.
Now I’m taking the prescribed medication along with the Mega Red Superba krill oil and dropped the fish oil.
I exercise daily on the treadmill (which I didn’t do before) I changed my eating habits from whatever fills me up to a more sensible meal plan. and cut back on my alcohol intake.
I am curious to know now that my numbers are all in line if I really need to continue taking the prescribed medication. What is your thoughts? My next blood work is in 3 months.
September 1st, 2010 at 12:16 pm
Mark,
Thank you for adding that important information. Very helpful and interesting.
This isn’t a simple matter to sift through. But here are my two-cents anyhow:
Discontinuing a medication is best done under the guidance of a physician. The bottom line is that I’d tell your doctor exactly what’s going on and let her/him know that you’d like to see if you can maintain your healthy lipid levels without the prescription medications. See what he/she has to say about that. A gradual lowering of dosage and/or removing the medications one at a time may be the best way to go.
It’s great that you’ve adopted a better diet and an exercise program. Wonderful news about the krill oil as well. The real question in my mind is what “therapy” is accomplishing your amazing results? Is it a combination of all of your healthful practices (diet, exercise & high-dose krill oil)? Could it be some sort of synergistic effect re: your medications + the healthful practices?
There’s nothing I like better than to see someone get off of potentially dangerous medications. But this has to be done judiciously. If I were you, I’d ask for my doctors assistance in accomplishing this. In time, blood tests can help determine how well this new approach is working out. *If* your doctor is resistant to do this, I’d get a second opinion.
Be well!
JP
September 1st, 2010 at 2:27 pm
JP,
I recently received Dr. Michael Pinkus’s OMEGA KRILL with pure contrated krill oil. The directions on the bottle suggested to take two capsules before bedtime, which I did. The next morning immediately after eating my breakfast which consists of All-Bran cereal, organic skim milk, and blueberries, (which I eat alot), I felt light headed, and fely like I was going to faint. I was real weak in the legs and it scared the heck out of me. I’m 62 years old, exercise, and watch what I eat. Do you know if anyone has had any reaction to Krill before.
RATMAN
September 1st, 2010 at 3:00 pm
I’m really sorry to hear that. I’ve never encountered a similar reaction myself and have never read a similar account. But perhaps some of my readers might be able to chime in with some input.
It’s always possible that you’ve suffered an allergic reaction. Such reactions appear to be very rare. However, it is a theoretical concern for those with shell fish allergies or sensitivities.
Another possibility is that the product itself is responsible. To be honest, I’ve examined the label and it appears that this product uses an inferior form of krill oil. It only contains 65 mg of omega-3s per 500 soft gel. Not good. I’m sorry to say.
http://www.drnewtons.com/omegakrill-p-1339.html
Be well!
JP
September 1st, 2010 at 3:18 pm
JP,
Can you explain what you mean by 65MG of omega-3s per 500 soft gel……….Not Good…………..this could be the answer…………by the way, I’m not allergic to fish……….eat it weekly………
RATMAN
bob
September 1st, 2010 at 3:35 pm
Bob,
I’m sorry. I goofed. The omega-3 level is actually fine. That makes 130 mg/gram – which is considered ideal. My error. I apologize for my mix up.
Are you by chance allergic or sensitive to shrimp or any related shell fish? Some people do fine with fish but not shell fish.
PS – I just tracked down the following information from Dr. Michael Eades site:
http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/uncategorized/krill-oil-update-ii/
Perhaps lowering the dose or separating the dosage to (1 softgel) twice-daily might help. Also, taking the krill with food might affect how you react to it. I can’t say for certain. Just possibilities.
Be well!
JP
September 1st, 2010 at 6:42 pm
Bob,
Got an update for you. According to a krill insider, the product in question (OmegaKrill )contains Kriaxanthin krill oil made by Cyvex. This form of krill oil contains hardly any phosphlipids and low levels of astaxanthin.
This same expert suggests NOT taking krill oil as night because it can be mentally stimulating. Instead, the recommendation is to take it earlier in the day.
I hope this helps.
Be well!
JP
September 2nd, 2010 at 8:23 am
JP,
I checked out Dr Mike Eades’s site, and I read that others have been having lightheadedness and dizzy feelings also taking Krill. Did you actually suggest that the OMEGAKRILL I purchaed from Dr. Pinkus isn’t a good Krill product. Also, I was taking the GNC triple strength fish oil with 300mg of Krill for a couple of weeks without any problems. It could be that popping two capsules of the OMEGAKRILL just before bed (without food) affected my brain the next morning, because as soon as I was done eating my breakfast I felt dizzy and lightheadedness, and feeling like I was going to faint. Do you recommend I stop taking the OMEGAKRILL since it has low levels of astaxanthin, and hardly any Phosphlidids…….
RATMAN
September 2nd, 2010 at 12:44 pm
Bob,
I’ve been in touch with Nutranectics, the manufacturer of OmegaKrill, twice today. Unfortunately, they didn’t have much to offer in terms of technical information. They were friendly but not very knowledgeable about their product.
But like I mentioned yesterday I was contacted by an expert in the krill industry who periodically monitors this page. This person informed me that OmegaKrill contains the Kriaxanthin form of krill oil made by Cyvex. If that’s accurate, then I would say this is an inferior form of krill oil.
Here’s my two cents: Most manufacturers like to showcase the finer points of their products. That’s why you’ll see so many of them list the astaxanthin and phospholipid contents on their labels. It’s a selling point. My general opinion is that products that fail to do so are typically omitting that information for a reason. In other words, it’s not advantageous for them to do so.
I think if one is going to take krill oil, then they ought to look for a product that provides all the therapeutic components – astaxanthin, omega-3s and phosholipids. That’s what I’m doing and that’s what I recommend at this time.
I can’t know what caused your lightheadedness. But it sounds reasonable that taking it on an empty stomach before bed *could* have caused your reaction. Another possibility is that the increased dosage (1,000 mg vs. 300 mg) was too much for your system to handle.
How to proceed? That’s got to be up to you. I can only tell that I would opt for a different product unless you learn that OmegaKrill actually contains 200 or more milligrams of phospholipids per 500 mg softel and about .6 to .75 mg of astaxathin in the same serving size.
Please let me know if any of this isn’t clear or you have any additional questions.
Be well!
JP