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08.08.2016

Krill oil supplementation: big boost to HDL and lower LDL

Are your cholesterol levels worsening? Are you a candidate for statins and you'd prefer not to be? In that case, a human study that Canadian researchers published in Alternative Medicine Review a while ago suggests that krill oil is an interesting option. A hefty dose of the stuff can work wonders with your HDL, LDL and triglyceride levels.

Krill oil
Krill oil contains fish fatty acids such as DHA and EPA, but that's the only similarity between krill oil and fish oil. Fish oil is a fat, or to use the scientific term, a triglyceride. Krill oil contains no fats but phospholipids. And the body absorbs phospholipids more easily than triglycerides.

Study
The researchers divided 120 subjects aged between 18 and 85, all of whom had slightly raised levels of LDL or triglycerides in their blood, into four groups.

One group was given a placebo daily; another group took 3 g fish oil daily. A third group took 1 or 1.5 g krill oil daily, and the fourth group took 2 or 3 g krill oil.

The researchers used krill oil produced by Neptune, a Canadian manufacturer. It is not entirely clear what Neptune's role in the study was.

The experiment lasted 90 days.

Results
There was no change in the concentrations of HDL, LDL and triglycerides in the placebo group.

The HDL concentration increased by 4 percent in the fish oil users. Their LDL concentration decreased, but the effect was not statistically significant.

The daily dose of 1 or 1.5 g krill oil boosted the subjects' HDL by 44 percent and lowered their LDL by 32-35 percent. Their triglyceride concentration decreased by 11-12 percent, but the effect was not quite statistically significant.

The 2-3 g dose of krill oil had an even greater effect. That dose boosted the HDL level by 55-60 percent and reduced the LDL by 37-39 percent. The triglyceride concentration went down by 27-28 percent. All effects were statistically significant.

At the end of the 90 days the researchers got the subjects who had taken 1-1.5 g krill oil to take 0.5 g krill oil daily for another 90 days. This turned out to be an effective maintenance dose.

Conclusion
"The results of this clinical trial demonstrate that daily doses of 1-3 g krill oil are significantly more effective than 3 g EPA/DHA fish oil in the management of hyperlipidemia", the researchers wrote. "Furthermore, a maintenance dose of 500 mg krill oil is significantly effective for long-term regulation of blood lipids."

"The unique molecular composition of krill oil, which is rich in phospholipids, omega-3 fatty acids, and diverse antioxidants, surpasses the profile of fish oils and offers a superior approach toward the reduction of risk for cardiovascular disease."

Source:
Altern Med Rev. 2004 Dec;9(4):420-8.

More:
Krill oil combats PMS 25.10.2015
Krill oil makes you more intelligent and prevents depression 18.01.2014

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