• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

  • Fitness
  • Workouts
    • Best Shoulder Workouts
    • Best Chest Workouts
    • Best Leg Workouts
    • Best Leg Exercises
    • Best Biceps Exercises
    • Best Kettlebell Exercises
    • Best Back Workouts
    • Best HIIT Workouts
    • Best Triceps Exercises
    • Best Arm Workouts
  • Reviews
    • Supplements
      • Best Pre-Workouts
      • Best Whey Protein
    • Equipment
      • Best Home Gym Machines
    • Certifications
      • ISSA Review
  • News
  • Exercise Guides
    • Legs
      • Back Squat
      • Bulgarian Split Squat
      • Goblet Squat
      • Zercher Squat
      • Standing Calf Raise
      • Hack Squat
    • Chest
      • Bench Press
      • Dumbbell Bench Press
      • Close-Grip Bench Press
      • Incline Bench Press
    • Shoulders
      • Overhead Dumbbell Press
      • Lateral Raise
    • Arms
      • Chin-Up
      • Weighted Pull-Up
      • Triceps Pushdown
    • Back
      • Deadlift
      • Trap Bar Deadlift
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Inverted Row
      • Bent-Over Barbell Row
      • Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
      • Pendlay Row
Healthy Eating

Krill Oil vs. Fish Oil: What’s the Difference?

You're shopping for an omega-3 supplement and you keep hearing about both krill oil and fish oil. Which should you take? Let's examine them both so you can make the best decision for your fitness.

Brad Sly

Written by Brad Sly Last updated on February 21, 2013

Fish oil is often considered the wonder supplement, great for treating just about anything: eczema and other skin conditions, inflammation, cognitive health and development, joint lubrication, heart health, hormone regulation, and the list goes on.

Then a few years ago krill oil came onto the scene and ever since has been marketed at the next big thing in essential fatty acids and omega-3 supplementation. The krill oil capsules are meant to be more potent and are most definitely much smaller than fish oil capsules. The questions is, though, is it really better and more bio-available than fish oil or is just an over advertised, overly expensive product that doesn’t match up to its cheaper competition?

Essential Fatty Acids: What Are They?

To understand what all the fuss is about, we first need to understand what it is we are taking and why. Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are long chain, polyunsaturated fatty acids derived from linolenic, linoleic, and oleic acids. They are essential fats because the human body is incapable of manufacturing them, so they must be obtained through our diet. There are two types of EFAs: omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) and omega-6 (linoleic acid). There is also an omega-9, but it is not essential as it can be manufactured by the body if adequate omega-3 and omega-6 are present in the diet.

EFAs are necessary for the following processes:

  • Healthy cell membrane formation
  • Hormone production
  • Development and functioning of the brain and nervous system
  • Regulation of blood pressure, liver function, immune and inflammatory responses
  • Thyroid and adrenal activity
  • Regulation of blood clotting (omega-6 encourages blood clot formation, whereas omega-3 oil reduces clotting, making the goal to achieve balance between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids)
  • Breakdown and transport cholesterol
  • Support healthy skin and hair

Researchers believe the optimal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 is somewhere between 2:1 and 4:1. Yet the typical American diet provides a ratio of anywhere between 10:1 and 30:1, meaning most of the population is deficient in omega-3. EFA deficiency and omega-6 and omega-3 imbalances have been linked to serious health conditions, such as heart attacks, cancer, insulin resistance, asthma, depression, accelerated aging, stroke, obesity, diabetes, arthritis, ADHD, and Alzheimer’s disease, among others.

Now that we know the reasons for taking omega-3, we need to look at what it is that makes up the omega-3 fatty acid profile.

What Are EPA and DHA?

Once consumed omega-3 fatty acids are converted into DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). DHA and EPA are polyunsaturated fats that play extremely important roles in the body, specifically in the vision development and brain function of children. One study found significantly lower amounts of EPA in the cells of patients who attempted suicide, suggesting that omega-3 fatty acids may actually play a role in suicide prevention.1 A lack of DHA has also been associated with Alzheimer’s disease, attention disorders, cystic fibrosis, and other diseases.

What Are Krill and Krill Oil?

krill, krill oil, fish oil vs krill oil, benefits of krill oil, krill omega-3Krill are small crustaceans, approximately one to six centimeters in length, and are a dietary staple for whales, small fish, and seabirds.

Krill exist in large numbers and are an integral part of the aquatic food chain. They feed on phytoplankton and are found in all the world’s oceans. To give you an idea of their mass, one species known as the Antarctic Krill makes up an estimated biomass of over 500,000,000 tons, which is roughly twice that of all humans on earth.

The reason the oil from krill has gained popularity is because it contains the antioxidant astaxanthin. This is what gives the bright red pigment to the oil and is what also colors krill and other crustaceans such as lobsters, crabs, and prawns their reddish pink colour. The oil from krill is reported to have a higher concentration of EPA and also reduce or eliminate the fish-burps associated with taking traditional fish oil.

Krill Oil vs. Fish Oil

Even though krill contains the antioxidant astaxanthin, which makes up about 0.2% of the oil by weight, rapid decomposition of the krill happens in only two to three hours. Fish oil has a significantly longer life of about 48-72 hours before decomposition and oxidation begin to occur. This allows much more time for processing.

Extensive research has been done and has established that adding specific percentages of vitamin E and rosemary extract (both of which are fat soluble antioxidants) to the oil is the most effective way of maintaining oil freshness. This combination of antioxidants provides, at a minimum, an equal oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) value when compared to krill oil.

krill, krill oil, fish oil vs krill oil, benefits of krill oil, krill omega-3In comparing fish oil and krill oil, the manufacturing process also needs to be examined. When fish oil is obtained from sardines and anchovies, they generally yield in excess of 80% fat. This compared to krill, which can yield less than 5% fat and that is what increases the time of decomposition. To reduce this oxidation krill either need to be kept alive in water tanks once harvested or frozen until it is time to process the oil. Both of these situations drastically increase the manufacturing cost of krill oil.

Conclusion

After reviewing all the information, to be perfectly honest, I think krill oil has its place and new studies are showing some great results with lipid lowering and arthritic pain reduction, but I feel it still needs further evaluation.2,3 I also believe that considering fish oil has had such extensive studies done, at this time it is possibly the better choice.

Given that supplementation is a personal choice, no matter what you choose to take – be it a good quality fish oil or a good quality krill oil – the inclusion of much needed omega-3s into your diet is a definite step in the right direction.

References:

1. Huan M, Hamazaki K, Sun Y, Itomura M, Liu H, Kang W, Watanabe S, Terasawa K, Hamazaki T. (2004). “Suicide attempt and n-3 fatty acid levels in red blood cells: a case control study in China” (abstract). Biological Psychiatry 56 (7): 490–6.

3. Roxandra Bunea, Khassan El Farrah & Luisa Deutsch (2004). “Evaluation of the effects of Neptune Krill Oil on the clinical course of hyperlipidemia.”

4. Luise Deutsch (2007). “Evaluation of the effect of Neptune Krill Oil on chronic inflammation and arthritic symptoms” Journal of the American College of Nutrition 26 (1): 39–48.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

Brad Sly

About Brad Sly

Brad Sly is passionate about nutrition and fitness. He is a nutritionist and a certified personal trainer. Brad struggled with his weight for years, but it wasn't until seeing his brother's wedding photos that he decided to make a more positive shift in his health. Starting his loss at 128kg, it was a long journey, but in the end he lost a whooping 50 kilograms and changed his life for the better in the process.

Through studying nutrition and fitness on the Internet to try and help with his fat loss and muscle gain, Brad decided he needed more information and wanted to help others with the knowledge he was learning. He enrolled in an Advanced Diploma of Nutritional Medicine first and then studied for his certificate 3 and 4 in fitness to also become a trainer.

From all this knowledge Brad created BSHF. Now Brad helps others reach their goals using solid nutrition advice and fun fitness workouts utilizing a vast array of techniques from powerlifting and strongman routines to explosive bootcamps to tasty recipes and food coaching classes. When Brad isn't helping others reach their goals he can be found either creating a tasty new recipe, training for his first strong man competition, or relaxing with his wife and kids.

View All Articles

Recommended Articles

fishoildsandfacontent
Why You Should Doubt Fish Oil
Flax Seed Oil or Fish Oil? The Best Source of Omega 3s
Want to Get Strong and Lean? Take Fish Oil
shutterstock_14321134
Omega-3 Fatty Acids Prevent or Delay Osteoarthritis

Primary Sidebar

Latest Articles

Derek Lunsford, Nick Walker, And Other Men’s Open Stars Will Guest Pose at 2023 Pittsburgh Pro

Shaun Clarida Wants To Break Flex Lewis’ 212 Olympia Title Record

The Best Bodybuilding Workout for Each Body Part

Jay Cutler Shares How To Construct An “Olympia” Chest

Latest Reviews

ISSA Personal Trainer Certification Review

ISSA Personal Trainer Certification Review

Best Whey Proteins for Packing on Muscle, Shredding Down, Meal Replacement, and More

Best Pre-Workouts for Building Muscle, Running, Taste, and More

Best Home Gym Machines

Best Home Gym Machines

woman lifting barbell

Be the smartest person in your gym

The Breaking Muscle newsletter is everything you need to know about strength in a 3 minute read.

I WANT IN!

Breaking Muscle is the fitness world’s preeminent destination for timely, high-quality information on exercise, fitness, health, and nutrition. Our audience encompasses the entire spectrum of the fitness community: consumers, aficionados, fitness professionals, and business owners. We seek to inform, educate and advocate for this community.

  • Reviews
  • Healthy Eating
  • Workouts
  • Fitness
  • News

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed

© 2023 · Breaking Muscle · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy · Affiliate Disclaimer · Accessibility · About