subject: Krill Oil vs Fish Oil – Which One Provides The Most Benefits? [print this page] Krill Oil vs Fish Oil Which One Provides The Most Benefits?
So is there really a new kid on the block that promises more benefits and less contamination? Let's look at the facts in the krill oil vs fish oil debate to discover who is really the winner.
Purity
There is little doubt that krill oil is purer than most fish ones as they mostly come from the pristine Antarctic waters where there is little or no contamination. That being said, some of the better premium fish oils that are distilled to remove the toxins like mercury are just as pure if not more so.
Does krill have more antioxidants?
Almost all oil from fish does not contain any antioxidants whereas krill contains astaxanthin which is a powerful antioxidant. This provides anti aging benefits for your skin and helps to quash free radical damage that leads to premature aging and disease.
There are a few brands of fish oil that have added antioxidants like astaxanthin and lycopene, you just need to look harder to find them.
Sustainability
This is where the krill really lose out in the krill oil vs fish oil debate because they are purely caught for their oil and nothing else. The oil from fish on the other hand is a by-product as they are caught anyway for food.
Krill are essential to the marine ecosystem and provide food for most species including whales. One large retailer in the US, Whole Foods, has stopped all sales of this oil due to uncertainty about the impact on marine life.
Fish species like hoki and tuna tend to make the best oil and are easily found from sustainable sources.
Omega 3 fatty acids
This is another area where the krill are not up to scratch. These fats provide most of the health benefits like prevention of heart attacks, improved brain health, better vision, a stronger immune system and much more.
There are two main types known as DHA and EPA and it is DHA that gives you most of those benefits as it is converted by the body into a powerful anti-inflammatory chemical.
A quality fish oil will contain 280mg of DHA per capsule while the best krill can do is 45mg per capsule. This means you receive substantially less benefits from the krill.
So in conclusion, the clear winner of the krill oil vs fish oil debate has to be the fish, especially as it also tends to cost much less and is therefore more affordable for most people.
