Krill fish oil benefits, side effects and the best krill oil supplements to buy online in the UK

Benefits of Fish Oils (EFAs)

Awesome Krill Oil 1000mg at Slimming.com

Fish oil contains EFAs (Essential Fatty Acids). These EFAs are made up of Omegas 3 and 6 but don't get hung up on the F word because these are good fats. EFAs help the body to function and have particular benefits with the cardiovascular system and also help with glandular activity amongst other things.

How do we get EFAs?

Essential Fatty Acids are ingested via our diet. Oily fish, a diet with lots of nuts and seeds, and using cold pressed seed oils on salads are the main ways to get EFAs into the body:

Omega 3 - found mainly in fish, sea algae, flax and hemp seeds
Omega 6 - found in oils such as flax, grape and rapeseed oils

Supplementation

For a lot of people, supplementation is the best way to get the required amount of EFAs into the system quickly and consistently. A lot of older people will remember being told or telling others to have cod liver oil, and while this can help boost your EFA levels, there are better sources of EFAs available.

What is krill oil?

A krill is a small sea crustacean, the diet of the great whales, and can be found in all of the oceans worldwide. Krill is normally 1 to 2 centimetres in length and looks like a tiny lobster. They are fished around the world but the more well known places are the Antarctic, Pacific, and the Northern seas. It is here that they derive their names for oil. You can buy Antarctic Krill Oil, Pacific Krill Oil and Northern Krill Oil.

To stop this sounding too gory, krill are processed and refined to produce high protein and omega 3 EFA rich oil. Due to its rather unpleasant smell, Krill oil is mainly sold in capsule/softgel form.

Krill oil and allergies

Krill oil is made from Krill so if you have an allergy to fish or seafood, it is not suitable for you (you will have to use Hemp softgels or Flaxseed Oil softgels as a way of getting EFAs into your diet).

Health benefits of Krill oil

There are a number of proven wide ranging health benefits Krill oil supplementation. These include:

Improving brain function
Improving cardiovascular health
Helping with inflammation
Increasing muscle strength
Supporting joints

Difference between Krill oil and Omega 3

A common question asked by the general public is 'What is the difference between Krill oil and Omega 3'? 'Why is Krill oil better than Omega 3'?

The easy answer is that Krill oil is a much more powerful antioxidant. The omega fatty acids in Krill oil are attached to phospholipids which mean the fatty acids go straight to your cells. For this effect to take place with Omega 3, you would need to take a very large quantity.

Studies comparing Omega 3 and Krill oil suggest that;

Krill oil has over 300 times more vitamin A and E (due to the powerful antioxidant ‘Astaxanthin’)
Is over 48 times stronger than Omega 3
Has over 34 times more Co-Enzyme Q10

Co-Enzyme Q10 helps convert glucose to energy by producing ATP and is also used to treat a wide range of exercise and health related symptoms including diabetes, Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, increasing exercise tolerance and preventing chronic fatigue.

So although Krill oil supplements cost more, they work out being better value for money than Omega 3 because they are far more potent and you only need 1 or 2 capsules a day instead of 4-6.

Krill oil and arthritis

Krill oil is said to help reduce and prevent inflammation of the joints and organs. As arthritis is an inflammation, Krill oil can be used to help alleviate pain, stiffness, functional movement and the other symptoms of arthritis.

Krill oil and pregnancy

As well as benefits for premenstrual syndrome pain, Krill oil has been recommended to pregnant women as it helps develop the baby’s brain, cognitive function and it can help manage pain levels which could be helpful during childbirth.

Krill oil and cholesterol

Krill oil has been shown to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) by up to a third (c.33%) and increase good cholesterol (HDL) in the body by up to 44%.

These potent fish oils have the ability to regulate the stability of blood sugar levels which reduces cravings for sugary food and drink. The EFAs also help to turn off the genes which cause the body to store fat.

Dosage

The recommended dosage is 1 to 2 softgels a day in most instances. It would be best to start on a lower dose to see if you have any side effects first before slowly increasing dosage. With any supplements, always read the label and stick to recommended dosages on the bottle/tub. If you have an existing medical condition and are on long term medication, speak to your doctor first before starting any supplements.

Taking Krill oil in the morning is said to “switch on” your brain, giving you a metal boost, as well as lots of health benefits of course.

Krill oil side effects

Most people have no Krill oil side effects but it has led to some people developing diarrhoea, wind or bloating. As mentioned before, it is not suitable for those with fish allergies. There are also reports that Krill oil has a blood thinning effect and it is recommended you stop taking Krill oil 2 weeks before any surgery.

Best Krill oil

Krill oil is normally more expensive to buy than regular fish oils but has more benefits and is more effective. Krill oil is stronger than Omega 3 fish oils and usually comes in 500mg capsules. Slimming.com even sells 1000mg capsules, one of only a few online e-stores to do so.

There are a number of brands and it is easy to buy Krill oil online. It does pay to shop around though - looking online you will find discount vouchers, special offers or discounts for buying more than one bottle of Krill oil at a time. Luckily for you, we have plenty of these discount codes. In fact, at the time of writing, we have a discount code for 25% off Krill oil at Myvitamins.com!

Below are seven of the best Krill oil supplements available to buy online in the UK.

Summary

Krill oil has a large number of benefits as it contains EFAs which are vital for optimal body function. Krill oil is one of the better sources of Omega 3 essential fatty acids and has a wide range of positive effects on various groups of people. Simply supplementing with Krill oil can improve your quality of life and diet.