Fish and all the other crustaceans are renowned for their nutritive qualities. Eating these products directly is one approach. However, in the last 5-6 years, oil extracts of fish and other crustaceans have become a trend.
Fish oil is one of the most popularly known supplements due to its high omega-3 content. Krill oil is oil extracted from a krill. The basic difference between these two lies in the exact source that they are being extracted from. Fish oil is sourced from a variety of different fishes like cod, sardine, etc whereas krill oil is taken only from krill that is basically a crustacean.
Which one is healthier for you? Here are some of the benefits from both the oils listed, to help you make a more informed decision about your oil usage –

Benefits of Krill Oil:

Krill oil has higher Omega-3 levels

When compared to fish oil, krill oil supplements are considered to be an elite source for omega-3s. Although it is reported time and again that both provide Omega-3, however, it is also seen that the amount of omega in krill is more than that in fish oil. This means that a smaller dosage of krill needs to be taken against fish oil. Hence, they are considered to be a more efficient source of Omega-3 fatty acids.

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Krill oil is better for the heart

The effect of both these oils is that it increases healthy HDL cholesterol while reducing LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and even total cholesterol, making it a good option for cardiac health. Astaxanthin is an antioxidant that has been seen to reduce cardiovascular system inflammation and is present in higher quantities in Krill oil supplementation.

Krill oil has more phosphatidylcholine

At the onset, it is imperative to know that both krill and fish oil contain EPA and DHA, which are complex words for healthy fats that have many benefits for your skin, brain, joints, etc. However, the main difference between the two is the content of phosphatidylcholine (PC) in krill oil. This component, when added to healthy fats helps with easier digestion in the gut and faster absorption by the organs receptive to it.

Krill oil is absorbed better

The presence of phosphorus fats in krill oil is considered to be the primary reason why it has an increased absorption efficiency. This is because it is more easily absorbed in important tissues such as the gut and brain.

Krill oil doesn’t give ‘fish burps’

It has been very commonly noted that fish oil gives the stench of fish while being digested and gives something called as fish burps. The stench of this is quite an appalling fish oil side effect and is the reason why many people discontinue the use of fish oil altogether. This is not the case in krill oil since it is being extracted from crustaceans that don’t retain their stench.

Benefits of Fish Oil:

Recommended Read: 5 Types of Healthy Fishes to Eat

Fish oil helps you avoid shellfish allergies

Being a crustacean, Krill belongs to the shrimp family and therefore can be highly reactive to people with shellfish allergies. Anyone with these allergies should completely avoid Krill oil supplementation.

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Benefits Common to Fish Oil and Krill Oil:

• Fight obesity and arthritis
  It would be unfair to say that any of the two is better when it comes to curbing obesity, as both are equally efficacious. Both these oils have higher levels of EPA and DHA (cannot be synthesized by humans). When included in the diet they are known to be equally helpful in fighting obesity. Krill oil and fish oil are also equally effective when it comes to dealing with arthritic pain, as they are both great for reducing inflammation.
• Avoiding mercury poisoning
  Mercury poisoning is common risk factor in people who eat seafood. Fortunately, both fish oil and krill oil supplements do not contain the mercury that is normally seen in raw fish and other sea dwellers. As they are just the oil extract of the original product, you escape use them to escape mercury ingestion completely.

Conclusively both the oils are extremely nutritive and beneficial in a very similar fashion. Having said that, krill oil is ready to boom through the markets and slowly become the “it” product when it comes to Omega 3 supplementation – and is likely to retain this predominant status until another new discovery swoops over it!

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