Krill oil can reduce blood triglycerides
High triglycerides? Krill oil lowers them
Supplements of krill oil, extracted from tiny Antarctic crustaceans, can lower blood triglyceride concentrations by about 10 percent in individuals with high triglyceridemia.
This was revealed in a study, published in the journal NutritionResearch, conducted by researchers at Aker Biomarine in Oslo, Norway, and intertek Cantox in Ontario, Canada.
The properties of krill
Krill is part of the zooplankton, and consists of a collection of tiny invertebrates, predominantly belonging to the order Euphausiacea superba. The oil extracted from krill is a unique source of Omega 3, as the EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) it contains are found in a phospholipid form, which is the form that is most affine and best utilized by the body. In fact, phospholipids are the main components of all cell membranes As guaranteed by several studies, Omega-3 is able to reduce triglyceride levels in the blood Triglycerides are the storage form of fat in the body, and are used as a source of energy. They are derived mainly from food and only a small part is produced by the body. The value of triglyceridemia, that is, the amount of triglycerides in the blood, ranges between 40 and 150 mg/dl. In case values above the upper limit are found, it is called hypertriglyceridemia. This represents an important risk factor for heart disease.
Krill lowers triglycerides and increases Omega-3 index
To observe the action of the Omega-3s contained in Krill, the researchers involved 300 individuals, including men and women, with a high, or borderline, blood triglyceride value, thus between 150 mg/dl and 499 mg/dl. The volunteers were divided into five groups, in a completely random and unknown manner. Those in each group received daily supplements with different amounts of Krill oil: 0.5, 1, 2, or 4 grams. In contrast, one group received a placebo of olive oil After 6 and 12 months of treatment, each person's blood triglyceride levels were checked. The values obtained showed that in those who had taken the supplement, compared with the placebo group, there was a 10 percent decrease in serum triglyceride levels after 12 months of treatmentThere did not appear to be any change, however, in LDL cholesterol concentration, contrary to what has been shown in other studies with fish oil supplements. But based on the results, the researchers concluded that less than 400 micrograms per day of EPA and DHA were actually sufficient to reduce serum triglyceride levels by 10 percent. In addition, the results showed that following administration of the highest dose of Krill oil, the Omega-3 index, that is, the percentage of Omega-3 to total fatty acids, increased by 70%. Even with the lower dose of 0.5 gram, however, the increase in 'index was significant.
Krill oil reduces cardiovascular risk
By reducing triglyceridemia and increasing the Omega-3 Index, Krill oil supplements may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and sudden cardiac death. In any case, considering individual variations in triglyceride concentrations, it will be necessary to continue with more studies and more measures for each treatment group to confirm these findings.
Source: Kjetil Berge, Kathy Musa-Veloso, Melody Harwood,Nils Hoem, Lena Burri. "Krill oil supplementation lowers serum triglycerides without increasing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in adults with borderline high or high triglyceride levels." Nutrition Research, February 2014 Volume 34, Issue 2 , pp 126-133.
