For the liver, fish oil is different from krill oil
Fish oil and krill oil: the actions on the liver are different
Omega 3s in fish oil and in krill oil regulate liver genes differently. These are the results of research conducted in mice reported in the journal Frontiers in Genetics. However, the data collected failed to show thatkrill oil has the same effects asfish oil on blood fat concentrations.
Sources of Omega-3
The benefits of Omega-3s for our bodies are well known:
- Protection of the cardiovascular system;
- Anti-inflammatory action;
- Regulation of blood glucose and fat levels.
However, the human body is unable to produce them on its own. Therefore, it is necessary to introduce these nutrients through the diet. The main Omega-3 sources are fatty fish:
- salmon
- mackerel
- tuna
Increasing consumption of these foods can ensure that the body has adequate levels of the two Omega-3s needed by cells:eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) anddocosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Other possible sources are plant-based items, such as walnuts and flaxseed, which, however, contain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a precursor to EPA and DHA. There are also dietary supplementsthat help meet the requirements of these valuable nutrients. The best known contain fish oil, but there are also supplements whose main ingredient is krill oil, obtained from small shrimps that contain high amounts of EPA and DHA.
Fish oil and krill oil: the differences
Most studies on the efficacy of these supplements involvefish oil, but an increasing amount of research is also evaluating the benefits associated withkrill oil intake. The analysis published in Frontiers of Genetics focused on the effect of fish oil or krill oil intake on gene expression in the liver. The study authors fed mice with feed containing either type of supplement.
Omega-3s in krill oil have been found to reduce the activity of genes involved in glucose, fat and cholesterol production by the liver. The data also suggest that this supplement increases the activity of mitochondria, the energy powerhouses of cells. In contrast, fish oil regulates the expression of these genes differently.
The most significant difference concerns factors involved in cholesterol synthesis, which in this case are induced by taking the supplement. Despite these differences, neither fish oil nor krill oil changed the fat, glucose or insulin levels in the blood of the mice involved in the experiment.
Significant differences?
According to the researchers, the lack of effect on fat and blood sugar concentrations could be due to the fact that the mice used in the experiments were young and were fed a low-fat diet. The research does not clarify, therefore, whether krill oil has the same effects already demonstrated for fish oil. Further studies, conducted on animals with metabolic disorders or fed a high-fat diet, will be needed to shed light on this.
