Krill oil is the source of omega-3 fatty acids we have chosen for you and which comes with all of our La Roar’s wonderful products. There are many good reasons for this.

Most people have probably heard of fish oil as a source of omega-3 fatty acids, but what about krill oil? And what about the difference between the two? Because there is a difference both for you and the environment and we would like to elaborate more on that.

The difference between krill and fish oil

The difference lies in the details and cannot be immediately observed with the naked eye. Unlike omega-3s from fish which are bound to triglycerides, krill have phospholipid bound omega-3s. Phospholipids are water soluble and help the krill oil to easily blend with the stomach fluids, making it easy to digest and there is no fishy aftertaste. The phospholipid bound omega-3s are also incorporated more efficiently into the body’s cell membranes compared to the triglyceride form from fish oil.

Why should krill be your omega-3 fatty acids source?

Why did we choose krill oil instead of a vegan source of omega-3 fatty acids, plant ALA omega-3 fatty acids?

It is because we have to consume very high amounts of plant omega-3 (ALA) in order to get sufficient amounts and to achieve the beneficial health effects of DHA and EPA. Krill oil is an animal source and already contains the active forms of omega-3 DHA and EPA and therefore, does not require any further transformations like plant omega does. Moreover, humans have a limited capacity to convert ALA to EPA and DHA, so eating the active forms EPA and DHA would be a good choice.

Krill are small omega-3-containing crustaceans that thrive in the pristine waters of the Antarctic Ocean. Unlike fish, they are not harvested in polluted and industrialized waters, so they are naturally low in toxins. Our Omega-Krill™ is naturally free of heavy metals, environmental toxins and waste products.

Is krill harvest sustainable and environmentally friendly?

Yes, it is. Sustainability and the next generation are an essential part of La Roar’s core values. We were naturally concerned whether the harvest of krill could have a negative impact on the food supply of whales and the other animals that eat krill before we chose to use it as an omega-3 fatty acids source. We did the research and to give you an idea of the almost insignificant impact krill fishing has on krill reserves; we will give you some number down below:

Total mass of krill in the Antarctic Ocean at any given time: 400 million tones.

Total consumption of krill by all animals: 48 million tons per year.

Total fishery for human consumption: 0.2 million tons per year.

This corresponds to 0.05% of the krill population per year. This percentage is well below the Convention on the Protection of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) quota limits, which all krill harvesters must comply with. The full amount consumed by animals and harvested by humans is automatically renewed each year by Mother Earth.

Equally important is the fact that the diets consumed from the bottom of the food chain are considered the most efficient in renewable energy utilization and are the least burdensome on the earth’s resources. Eating from the bottom of the food chain (krill, algae, insects, vegetables) produces the lowest amount of greenhouse gases and uses the least amount of water per kg. of protein and fat produced by the food.

Therefore krill, algae and insects are the most environmental responsible and the least influential sources. They are followed by vegetables and lastly by animal sources such as fish, poultry and beef which place a huge burden on the environment in terms of energy transfer (CO2 production) and water demand. Fish (which produces fish oil) is actually more endangered than krill (threat levels are below 0).

The only downside to krill oil is represented by the cost. Krill oil costs twice as much as fish oil and plant omega-3s, but since it is so much more effective, we consider it money well spent.

Three nutrition facts about krill oil

1. Phospholipids 
While the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil are bound to triglycerides, the omega-3 fatty acids in krill oil are bound to phospholipids. Phospholipids are a class of lipids that are part of cell membranes. Unlike triglycerides, they are soluble in water.

The interesting thing about phospholipids is that due to their structure, they are absorbed differently than triglycerides. After we ingest phospholipids, they are converted to lysophospholipids, which can be absorbed directly from the intestine compared to the free fatty acids from triglycerides, which are dependent on enzymes for absorption. Due to its phospholipid content, krill oil has a shorter uptake path compared to triglycerides.

2. Astaxanthin 
Krill naturally contains the antioxidant astaxanthin. This is where krill oil gets its beautiful deep red color. Being a carotenoid, astaxanthin comes from the same family as beta-carotene. In nature, astaxanthin is found in a wide variety of living organisms. Our bodies cannot synthesize it, and like many other carotenoids, it must be added to the diet or in the form of a food supplement. Some examples of food sources where we find astaxanthin are: algae, trout, salmon, shrimp, crayfish and yeast.