While you may not be familiar with it yet, krill oil is quickly making a name for itself as the new sheriff in town when it comes to pain management and life optimization. Not only does it rival fish oil for clearing up joint pain and inflammation - it has a myriad of other health benefits that you need to hear about.
Whether you’re in combat sports or a part of the general public, this unique gift from the sea has a place in your supplement cabinet. Read on to discover how it can change your life!
What Exactly Is Krill Oil?
Krill are tiny shrimp-like crustaceans, typically eaten by whales. And, for good reason! These guys are filled with omega-3’s that you need in your diet. While you may be using fish oil for this right now, there are studies suggesting krill oil blows it out of the water in terms of bioavailability - so you can take less fo the same effect.
Specifically, they contain high concentrations of eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA. EPA & DHA are key players when it comes to joint health and inflammation in your body. But, they also can improve your heart health and increase longevity. Let’s take a deeper dive into all of the benefits this oil has to offer.
Health Benefits Of Krill Oil Supplementation
There are a bunch of benefits you’ll gain by supplementing with krill oil, but at their core, they all boil down to one thing - inflammation management. The combination of highly concentrated, highly bioavailable EPA & DHA works wonders on your body to clear up inflammation throughout. With that said, let’s look at some specific benefits.
Clear Up Inflammation & Free Radicals
We’re going to start out with the most common reason people are starting to supplement with krill oil - to clear up joint inflammation. Whether you have pain in your neck, back, knees, elbows, or ankles, this may be the solution you’ve been waiting for.
Sure, these are two ailments that good old, tried and true fish oil might be able to help with. But with the evidence suggesting you can accomplish more with less by using krill oil, why would you not give krill oil a shot? While most of the anti-inflammatory action of krill oil is caused by the DHA & EPA, there are other substances that lend a helping hand, too. There is also a pink/orange pigment found in krill oil known as astaxanthin.
This compound has anti-inflammatory benefits of it’s own, further enhancing any benefits the DHA & EPA provides. It also has been shown to have antioxidant effects, which will help neutralize free radicals throughout your body.
Decrease Arthritis Related Pain & Immobility
While more formal studies will help uncover just how effective krill oil is at managing arthritis pain and immobility, there is reason to believe it’s very effective. One study showed that patients suffering from RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis) supplementing with krill oil were able to decrease all markers in the following categories:
- Stiffness
- Joint pain
- Functional impairment
It also increased markers in categories related to range of motion, suggesting that anyone suffering from arthritis would be wise to incorporate some krill oil into their diet.
Improve Your Heart Health & Longevity
Most of us want to live longer - and you can essentially set the clock back by supplementing with krill oil, studies suggest.
The main contributor to poor heart health is cholesterol and fats. This includes LDL, HDL, triglycerides, etc. While more research is needed, preliminary findings are promising.
They suggest that those with high marks in any of the aforementioned compounds can benefit from krill oil - and potentially more so than with the more mainstream option of fish oil. By taking consistent, safe doses of krill oil, you’ll be able to improve your blood lipids and heart health, ensuring you get your money’s worth out of this one life you’re living!
Are There Any Side Effects Of Taking Krill Oil?
The only side effects of krill oil are the very same ones you could experience when taking fish oil - they’re really only a risk when taking in excessive doses. So long as you follow the dosing recommendations on the bottle, you shouldn’t have any issues. With that said, you should look out for indigestion, bloating, diarrhea, oily skin, etc. If you experience these, either decrease your dose or stop use altogether.
Those who have tried fish oil will be delighted to hear that the fishy aftertaste & burps you are used to are not going to be present when taking krill oil!
Who Should Be Supplementing With Krill Oil?
In our opinion, everyone out there should add krill oil to their regimen. There are so few side effects, and so many positive health benefits you’ll unlock. We encourage you to try it out yourself, and see how much better you feel after regular supplementation over a time period. With that said, there are certain demographics that would be well advised to start adding krill to their diet.
A Must Have For Combat Sports Athletes
Whether you’re a boxer, mixed martial artist, or any discipline in between, krill oil is a must have supplement. Now that we’ve discussed some of the benefits, you can likely understand why. You’re all too aware of the neck, back, and joint pain that comes with being in combat sports, or any contact sport for that matter.
You can get ahead of the stiffness and joint pain by beginning to supplement with this as soon as possible. Aside from helping you prevent and manage pain, krill oil may actively enhance your performance, too! That’s because it also has levels of choline, which is a super important mineral for athletes.
When choline levels drop too low in sport, it leads to decreased performance. If an affordable, easy to take supplement like krill oil exists and offers all these benefits, why would you not give it a try?!