Krill oil

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Krill oil is an oil extracted from the Antarctic krill ( Euphausia superba ). Due to the high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids , it is of great economic interest.

properties

The composition of extracted oils can be divided into phospholipids (20–33%), polar non-phospholipids (64–77%) and minor triglycerides (1–3%). Among the phospholipids, in addition to saturated fatty acids (24%), the nutritionally valuable omega-3 fatty acids (47%) dominate. Among them, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20: 5n3) is represented with 28% and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22: 6n3) with 18%. The antioxidant capacity is 9.4–14.2 μmol Trolox equivalents per mL oil and depends on the extractant.

Effects on health

Alternative medicine studies suggest various beneficial health effects, with the results being controversial.

One study looked at the effect on premenstrual syndrome in women (PMS). Many women experience symptoms such as headache, nausea and depression a few days before the start of their menstrual period . The cause is probably increased inflammation, which is triggered by the changed hormone level. The omega-3 fatty acids in krill oil have a positive influence on both the hormonal balance and the inflammatory processes. In the study, 70 women who had been split into two groups had to take either one gram of fish oil or krill oil daily for three months. At set times, the women were asked to fill out standardized questionnaires that were used to record their physical and emotional complaints. There was a significant improvement in symptoms in both groups. The decrease in pain medication needed was even more pronounced in the krill oil group.

Another study looked at the effects of krill oil compared to fish oil on blood lipid levels . The 120 subjects were divided into four groups. Two groups received krill oil in different doses of up to three grams, one group received three grams of fish oil and the fourth group received a placebo . All groups took their preparation for three months and during this time the subjects' blood values ​​were checked regularly. Both fish and krill oil improved blood lipid levels. The total cholesterol , the LDL cholesterol and the triglycerides were lowered, the HDL cholesterol increased. At the same dose of three grams daily, krill oil was significantly superior to fish oil.

However, these results are controversial in the professional world:

A study by the American Oil Chemists' Society comes to the conclusion that there is no significant nutritional difference between krill oil and fish oil, even if krill oil contains significantly more omega-3 fatty acids. In addition, no changes in the serum lipids or biomarkers for oxidative stress or inflammatory reactions to the control group were found.

The European Food Safety Authority came to the examination of a health-related advertising message, according to Regulation (EC) no. 1924/2006 (Health Claims) to the conclusion that has been demonstrated with the study submitted to any cause-effect relationship.

Scientific literature

  • Goodman, Dennis: The Thrill of Krill. What You Should Know about Krill Oil , Square One Publishers, New York , 2015
  • Burri, Lena: Krill Oil. The Superior Source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids , Ponte Press, Bochum , 2013

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Joseph C. Gigliotti, Matthew P. Davenport, Sarah K. Beamer, Janet C. Tou, J. Jaczynski: Extraction and characterization of lipids from Antarctic krill ( Euphausia superba ) . In: Food Chemistry . tape 125 , no. 3 , April 1, 2011, p. 1028-1036 , doi : 10.1016 / j.foodchem.2010.10.013 .
  2. ↑ F. Sampalis, R. Bunea et al. a .: Evaluation of the effects of Neptune Krill Oil on the management of premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea. In: Alternative Medicine Review . Volume 8, Number 2, May 2003, pp. 171-179, ISSN  1089-5159 . PMID 12777162 .
  3. ↑ R. Bunea, K. El Farrah, L. Deutsch: Evaluation of the effects of Neptune Krill Oil on the clinical course of hyperlipidemia. In: Alternative medicine review: a journal of clinical therapeutic. Volume 9, Number 4, December 2004, pp. 420-428, ISSN  1089-5159 . PMID 15656713 .
  4. ↑ Stine Ulven et al .: Metabolic Effects of Krill Oil are Essentially Similar to Those of Fish Oil but at Lower Dose of EPA and DHA, in Healthy Volunteers . In: Lipids . tape 46 , no. 1 , 2011, p. 37-46 , doi : 10.1007 / s11745-010-3490-4 .
  5. ↑ Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of a health claim related to OptiEFAX ™ and maintenance of normal blood concentrations of triglycerides pursuant to Article 13 (5) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, EFSA Journal, 2012, doi: 10.2903 / j. efsa.2012.2804 .