Antarctic krill oil, "IQ tax" or "treasure of the ocean"? The truth is...

Rumor: "Antarctic krill oil can improve brain function, protect the heart, treat cardiovascular disease, and enhance immunity..."

Antarctic krill oil has been very popular recently, especially in some health promotion lectures for middle-aged and elderly people. Antarctic krill oil has been called "the universal magic oil" and "a health product that is better than fish oil". It can improve brain function, protect the heart, enhance immunity, treat cardiovascular diseases and many other chronic diseases...it can do almost anything.

Rumor analysis: This statement is debatable.

Antarctic krill oil does contain rich Omega-3 fatty acids, astaxanthin and other ingredients, which are beneficial to cardiovascular health, but this does not mean that eating Antarctic krill oil can prevent heart disease, let alone treat cardiovascular disease. Antarctic krill oil is just a health product, far from being as magical as advertised. Don't over-mythologize its effects, and it cannot replace medicine. If you are sick, you should still see a doctor in time and take medicine according to the doctor's advice.

In recent years, as people pay more and more attention to health, various health products have emerged one after another. A health product called "Antarctic krill oil" has quickly become popular in the market, especially among the middle-aged and elderly groups. The merchants said in the promotion that it is rich in precious Omega-3 fatty acids, which can improve brain function, protect the heart, enhance immunity, and treat cardiovascular diseases... It can be called the "golden liquid" in the health product industry. What exactly is Antarctic krill? What is its nutritional value? Is it worth buying?

Promotion of krill oil on some platforms

What is Antarctic Krill Oil?

Antarctic krill oil is a type of oil extracted from Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba)[1]. Krill is a small crustacean similar to shrimp. As the name suggests, Antarctic krill is a type of shrimp that lives in the Antarctic waters[2]. In fact, there are many types of krill. Globally, krill are widely distributed, with more than 80 species, of which there are 8 species of Antarctic krill. The most numerous is the Great Antarctic krill, with adult krill ranging from 45 mm to 60 mm in length. There are also many Antarctic krill, with current estimates of reserves of 600 million to 1 billion tons. In addition, Antarctica is almost uninhabited and has no industry, giving people the impression of a clean, pollution-free, and pure natural ecology. Therefore, the most common krill oil-related product is Antarctic krill oil.

Antarctic krill

In addition, the more famous krill in commercial krill fisheries include Pacific krill (Euphausia pacifica) and northern krill (Meganyctiphanesnorvegica). As a kind of oil, Antarctic krill oil has two prominent nutritional characteristics [3-5]:

1. Rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (mainly divided into two categories: Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids) are very important components of Antarctic krill oil, especially EPA and DHA, which have important health effects on the human body. The content of EPA and DHA in krill oil is higher than that of salmon oil and sardine oil, and the absorption rate is also better. Many studies believe that Omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial to cardiovascular and heart health [6].

2. Astaxanthin

Astaxanthin is an antioxidant naturally present in krill, and its typical characteristic is red. Due to the presence of astaxanthin, Antarctic krill and Antarctic krill oil both look deep red, and some people even call it the "ruby of the ocean". Astaxanthin is an antioxidant, and studies have shown that the antioxidant activity of astaxanthin is more than 10 times that of other carotenoids (such as zeaxanthin, lutein, lycopene, and β-carotene), and more than 100 times that of α-tocopherol [7]. In general, krill oil is a kind of oil extracted from Antarctic krill, rich in nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids and astaxanthin.

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Does Antarctic krill oil really have health benefits?

Since krill oil is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and astaxanthin, many businesses claim in their promotions that “krill oil is good for health and has the effects of preventing cardiovascular disease, preventing arthritis, etc.” and it is gaining favor among more and more consumers.

Although the European Union (EFSA) and the US FDA have approved health claims related to omega-3 fatty acids and heart health, this does not mean that eating krill oil can prevent heart disease or cardiovascular disease. At present, there is insufficient evidence that krill oil can reduce blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular events, and it needs to be replicated in larger randomized controlled trials.

The American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines state that patients with coronary artery disease can take appropriate supplements of omega-3 fatty acids to protect blood vessels. However, for the general population, patients with diabetes, and patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease, there is insufficient evidence to support the use of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplements to prevent cardiovascular disease. Simply put, taking omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplements does not mean you will not get cardiovascular disease.

In summary, the general public should not regard krill oil as a magical supplement for preventing or treating cardiovascular disease.

In 2012, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) evaluated the health claims of krill oil related to maintaining blood LDL-cholesterol levels[10] and joint comfort[11] and found that the evidence was insufficient. As for some other health legends, there is currently insufficient evidence.

In general, Antarctic krill oil is a kind of oil rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and astaxanthin. As a nutritional supplement, it is OK to eat it properly under the guidance of a doctor. However, it does not prevent or treat cardiovascular diseases, and its other effects such as promoting joint health and anti-cancer are just legends. Don't be too superstitious.

For patients with cardiovascular disease, arthritis and other diseases, they should still follow the doctor's advice to control their diet and take medication on time. They should receive treatment when necessary and should not stop taking the medication and delay their condition just because they believe in the effects of krill oil.

Looking in the mirror of rumors

In the process of selling health products, exaggerated product functions and deliberate confusion with drugs are the "hardest hit areas" of rumors. When purchasing, consumers can identify them by asking whether the product promotion is supported by scientific evidence, checking whether the product has been certified by relevant regulatory agencies, being skeptical of promotions that use absolute words such as "absolute", "guaranteed", and "miracle", and avoiding emotional manipulation such as fear or greed, which are common means of exaggeration.

At the same time, we should develop a correct understanding about health care products: health care products cannot replace a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle, nor can they replace medicines. They are supplements to daily life, not substitutes.

References

[1] XieD, GongM, WeiW, etal. Antarctickrill (Euphausiasuperba) oil: Acomprehensive review of chemical composition, extraction technologies, healthbenefits, and current applications[J].

Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety,2019, 18(2):514-534. doi:

10.1111/ 1541-4337.12427

[2] CavanEL,BelcherA, AtkinsonA, etal. TheimportanceofAntarctickrillinbiogeochemical cycles[J].NatureCommunications,2019,10(1):4742.doi:10.1038/s41467-019-12668-7

[3] Ma Na, Li Jing, Li Tong, et al. Research progress on the nutritional components and health benefits of Antarctic krill oil[J]. Food Industry, 2023, 44(07): 332-336.

[4] XieD, JinJ, SunJ, etal. Comparison of solvents for extraction of krill oil from krillmeal: Lipid yield, phospholipids content, fatty acids composition and minor components [J]. Food

Chemistry,2017,233:434-441. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.04.138

[5] XieD,MuH, TangT, etal.Production of three types of krilloils from krillmealbyathree-step

solvent extraction procedure[J]. Food Chemistry,2018,248:279-286. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.12.068

[6] Lan M, Nguyen T, Gray S. Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplements for the Prevention of Cardiovascular

Disease. Sr Care Pharm. 2020 Jul 1;35(7):318-323. doi: 10.4140/TCP.n.2020.318. PMID: 32600510.

[7] Liu Zhidong, Ma Derong, Chen Xuezhong, et al. Research progress on astaxanthin from Antarctic krill[J]. Journal of Dalian Ocean University, 2021, 36(05): 866-874. DOI: 10.16535/j.cnki.dlhyxb.2020-300.

[8] Backes JM, Howard PA. Krilloilforcardiovascularriskprevention:isitforreal?HospPharm.

2014 Nov;49(10):907-12. doi: 10.1310/hpj4910-907. PMID: 25477562; PMCID: PMC4252213.

[9] Siscovick DS, Barringer TA, Fretts AM, Wu JH, Lichtenstein AH, Costello RB, Kris-Etherton PM,

Jacobson TA, EnglerMB, AlgerHM, AppelLJ,MozaffarianD; AmericanHeart AssociationNutritionCommittee of theCouncilonLifestyleandCardiometabolicHealth; CouncilonEpidemiologyandPrevention; Council onCardiovascularDiseasein the Young; CouncilonCardiovascularandStrokeNursing;

Supplementation and the Prevention of Clinical Cardiovascular Disease: A Science Advisory From

the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2017 Apr 11;135(15):e867-e884. doi:

10.1161/CIR.0000000000000482. Epub 2017 Mar 13. PMID: 28289069; PMCID: PMC6903779.

[10] EFSA Journal 2012;10(7):2802

[11] EFSA Journal 2012;10(12):3003

Author: Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center

Review丨Zhang Yu, researcher/PhD, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, national health science expert