Sunday, 20 December 2009

Health Benefits of Krill Oil

Omega-3 Fats and Antioxidants

Those who believe that food supplements are no better than natural foods in providing essential nutrients may reconsider the nutritional composition of krill. Krill oil has a high level of omega-3 fats, which are lacking in an average American diet.

The ideal ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats is 1:1. However, on average, most people’s omega-6 consumption is 20 times more than their omega-3 intake, and in extreme cases, is 50 times more than their omega-3 consumption.

Such nutritional imbalance poses serious health risks. Omega-3 deficiency is so rampant that mainstream health media now considers the lack of omega-3 fats in diet as among the most pressing health issues facing the modern society.

Such severe deficiency warrants the use of omega-3-rich food supplements like krill oil. Krill oil not only nourishes the body with omega-3 fats, but also provides it with a plenty of antioxidants as well.

It is not recommendable to take fish oil to compensate for omega-3 deficiency. Though high-quality fish oil has a lot of health benefits to offer, its lower antioxidant content makes it less ideal than krill oil. The more antioxidants you take, the more omega-3 fats are absorbed by the body. Thus krill oil’s high antioxidant and omega-3 contents make it the better choice.

Not only is fish oil low in antioxidants, it also increases your exposure to free radicals. Fish oil is perishable, and its oxidation produces cell-damaging free radicals. Those who take fish oil need more antioxidants to prevent the oxidation and formation of free radicals caused by the supplement. This doesn’t sound to be a sensible option for those who take supplements mainly for the purpose of fighting oxidative stress.

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