Neptune Krill Oil Supports Healthy Cholesterol and Blood Sugar Levels

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Neptune Krill Oil Part I:

Omega-3s Join Forces with Phospholipids to Support Healthy

Cholesterol and Blood Sugar Levels

Tina Sampalis, MD, PhD.

 

 

Omega-3 fatty acids are some of the most researched nutrients and are

acclaimed for their heart-healthy properties. One of the best sources

of omega-3s is an often overlooked, powerful source of these fatty

acids known as Neptune Krill Oil. Derived from Antarctic Krill, a

shrimp-like creature inhabiting cold waters of the ocean, Neptune

Krill Oil has demonstrated the ability to protect the heart, lower

cholesterol, act as an anti-inflammatory, alleviate premenstrual

syndrome, improve skin health, and increase well-being. In a three-

part series, I will explore these effects of Neptune Krill Oil as

well as explain its unique properties.

 

Phospholipids

The Antarctic krill is an especially hardy inhabitant of the ocean,

able to withstand Earth's coldest waters. The Antarctic krill is a

rich source of the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA.

However, unlike fish oil, Neptune Krill Oil also contains an

abundance of phospholipids that are linked to EPA and DHA.

Phospholipids have earned the nickname " Life's Building Blocks "

because they are integral to the manufacture of cell membranes.

Phospholipids work synergistically with omega-3 fatty acids and

antioxidants within the cell membrane to assist in a variety of

processes essential to life.

Much of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA found in Neptune Krill

Oil are structurally intermingled with phospholipid molecules in the

form of phospholipids. This mimics the way these nutrients occur

naturally in cell membranes. By weight, Neptune Krill Oil is

comprised of at least 30 percent EPA and DHA and 40 percent

phospholipids, mostly in the form of phosphatidylcholine. The EPA and

DHA in fish oil, on the other hand, are in the form of triglycerides.

Werner et al. demonstrated essential fatty acids in the form of

phospholipids were superior to essential fatty acids in the form of

triglycerides for significantly decreasing the saturated fatty acid

ratios of liver triglycerides.1

 

Powerful Antioxidant

Neptune Krill Oil also contains high levels of an antioxidant

carotenoid called astaxanthin.2 A red-orange pigment found in aquatic

animals, astaxanthin is closely related to better-known carotenoids

such as beta-carotene and lutein. Studies suggest that astaxanthin

can be as or more effective as an antioxidant than vitamin E.3-4 Like

other carotenoids, astaxanthin cannot be synthesized by animals and

it therefore must be provided in the diet. Certain marine species,

however, such as shrimp, have a limited capacity to convert closely

related dietary carotenoids into astaxanthin. The presence of this

antioxidant carotenoid in Neptune Krill Oil combines with other

antioxidants in the oil (vitamins E and A and a bioflavonoid) to

create a natural protection against oxidation of the oil—a property

that doesn't exist in ordinary fish oil. This stops the fatty acids

from becoming rancid, making the oil stable for a long time, as well

as protecting the body against free radical attacks.

Astaxanthin is a highly efficient antioxidant that can quench free

radicals known as singlet oxygen and hydroxyl radicals produced as by

products of cellular energy production. Astaxanthin protects cell

membrane phospholipids against the free radical damage known as

peroxidation.4 In measuring the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity

(ORAC) of Neptune Krill Oil, researchers found that NKO was 48 times

more effective than fish oil and 34 times more effective than

coenzyme Q10. ORAC is a measurement of a compound's ability to block

free radicals.

 

Healthy Cholesterol Levels

One of Neptune Krill Oil's most promising actions is its dual ability

to improve lipid levels. Research is emerging that Neptune Krill Oil

may be even more effective at improving cholesterol than fish oil.

Recently, researchers undertook a 12-week, double-blind, randomized

study to compare the effects of Neptune Krill Oil, high EPA/DHA fish

oil and a placebo.5 Study participants included subjects 25 – 75

years old diagnosed for at least 6 months with mildly high to very

high blood cholesterol (193.9-347.9 mg/dL) and triglycerides (203.8-

354.4 mg/dL). The researchers divided the 120 subjects into four

groups. The first group received 2 to 3 grams Neptune Krill Oil once

per day, with the dosage determined by body weight. Another group

received 1 to 1.5 grams of Neptune Krill Oil once per day, depending

on body weight, during the study and then a maintenance dose of 500

mg per day for 90 days during follow up. A third group received 3

grams per day of fish oil containing 180 mg EPA and 120 mg DHA per

gram. A fourth group received a placebo.

The study authors measured blood glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides,

low-density lipoprotein (LDL – the " bad " cholesterol), and high-

density lipoprotein (HDL the " good " cholesterol). Fasting blood

lipids and glucose were measured at baseline and at 30 and 90 days

after the study's start. For the group consuming the maintenance dose

of Neptune Krill Oil, blood lipids and glucose were measured at 30,

90 and 180 days.

The results showed that Neptune Krill Oil had an impressive effect on

cholesterol. After 12 weeks of treatment, patients receiving 1 or 1.5

grams Neptune Krill Oil per day experienced a 13.4-percent and 13.7-

percent reduction in mean total cholesterol, from 236 mg/dL and 231

mg/dL to 204 mg/dL and 199 mg/dL, respectively. Subjects treated with

2 or 3 grams Neptune Krill Oil showed a significant reduction in mean

total cholesterol of 18.1 and 18 percent respectively. Levels were

reduced from a baseline of 247 mg/dL and 251 mg/dL to 203 mg/ dL and

206 mg/dL, respectively. In comparison, people receiving 3 grams of

fish oil had a mean reduction in total cholesterol of 5.9 percent,

from a baseline 231 mg/dL to 218 mg/dL. Placebo-treated subjects

experienced a 9.1-percent increase in mean total cholesterol, from

222 mg/dL to 242 mg/dL.

Levels of LDL, the " bad " cholesterol, also plummeted in the Neptune

Krill Oil group. Neptune Krill Oil at a daily dose of 1 gram, 1.5

grams, 2 grams, or 3 grams caused a significant 32, 36, 37, and 39

percent drop in LDL cholesterol, respectively. Baseline levels were

decreased in the Neptune Krill Oil 1-gram per day group from 168

mg/dL to 114 mg/dL, in the 1.5-g/day group from 165 mg/dL to 106

mg/dL, and in the 2- and 3-gram per day groups from 183 mg/dL and 173

mg/dL to 114 mg/dL and 105 mg/dL, respectively. Patients treated

daily with 3 grams fish oil did not achieve a significant LDL

reduction. In placebo-treated patients, LDL levels rose by 13-percent

from 137 mg/dL to 154 mg/ dL.

Neptune Krill Oil's effects extended to HDL, the " good " cholesterol.

Researchers noted a rise in HDL cholesterol in subjects taking

Neptune Krill Oil. At 1 gram of Neptune Krill Oil per day, HDL levels

increased from 57.2 mg/dL to 82.4 mg/dL (a 44 percent rise). Subjects

consuming 1.5 grams of Neptune Krill Oil per day experienced a 43

percent increase in HDL from 58.8 mg/dL to 83.9 mg/dL. At 2 grams per

day, the subjects experienced a 55 percent increase in HDL from 51

mg/dL to 79.3 mg/dL. Subjects treated with the highest dose (3 grams

of Neptune Krill Oil per day) experienced an impressive 59 percent

increase in HDL from 64.2 mg/dL to 102.5 mg/dL. Three grams of fish

oil also caused a smaller increase in HDL from 56.6 mg/dL to 59.03

mg/dL (a 4.2 percent increase). No significant decrease of HDL was

observed within the placebo group, with levels of HDL remaining

almost stable.

Although lower doses (1 – 1.5 grams per day) of Neptune Krill Oil

resulted in only small, non-significant drops in triglycerides,

higher doses (2 and 3 grams) resulted in a significant 27 to 28

percent reduction of triglycerides decreasing from baseline levels of

160.4 mg/dL for the 2 gram group and 152.8 mg/dL for the three gram

group to 116.1 mg/dL and 112.3 mg/dL, respectively. Fish oil at 3

grams per day achieved a non-significant 3.2 percent reduction of

triglycerides. Inexplicably, the placebo-treated patients also

experienced a 9.8 percent decrease in triglycerides.

After the main part of the study was over, patients receiving 1 gram

and 1.5 grams per day of Neptune Krill Oil continued for another 12

weeks with a lower maintenance dose of 500 mg Neptune Krill Oil per

day. These patients maintained a mean total cholesterol level of

192.5 mg/ dL, a reduction of 19 percent from baseline. In addition,

LDL cholesterol declined 44 percent from baseline. A moderate

decrease in HDL was seen, from the 36 percent increase at 90 days to

33 percent after 180 days of treatment, which still constituted a

significant improvement from baseline. Triglyceride levels also

dropped farther from the 12 percent reduction that occurred at 90

days of treatment to 25 percent while on the maintenance dose.

 

Blood Sugar

The above study also showed another promising effect of Neptune Krill

Oil—the ability to lower blood sugar.5 Patients treated with 1 gram

and 1.5 grams of Neptune Krill Oil per day saw a 6.3 percent

reduction (from 105 mg/dL to 98 mg/dL) in blood glucose levels.

Subjects receiving 2 or 3 grams of Neptune Krill Oil per day

experienced a 5.6 percent drop in blood glucose (from 92 mg/dL to 88

mg/dL). A daily dose of 3 grams fish oil reduced blood glucose by 3.3

percent, from 90 mg/dL to 87 mg/ dL. Placebo treatment resulted in a

slight increase in blood glucose.

Blood glucose continued to decrease slightly in the subjects who

continued on with the follow-up maintenance dose of 500 mg of Neptune

Krill Oil.

 

Conclusion

Neptune Krill Oil combines multiple ingredients with synergistic

bioactivity. The exact mechanism of action for Neptune Krill Oil's

lipid-lowering effects is not yet entirely clear. However, Neptune

Krill Oil's unique profile of omega-3 fatty acids incorporated into

phospholipids distinguishes Neptune Krill Oil from other lipid-

lowering agents.

Because Neptune Krill Oil is derived from seafood, those with seafood

allergies should use NKO with caution, or after suitable allergy

testing. Those taking anticoagulant medication, or who suffer from

extreme bleeding conditions, should use Neptune Krill Oil only with

medical supervision.

 

Next Month: I will explore Neptune Krill Oil's anti-inflammatory

actions, including its ability to lower C-Reactive Protein.

 

(Editor's Note: Although Neptune Krill Oil's effect on cholesterol

appears to be superior to fish oil, high quality fish oil supplements

such as VRP's Ethyl EPA can still be used by individuals searching

for an economical way to support heart health. Neptune Krill Oil, on

the other hand, is an ideal option for anyone who wants to take omega-

3 supplementation to a higher level.)

 

References

1. Werner A, Havinga R, Kuipers F, Verkade HJ. Treatment of EFA

deficiency with dietary triglycerides or phospholipids in a murine

model of extrahepatic cholestasis. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver

Physiol. 2004;286:G822-G832.

2. Grynbaum MD, Hentschel P, Putzbach K, Rehbein J, Krucker M,

Nicholson G, Albert K. Unambiguous detection of astaxanthin and

astaxanthin fatty acid esters in krill (Euphausia superba Dana). J

Sep Sci. 2005 Sep;28(14):1685-93.

3. Naguib YM. Antioxidant activities of astaxanthin and related

carotenoids. J Agric Food Chem. 2000 Apr;48(4):1150-4.

4. Palozza P, Krinsky NI. Astaxanthin and canthaxanthin are potent

antioxidants in a membrane model. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1992 Sep;297

(2):291-5.

5. Bunea R, El Farrah K, Deutsch L. Evaluation of the Effects of

Neptune Krill Oil on the Clinical Course of Hyperlipidemia.

Alternative Medicine Review. 2004;9(4):420-8.