Krill Oil

Krill are known as crustaceans that have many characteristics that are similar to shrimp. They can be approximately 1 to 6 centimeters long. Krill live in the ocean and feed primarily on phytoplankton. They are at the bottom of the food chain and are consumed by squid, fish, seals, whales, and penguins.

Commercial fishing of krill exists primarily in the Southern Ocean, as well as the northern part of the Pacific Ocean near Japan and Canada. Krill that is captured is used in aquaculture as aquarium feeds, are eaten as food, or are sport fishing bait. In Japan, they eat it.

Krill oil is the oil that is found naturally within krill. It’s extracted and sold on the market as a nutritional supplement. It can be found online sold in capsule form, as well as some health food stores throughout the United States.

The main reason for the rising popularity of krill oil is because of the omega-3 fatty acids they contain. This is beneficial for numerous reasons. Another reason that krill is becoming popular is because it contains an antioxidant called astaxanthin. Krill eats algae that produce astaxanthin, which is the bright red pigment that give krill and other seafood like lobster and shrimp their reddish-pink color.

The antioxidant properties of kill help protect our body and its cells from damage, which includes free radicals, items like cigarette smoke, pollution, and other unhealthy foreign agents.

May 21st, 2008