Which is better: fish oil or krill oil?

I have been asked this question at least a hundred times.  Often times what is truly best for an individual gets lost in a sea of trends, marketing, and hype.  When there is a lot of talk out there, I look to the scientific literature to tell us what’s really going on.  

Fish oils and Krill oil contain Omega-3 fatty acids which are often deficient in the human body.  Omega-3s are no longer present in our vegetables; due to industrial agriculture and modernization, these healthy fats have been bred out.  Omega-3s help us with our regulating our heart rates, they support our blood vessels in becoming more stretchy and compliant, they quell inflammation, joints get more lubricated allowing for less pain and better movement, our brain cells get nourished, our skin gets healthier and takes on a glow, even our hair’s luster depends on Omega-3 fatty acids. 

Many experts out there touting Krill as much better.  Krill is a tiny little shellfish, the food of whales. Many say that in itself makes a powerful statement, that a little tiny creature like this could feed an enormous whale.  Krill are slightly pink in color much like salmon and this pigment is called Astaxanthin.  This pigment is a powerful antioxidant that can support healthy normal cells especially in the intestinal track and skin.  It blocks inflammation. Furthermore, the omega-3s in Krill oil are attached to phospholipids. Since nerve and brain tissue contains phospholipids, krill seems to have an affinity for nerve and brain tissue and can be assimilated better in those areas.  

However, there has been hundreds of studies demonstrating that the Omega-3s in fish oils have been helping us so far, even before Krill oil got put into supplement form.    The added benefits of krill seem to make it better, but the dose of Omega-3s in one capsule of a krill oil is much less than the amount of omega-3s in one fish oil cap.

Ideally, you should take both to get the best of both worlds.  I give krill if there is a brain or nerve issue. Otherwise good old fashion fish oils will give you the tremendous benefits that have been proven in the literature.