Krill oil more effective at reducing blood glucose levels than consuming fish alone, says new study

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A new study published in the Journal of Nutritional Science¹ found that krill oil from Rimfrost AS (FosnavÃ¥g, Norway) significantly reduced fasting glucose in subjects, an important marker of cardiovascular risk. In the eight-week study investigating the effect krill oil and fish consumption had on markers of cardiovascular risk, 36 healthy subjects between the ages of 18 and 70 with fasting serum triacylglycerols between 1.3 and 4.0 mmol/l were divided into three groups: krill oil, lean and fatty fish, or placebo.

Results showed that supplementation with 4 g of krill oil per day significantly increased levels of omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA compared to control. The fish group also had significantly higher levels of omega-3s than control, though supplementation with krill resulted in significantly higher levels of EPA compared to eating fish. Additionally, the krill oil group was the only one to have significantly higher levels of omega-3 docosapentaenoic acid (DPA).

While both the krill oil and fish group had increases in plasma omega-3 levels, the krill oil group experience significant reduction in fasting glucose (from 5.6 down to 5.3 mmol/l), while the fish and control groups had increases in fasting glucose. Glucose levels are strongly associated with risk of cardiovascular disease, and a level of 5.6 mmol/l is considered pre-diabetic. “These interesting results will be investigated further in new clinical trials focusing on prevention of type 2 diabetes,” said Dr. Inge Bruheim, research manager at Rimfrost AS, in a press release.

References:

1. Rundblad A et al. “Effects of krill oil and lean and fatty fish on cardiovascular risk markers: a randomised controlled trial.” Journal of Nutritional Science, vol. 7 (2018), no. 3