Mouse Study: Krill Oil May Benefit Obese

A new preclinical trial on mice published in Nutrition & Metabolism indicates that krill oil may benefit obese individuals by counteracting effects on the endocannabinoid system.

Mice were fed a high-fat diet with or without three different doses of krill oil. As opposed to the low-fat diet, a high-fat diet resulted in elevation of endocannabinoids (EC), which are lipid messengers that can activate specific receptors, thereby influencing enzyme activities as well as appetite, energy balance, mood, memory, and pain perception. EC supposedly thus helps to contribute to accumulation of visceral fat.

Aker BioMarine, which markets the Superba-brand krill oil used in the study, says that krill oil counteracted the changes in EC levels caused by the high-fat diet, after eight weeks of treatment. In addition, it exerted lowering effects on triglycerides and cholesterol.

Aker BioMarine says that it is now initiating a clinical study to further examine the potential benefits of krill oil for obese subjects.