Just Ask Terry

Terry is happy to provide his opinion on diet and nutrition, supplements and lifestyle choices. This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to replace the advice of your physician and is not to be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Should you have any concerns please contact your physician directly.

Q. Hi Terry, “Hello, I have been hearing quite a bit about Krill oil. Do you recommend using this type of omega-3 supplement? I am allergic to fish, so as of now I do not take any omega-3 products. But I need to start taking something because heart disease and stroke run in my family.”— Art G., Bangor, ME

A. Dear Art, I don’t personally recommend krill oil.

It is true that krill oil is extremely well absorbed—better than fish oil—due to the omega-3 fatty acids in krill being bound to phospholipids. But there is a downside to krill oil. First, the sustainability of krill is highly questionable. Krill has never been a big part of the human diet; however, it does make up a part of the diet of many ocean creatures, especially whales. Krill fishing is now banned off the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington. Secondly, krill play a role in helping to prevent climate change. Did you know that the krill biomass removes the equivalent amount of carbon from the atmosphere as is caused by the exhaust of 30 million cars? Lastly, because they are a tiny, shrimp-like creature and have high levels of cholesterol, many krill oils are extracted with hexane, which is a neurotoxic chemical.

It’s also important to note that if you are allergic to fish I would not rule out the fact that you would be allergic to krill as well. Because of this, I believe your best bet would be to consume plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids, such as flax seed oil and walnuts. There are other sources as well but these are the two most common and easy to source. I recommend using flax seed oil softgels, as flax seed is very perishable and easily susceptible to rancidity.

Healthy Regards!

Terry . . . Naturally