Study Comparing Fish Oil and Krill Oil

Inflammation plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of several chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus. There has been some evidence that fish oil, containing the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), reduces the risk or severity of these diseases, leading several government and health organizations to advocate an increased consumption of fish or fish oil. Fish oil contains EPA and DHA either as triglycerides or as ethyl esters. Recently, krill oil has gained popularity as an EPA and DHA supplement. Krill oil contains EPA and DHA in phospholipid, triglyceride, and free fatty acid form. Some studies have shown that the bioavailability of EPA and DHA in krill oil is higher than in fish oil and that smaller doses of krill oil are therefore sufficient to observe a significant effect on the desired outcome (inflammation, plasma lipid levels). The central hypothesis of this proposal is that the dose of the EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids is more important than their bioavailability in effecting changes in systemic inflammation and lipid metabolism.