Krill Oil (Part I)

A new supp (I think we've like over 10 supps everyday!) for the new year!

Mom imported krill oil for us & finally received it on 28 Dec 2012. She hasn't been a fan of animal-based oil at all... even when she knew about krill oil being far more superior over fish oil. Mom hates fish oil because of both eco, sustainability and contamination issues.

But after a couple years of contemplation, she finally decided to get krill oil for us since its the largest biomass species on earth, lowest on food chain meaning least contaminated, & the most vital & sustainable food source for all marine life-forms.

But for us it shall be with minimal feeding since we're already getting lotsa plant and seed-based oils everyday... 1/4 capsule of krill oil each between four of us every alternate days. Click here to see the oils.

A 180 capsule bottle cost Mom S$71.26 in total. So that can last all four of us for about 12 months. If you're the sort whom favors animal-based oil over plant-based ones... Mom would strongly advice you to feed us doggies and kitties krill oil instead since it's more bioavailable to us (so we actually need very lil' of krill oil, why? read on below) than fish oils, more eco-friendly and the least contaminated marine-species oil. Not to mention the fact that tiny krill fuels giant whales!

This is the brand Mom got - Dr. Mercola . Another site on Why Krill Oil is better for your dogs/cats than Fish Oils. Click them to read more about krill oil. We'll just paste the important points below.

fish oil is weak in antioxidant content. As you increase your intake of omega-3 essential fatty acids by consuming fish oil, you may actually increase your need for even more antioxidant protection if the fish oil has been exposed to excessive amounts of oxygen or has become rancid.


Why? Well, fish oil is perishable. Antioxidants help to ensure that the fish oil doesn't oxidize easily. As we just noted, oxidation leads to the formation of those unhealthy free radicals.

This was a vexing problem for a long time...

Until the discovery of krill oil – a marine oil that helps solve the dilemma by uniquely and synergistically combining antioxidants and omega-3s.

Just what are krill anyway?

Krill are small shrimp or prawn-like creatures that feed the world's most mammoth animals – the great whales. Toothless great whales gulp down huge quantities of krill to provide the energy they need to fuel their massive bulk. A blue whale eats up to 8,000 pounds of krill each day during feeding season.

Tiny krill fuel giant whales...what can they do for you?

These highly intelligent great whales aren't the only animals that depend on krill for their nutritional needs. So do seals, penguins, sea birds, squid and fish.

The hardy krill harvested from harsh Antarctic waters – the ones that comprise our Pure Krill Oil – are so important they are considered a "keystone species," an organism upon which many Antarctic predators depend.

These semi-translucent crustaceans congregate in dense masses or swarms that can turn the ocean's surface pink or red.

Together with plankton, krill make up the largest biomass on earth... one of the most easily renewable food resources available, an excellent nutritional source from an environmental perspective.

Krill aren't a new source of nutrition either. They've been harvested as a food source for both humans and domesticated animals since the 1800s. Possibly even earlier in Japan where they're considered a delicacy.

Besides DHA and EPA, this unique marine oil has another "secret weapon" not found in fish oils which explains why I believe it's superior...

Unlike fish oils, pure krill oil carries omega-3s in the form of phospholipids – liposomes or little packages that deliver the fatty acids directly to your body's cells.

Scientific evidence to date has shown that the safest and most effective carriers of EPA and DHA are these phospholipids.
Unfortunately, standard fish oils (and inferior krill oil brands) lack this phospholipid complex.

Instead they contain omega-3 fatty acids in the less-beneficial form of free triglycerides.
Why are phospholipids important?
They are the building blocks for your cell membranes, regulating cellular transport by functioning as 'gate-keepers.'* In this role, they protect cell membranes from free radical attack.*
This unique relationship between the phospholipids and omega-3 fatty acids greatly facilitates the passage of the fatty acid molecules through your intestinal wall.* This helps you in two ways...

• Makes the omega-3 fats in Pure Krill Oil significantly more bioavailable than those in fish oil by allowing EPA and DHA to directly enter your cells.
• Improves your omega-3 to omega-6 ratio.

Another important fact: The most predominant phospholipid in pure krill oil is phosphatidyl choline, which is partially composed of choline.

Numerous studies have demonstrated the importance of choline in brain development, learning and memory.* In fact, choline is particularly important for fetal and infant brain development in pregnant and nursing women.*

Choline is the precursor for the vital neurotransmitter acetylcholine (which sends nerve signals to the brain) and for trimethylglycine, a recognized liver protector.*

Further, it also boasts a full complement of necessary antioxidants not seen in fish or cod liver oil...

Pure Krill Oil offers clear advantages to fish oil in a number of important ways.
You get all the same multi-system health benefits of omega-3-rich fish oil,* including crucial EPA and DHA ...
But Pure Krill Oil also offers:

• MUCH Better Absorption Than Fish Oil*
  
  This means you can take 1/5 the dose – two small capsules rather than 10 large ones. The phospholipid binding increases the bioavailability of the omega-3s, improves the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio and supports healthy cell membrane functioning.*
• Superb Antioxidant Protection*
  
  Unique antioxidants – including astaxanthin and a novel marine flavonoid – may protect you from damaging free radicals.*
• Pollution-Free
  
  Krill are at the bottom of the food chain and collected far from pollution in the pristine seas surrounding Antarctica. So you don't have to worry about unsafe accumulations of mercury, PCBs, heavy metals or other toxins that low-quality fish oil products may contain.
• Ongoing Supply
  
  Krill are a highly renewable source. They are the largest biomass in the ocean and there is simply no risk of causing them to perish from over-harvesting.
• Stability
  
  Antarctic Pure Krill Oil is more stable and more resistant to rancidity than conventional fish oils.* This means it will last longer. It will last for TWO years at room temperature. (Please do not refrigerate. WARNING: If you are allergic to shellfish, have a blood coagulation disorder, or are taking anticoagulants such as Warfarin (Coumadin), do not use Krill Oil. Also, Krill Oil is very stable and will last up to 2 years. However, DO NOT store it in the freezer or refrigerator; extended exposure to temperatures higher than 100 degrees ( 37.7 deg C) or lower than 50 degrees (10 deg C) diminish effectiveness of the phospholipid ingredients.)
• No Fishy Aftertaste, Reflux Or Other Side Effects
  
  Although fish oil consumption commonly leads to side effects of fishy aftertaste, reflux or belching of fish flavors, this has not occurred with Antarctic Pure Krill Oil. No adverse effects have been noted even at high dosages.
• Renewable Food Source
  
  Krill represent a renewable, sustainable and environmentally positive nutrition source.

Pure Krill Oil is jam-packed with antioxidant power, including the antioxidant vitamins A and E, plus astaxanthin and canthaxanthin.*

Astaxanthin is a carotenoid-type of antioxidant that is even more powerful than beta-carotene, alpha-tocopherol, lycopene and lutein.*
Pure Krill Oil also contains a newly-discovered flavonoid with a novel molecular structure.* You've probably heard that flavonoids are powerful antioxidants. Surprisingly, before now, they had not been found in anything except plants – vegetables, fruits and algae.

Astaxanthin and this unique marine-source flavonoid in Pure Krill Oil create a special bond with the EPA and DHA, allowing direct metabolism of the antioxidants.

Watch out for cheap imitations that do not support your health as well as Pure Krill Oil.* As the word about the benefits of krill oil spreads,* you can expect to see many brands of inferior krill oil flood the market, trying to pass themselves off as high-quality products.

Unfortunately, most of these purported krill oil products contain less than 10 percent omega-3, and all in the form of triglycerides, without the unique phospholipids and astaxanthin antioxidant protection.

But it's not just the contents that are important – as valuable as they are. It's the delivery system that gets it into your system faster and more effectively...

There are several problems with fish oils - which you may already be aware of if you've checked out omega-3 supplements lately for yourself or your family.

Today, many fish are highly contaminated with industrial pollutants and toxins such as mercury, PCBs, heavy metals, and radioactive poisons.

They're not the best for you and your family - and they're not the best for your pet.
In fact, because of your dog or cat's smaller size, they can develop adverse toxicity symptoms even faster than humans can.
Another problem with fish oil is its lack of natural antioxidants. When you use fish oil, extra antioxidants can help to protect the fatty acids from oxidization. Omega-3 fatty acids are highly perishable and can become rancid inside your pet's body.

Krill oil is made from the largest, renewable biomass in the world.

Whales consume very large quantities of these small, shrimp-like creatures to provide their daily energy needs. In fact, a single blue whale devours up to 8,000 pounds of krill each day during feeding season!

Highly intelligent whales aren't the only animals who feast on krill. Fish, penguins, sea birds, and squid all depend on krill for their nutritional needs.

But here's why I like krill oil so much for cats and dogs:

• Krill do not accumulate heavy metals.
• Krill has a very high absorption rate, so your pet typically needs a fifth the dose of regular fish oil to receive similar benefits.
• Dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA)
• Krill contains more EPA than fish oil (240 mg/g EPA in krill vs.180 mg/g in regular fish oil).
• Krill delivers its abundant EPA and DHA as phospholipids directly into your pet's cells, unlike fish oil's less beneficial free triglycerides form.
• Krill are a thriving, highly sustainable food source - only a few percent are carefully harvested each year.
• Krill packs along natural antioxidant protection to help guard against oxidation of fragile omega-3 fatty acids and damage from free radicals.
• Krill's plentiful EPA and DHA has been scientifically studied to significantly reduce plasma arachidonic acid (AA).The phospholipids in krill oil are what make it a far superior omega-3 fatty acid supplement.
  
  Phospholipids - smart, tiny packets of fatty acids - are the building blocks for your pet's cellular membranes. This special phospholipid binding enables the fatty acid "packages" to pass through your pet's intestinal wall cell membranes with ease, allowing for a greater absorption rate.
  Abundant quantities and better utilized omega-3s mean a much improved omega-3 to omega-6 ratio for your pet.
  
  Remember when I talked earlier about the effect DHA has on the behavior and intelligence of your pet?
  
  The most predominant phospholipid in krill oil is phosphatidyl choline, a major part of your pet's cell membranes.
  
  Phosphatidyl choline is important for your dog or cat for several reasons:
  
• Breaks down into choline, the precursor for acetylcholine, which transmits nerve signals to the brain
• Assists with liver detoxification pathways
• Makes dopamine, a nerve chemical essential for normal brain function
• Aids in brain and liver function by assisting with the absorption of carnitine from the digestive tract (Carnitine is essential for mitochondrial function, supplying the liver and brain with energy.)
• Supports brain development, learning and memory. Recent studies affirm choline's effectiveness in maintaining cognitive function in dogs and cats
  
  Simply, the more omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in your pet's diet, the greater the need for antioxidant support.
  
  Krill Oil for Pets is naturally loaded with antioxidant power, including the antioxidant vitamins A and E, plus astaxanthin and canthaxanthin, both naturally-occurring carotenoid antioxidants.
  Astaxanthin and this unique marine-source flavonoid in Krill Oil for Pets bond with the EPA and DHA, boosting antioxidant power directly to the cell.

New packaging (dec 2014)

This is the one Mom got for us instead of the one designed for pets because she doesn't fancy
pet-grade ones even though they're of the same company. *old packaging*

The one for pets in a pump-bottle for easy feeding