The Finest Krill Oil

by Norway Omega | 20/06/2020 | Blog
KRILL MACRO AT NIGHT

How do we produce high quality red krill oil?

Krill oil is the newest addition among the Omega-3 health food supplements. Here at Omega 3 of Norway, we offer a high quality Norwegian red krill oil that is full of health benefits and naturally low in pollutants. Krill are small crustaceans living in some of the cleanest oceans of the world and thanks to an innovative manufacturing process, we can offer a high quality product that is good for both mind and  body.

 

What is krill oil?

Antarctic red krill is what we use to make our krill oil. Because of their size they consume mainly algae and small phytoplankton, the original source of the essential Omega-3 fatty acids Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that our body needs. Sitting low on the food chain, they have very low levels of pollution in their tissue, in contrast to some of the bigger fish that are sometimes used to make fish oil for example. The Omega-3 fatty acids they contain are EPA and DHA, just like in fish oil and these two products share many of their health benefits. The krill we use is called Euphasia Superba and lives in the one of the cleanest oceans on the planet, the Southern Antarctic ocean, where we source it from wild schools of krill with a patented eco-harvesting technique.

Krill oil also contains the powerful antioxidant Astaxanthin, which gives it its red colour and adds further health benefits to this already potent food supplement. Krill is considered a whole food extract, which means that it does not need to be distilled to be read for human consumption. This means that only very little processing is needed because it already has a very high degree of purity. The krill that we catch is processed directly on our state-of-the-art vessels, guaranteeing that freshness and nutritional value are preserved.

 

Why is it good for us?

Just like fish oil, krill oil contains the essential fatty acids EPA and DHA. Those cannot be produced by our bodies and we therefore rely on either consuming sufficient amounts of foods that contain high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids, or to rely on high quality Omega-3 food supplements. While it is possible to cover your daily needs through food alone ´Nordic Diet´ https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-nordic-diet

 it can be challenging to maintain such a diet in the long term or when you are traveling or exercising a lot for example.

The fatty acids EPA and DHA take the form of phospholipids in krill oil, which means that they are soluble in water and therefore it is more easy for our bodies to absorb them. Phospholipids naturally occur in our bodies and are an essential part of our cell membranes. This also contributes to the increased bio-efficiency of krill oil and makes it faster for the nutrients to pass into our cells. Additionally, krill oil also contains the antioxidant astaxanthin, which gives it its red colour.

Astaxanthin has strong anti-inflammatory properties which can help alleviate pains caused  by low grade constant inflammations or health conditions that can go hand in hand with such inflammations. Reducing this low-level constant inflammation in our bodies can reduce stiffness, functional impairment and pain in patients with rheumatoid or osteoarthritis.

The antioxidant is also good for suppressing free radicals and therefore help protect our cells and body from the damage that they can cause. It also helps to stabilise the krill oil which means that there are almost no additives needed to maintain its long-term stability and shelf life.

Krill oil also has positive impacts on our heart health and studies have shown that the consumption of Omega-3 can be associated with a 16% lower risk of heart disease in people with high levels of unwanted fat in their blood. For those with high levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol, the risk was 14% lower. But it does not only reduce these risks but also helps increase the “good” HDL cholesterol and therefore further contributes to a healthy cardiovascular system.

 

How do we ensure a high quality standard?

Here at Omega 3 of Norway we value high quality products and want to make sure that we only supply our customers with the best possible products. To ensure this quality, we implement strict control of the production process during the whole manufacturing chain. From the harvesting to the processing and encapsulation, our process is fully transparent. We adhere to strict levels of quality and traceability with regards to the harvest of the krill as well as the other raw materials that we use in our manufacturing process. We work in collaboration with the Marine Steward Council (MSC) and provide environmentally friendly packaging designed in Norway. Its UV coating further helps to maintain the integrity of the capsule.

A map of Antarctica, centred on the South Pole and noting all the mountains and their heights and as far out as the ice shelf and surrounding seas.

 

Sustainability

Another value that we hold high is sustainability. We use the latest environmentally friendly Eco-Harvesting technique when it comes to catching the krill we use for our products. This technique was patented in 2003 and requires a specially designed vessel that includes a unique mechanism sorting out unwanted by-catch of non krill species, that is released back into the ocean. We use the most cutting-edge technology to ensure that only krill gets caught and no other species are harmed. Our krill oil is also the only red krill oil that is 100% traceable and certified as such by the Marine Stewardship Council.

Krill has a total biomass on the planet of about 500 million tons and this is closely regulated and monitored by a variety of bodies concerned with sustainability. Only a fraction of this is harvested each year and Omega 3 of Norway takes care to harvest less than 1% from the designated Southern Antarctic Ocean’s region.

Omega 3 of Norway encapsulates the red krill oil into compact 500mg capsules, infused with Vanilla flavor – by world leader swisscaps.

If you want to learn more about the differences between Omega 3 fish oil and krill oil, check out our blog and head over to the shop to see our range of products.