Krill Oil Supplement Buying Guide—Tips on How to Avoid Label Tricks

Krill oil is a popular supplement, delivering antioxidants and beneficial omega-3 fatty acids to boost your health. These supplements are often preferred over fish oil capsules because they don’t leave the same aftertaste and have proven more effective.

Of course, there may not be a fishy aftertaste or smell, but there is something fishy going on with many of the labels on krill oil supplements.

Krill oil is quickly becoming the go-to resource for boosting health. With anti-inflammatory properties that control and reduce pain and stiffness, as well as antioxidant powers to scavenge harmful free radicals, krill oil is heart and brain friendly. Sadly, manufacturers have caught onto the popularity and have decided to go fishing for your money.

The large nets they cast to reel you in consist of faulty advertising, confusing jargon, and inaccurate data. The result is that you end up spending money without benefiting your health in any way.

Understanding the labels and what to look for can protect you from getting hooked and will ensure you get a quality krill oil supplement and optimal health.

Stay Away From Synthetic

A large number of krill oil supplements will trick you with generic or synthetic krill oil instead of offering the real deal. That sort of krill oil is manufactured in China and not the ocean, and it has not been clinically tested for authenticity or effectiveness.

You end up with an artificial ingredient and not the beneficial natural oil you were hoping for.

To make sure you get authentic, natural, and clinically-tested krill oil, make sure a patented brand is listed on the label. The K-Real krill oil that came straight from the Antarctic Ocean is found in Antarctic Krill Oil Platinum and is as real as you can get.

Avoid any label that says “pure” krill oil or “simply” krill oil because these are synthetic. Your joints, brain, and heart deserve better than that.

Only Certified Will Do

If the label does not say that the krill oil is “certified sustainable,” then put the supplement down and walk away. This stamp of approval means that the companies collecting and manufacturing the krill oil follow practices and ethical codes that have been approved by a third party.

Krill play an important role in the ocean food chain, so their sustainability is important.

Practices that wipe them out or cause potential environmental hazards are frowned upon. Sadly, these companies do exist, and they do produce supplements that you will be tempted to buy.

You need to be aware that uncertified companies produce lower-quality product, because the methods they use are not up to par. On top of this, support for them could lead to the extinction of the valuable krill.

It’s a Numbers Game

Look at the labels closely to evaluate numbers and ingredients. Cheaper supplements like to tempt you with high numbers, which are hiding the low-quality ingredients. The label may show a high milligram count for krill oil, but the actual count of the beneficial fatty acids (DHA and EPA) you need is very low, if even listed at all.

When you see this, you will be getting more filler and fluff and not the essential DHA and EPA that you need. You need to look past the milligrams of krill oil and verify the milligrams of fatty acids.

Manufacturers count on you not knowing this, so the high krill oil content is enough to tempt you. What you really want to see is at least 100 milligrams each of DHA and EPA.

Phospholipid Protection

Your digestive system is quite a gauntlet for food to travel through. In order for krill oil to make it through without getting eaten alive, it must be protected. Phospholipids are a natural protein that provide the best protection and ensure that the fatty acids get to their target tissues.

You want to see these listed on the label so that you know your krill oil will be securely encased as it makes its way through your digestive tract.

Simply having phospholipids is not enough though. You need to make sure you have the right amount for the krill oil you are consuming.

Higher-quality products, such as Antarctic Krill Oil Platinum, will have at least 400 milligrams of phospholipids. Without this high count, the krill oil you buy will never reach its target and will be ineffective.

Attention to Antioxidant Details

Astaxanthin is a powerful antioxidant which protects your cells from oxidative damage and boosts overall immune system function. A quality krill oil will have at least 1 milligram of this compound.

Many supplements will include this on their ingredients list, but you need to pay attention to the number.

A typical ploy is to list a high number like 200 but follow it with micromilligrams rather than milligrams. Manufacturers count on you not paying attention to the small print and instead tempt you with a large and impressive number.

Those 200 micromilligrams are significantly smaller than the 1 milligram you want (it converts to .2 mg). By not looking closely enough at the label, you could be wasting your money and hurting your health.

The Bottom Line

Krill oil is a popular health supplement thanks to the variety of benefits it delivers. Of course, some companies see an opportunity to help people, and others see a chance to make a quick buck off of suckers.

Reading the label of your krill oil supplement before you buy will ensure you get quality. You may have to pay a little more, but you get what you pay for. In the case of Antarctic Krill Oil Platinum, the label speaks volumes and you get pure krill oil with ideal amounts of DHA, EPA and astaxanthin.

Certified sustainable and environmentally friendly, this krill oil is better for you on paper and in life. Don’t fall for fishy tactics and jargon; to get the best krill and the most health benefits, look at that label.