Why krill oil is better than ordinary fish oil

EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) is an omega-3 unsaturated fatty acid. Fish oil supplements contain EPA and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) as triglycerides, whereas krill oil supplies them as phospholipids.

The beneficial effects of fish oil supplements and the even greater benefits afforded by krill oil are well known; indeed, research has shown that EPA is incredibly beneficial, especially with treatment-resistant depression. It is partly due to a higher EPA content that krill oil is even more beneficial than fish oil.

Interestingly, it was found that when taking EPA supplements, less is more: of three possible doses of ethyl-EPA -- 1g, 2g, and 4g -- the 1g dose proved the most effective in the treatment of depression.

It is not just in the treatment of depression that EPA has beneficial effects: taking pure EPA supplements also has benefits for concentration, ADD, ADHD (attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder), OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), mood, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder (formerly known as manic depression) and, of course, cardiovascular health.

Recent research has also shown EPA supplements to have beneficial effects on anorexia nervosa, which is the psychiatric disorder with the highest risk of morbidity and mortality.