The claimEvidence C · limited
Krill oil is better absorbed than fish oil and worth the price
The evidence
It works through EPA and DHA and also carries astaxanthin; better absorption lacks head-to-head studies, and whether the astaxanthin reaches trial doses depends on the label.
Why the claim spreads
It stands on a real issue: the chemical form of fish oil really does affect absorption — cheap ethyl-ester oil absorbs noticeably worse. Krill oil carries its EPA and DHA on phospholipids, comes with red astaxanthin and costs the most, so it naturally looks like the premium form.
The mechanism, in brief
What actually does the work in fish oil is two long-chain omega-3s: EPA and DHA. Whether a bottle is worth buying and can be trusted comes down mainly to two things: which chemical form it is made in (which decides how much you absorb), and how fresh it is (with time it oxidizes and spoils).
Sources (2)
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. (2023). Omega-3 Fatty Acids — Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
- Albert, B. B., Derraik, J. G., Cameron-Smith, D., Hofman, P. L., Tumanov, S., Villas-Boas, S. G., Garg, M. L., & Cutfield, W. S. (2015). Fish oil supplements in New Zealand are highly oxidised and do not meet label content of n-3 PUFA. Scientific Reports, 5, 7928.