Krill Oil
Research reviewed: Up until 03/2026
Krill Oil (Euphausia superba) is a dietary supplement with 12 published peer-reviewed studies involving 595 participants, researched for Cardiovascular Health, Inflammation, Omega-3 Bioavailability.
Evidence at a Glance
Strength is scored by study design, sample size, study type, and outcomes
Cardiovascular Health
StrongInflammation
StrongOmega-3 Bioavailability
StrongResearch Visualised
Visual breakdown of the clinical data.
Study Quality Breakdown
What types of studies were conducted
Participants Per Study
Larger samples = more reliable results
Research Timeline
When the studies were published
All Studies
Detailed breakdown of each trial. Click to expand.
Cardiovascular Health
To compare the effects of krill oil and fish oil on lipid profiles and cardiovascular risk markers
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To compare the effects of krill oil and fish oil on lipid profiles and cardiovascular risk markers
Dose
3 g/day krill oil
Participants
113 adults with elevated lipids
Duration
12 weeks
Results
Krill oil produced comparable reductions in triglycerides and LDL to fish oil; superior HDL improvement.
How They Measured It
Triglycerides, LDL, HDL, omega-3 index
To evaluate anti-inflammatory and lipid-lowering effects of krill oil vs fish oil
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover
Purpose
To evaluate anti-inflammatory and lipid-lowering effects of krill oil vs fish oil
Dose
3 g/day
Participants
25 moderately hypertriglyceridaemic adults
Duration
8 weeks
Results
Both krill oil and fish oil significantly reduced triglycerides; krill oil showed additional anti-inflammatory effects.
How They Measured It
Triglycerides, LDL, CRP, IL-6
To compare krill oil vs fish oil for increasing omega-3 index in healthy individuals
Study Type
Randomised, controlled
Purpose
To compare krill oil vs fish oil for increasing omega-3 index in healthy individuals
Dose
1 g/day
Participants
76 healthy adults
Duration
4 weeks
Results
Krill oil produced significantly greater increase in omega-3 index than equivalent dose fish oil.
How They Measured It
Omega-3 index (EPA+DHA in red blood cells)
To evaluate clinical effectiveness of krill oil supplementation on cardiovascular health
Study Type
Systematic review and meta-analysis
Purpose
To evaluate clinical effectiveness of krill oil supplementation on cardiovascular health
Dose
Various
Participants
Multiple RCTs pooled
Duration
Various
Results
Krill oil significantly reduced triglycerides and improved omega-3 index vs placebo; superior bioavailability to fish oil.
How They Measured It
Triglycerides, LDL, HDL, blood pressure, omega-3 index
Inflammation
To evaluate krill oil effect on inflammation markers in adults with chronic inflammation
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To evaluate krill oil effect on inflammation markers in adults with chronic inflammation
Dose
2 g/day krill oil
Participants
90 adults with elevated CRP
Duration
12 weeks
Results
Krill oil significantly reduced CRP by 30% and IL-6 by 23% vs placebo.
How They Measured It
CRP, IL-6, TNF-a, omega-3 index
To assess krill oil effect on premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To assess krill oil effect on premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea
Dose
2 g/day krill oil
Participants
70 women with PMS/dysmenorrhea
Duration
3 months
Results
Krill oil significantly reduced PMS symptoms, menstrual pain, and NSAID usage vs fish oil.
How They Measured It
Pain scores, premenstrual distress measure (PMDM), NSAID consumption
To evaluate krill oil effects on osteoarthritis knee pain and inflammation
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To evaluate krill oil effects on osteoarthritis knee pain and inflammation
Dose
2 g/day krill oil
Participants
50 adults with mild OA
Duration
30 days
Results
Significant reduction in WOMAC scores and joint pain; CRP reduced significantly vs placebo.
How They Measured It
WOMAC, VAS pain, inflammatory markers
Omega-3 Bioavailability
To compare the pharmacokinetics of krill oil vs fish oil supplementation
Study Type
Randomised, crossover
Purpose
To compare the pharmacokinetics of krill oil vs fish oil supplementation
Dose
3 g/day each oil
Participants
24 healthy adults
Duration
2-week crossover periods
Results
Krill oil produced significantly higher plasma EPA and DHA levels (+38%) compared to equivalent dose fish oil.
How They Measured It
Plasma EPA+DHA AUC, bioavailability measures
To assess krill oil supplementation on cognitive function and mood in older adults
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To assess krill oil supplementation on cognitive function and mood in older adults
Dose
2 g/day krill oil
Participants
62 healthy older adults
Duration
6 months
Results
Krill oil significantly improved cognitive scores and mood vs placebo; correlated with omega-3 index increase.
How They Measured It
Cognitive tests, mood scales, omega-3 index
To assess krill oil effect on muscle damage and recovery in trained individuals
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To assess krill oil effect on muscle damage and recovery in trained individuals
Dose
4 g/day krill oil
Participants
45 trained adults
Duration
4 weeks supplementation + eccentric exercise
Results
Krill oil significantly reduced exercise-induced muscle damage markers and improved recovery vs placebo.
How They Measured It
CK levels, soreness VAS, strength recovery
To investigate krill oil supplementation on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To investigate krill oil supplementation on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Dose
3 g/day krill oil
Participants
40 NAFLD patients
Duration
6 months
Results
Krill oil significantly reduced hepatic fat content and liver enzyme levels vs placebo.
How They Measured It
Liver fat (MRI), liver enzymes (ALT/AST)
To review clinical applications of krill oil and its omega-3 fatty acids
Study Type
Systematic review
Purpose
To review clinical applications of krill oil and its omega-3 fatty acids
Dose
Various
Participants
Multiple trials
Duration
Various
Results
Krill oil demonstrated significant metabolic, vascular, and ergogenic actions; superior phospholipid-bound omega-3 bioavailability.
How They Measured It
Systematic review of cardiovascular, metabolic, and ergogenic outcomes
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Krill Oil research
There are currently 12 peer-reviewed studies on Krill Oil (Euphausia superba), involving 595 total participants. Research covers Cardiovascular health, Inflammation, Omega-3 bioavailability. The overall evidence strength is rated as Very Strong.
The evidence is currently rated as "Very Strong Evidence". This rating is based on study design quality (randomisation, blinding, placebo controls), sample sizes, study types (10 human studies), and reported outcomes.
Krill Oil has been researched for: Cardiovascular health, Inflammation, Omega-3 bioavailability. Each area has its own body of evidence which you can explore in the study breakdowns above.
Yes, 10 out of 12 studies are human trials. Human trials carry more weight in our evidence scoring system.
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