Owned and Operated by Scale Media†
Advertising sponsored by the sellers of 1MD Nutrition® KrillMD and Live Conscious® KrillWell

Krill Oil: The Best Form of Omega-3s?

We Found The Answers. Plus, What To Look For In An Omega-3 Supplement, And Our Essential 5.

Author

Written by Brilliant Staff

Our bodies need omega-3 fatty acids for smooth joint movement, balanced cholesterol, and even mental health. Unfortunately, we can't produce these nutrients by ourselves, so we need to get them through our diets. To make matters more complicated, our bodies don't effectively absorb omega-3s from fish or fish oil.

That's why Americans seeking to improve their overall health are turning to krill oil supplements. Derived from tiny, shrimp-like ocean dwellers, this omega-3 source has unique properties that significantly increase its absorbability. 

To help you find the right krill oil supplement for you, Brilliant Wellness compiled months of research into this quick guide. We'll show you what to look for, what to avoid, and even reveal the 5 must-have krill oil supplements to add to your routine.

Studies Show Omega-3s Can Help:

Omega-3 fatty acids are rich in heart-healthy HDL cholesterol, also known as "good" cholesterol. HDL helps dislodge bad cholesterol from your arterial walls, supporting cardiovascular health and reduced risk of heart health issues.

Krill omega-3s are shown to support muscles around the joints or support joint health. This gives your joints more room to move, helping increase mobility while combating one of the biggest causes of joint discomfort.

Omega-3s are a key building block for brain cell membranes. Studies show that by giving your body a consistent supply of high-quality omega-3s, supplements help support optimal brain function and memory.

In numerous studies, researchers have found links between omega-3 supplements and mood support.

By helping combat oxidative stress in the body, omega-3s support joint stiffness and soreness. On top of promoting your overall comfort, this helps sustain an active lifestyle.

Omega-3s make up a large portion of the macula, a part of the eye that focuses our vision. Supplements help give your body the resources it needs to keep your macula healthy long-term.

Frequently Asked Questions

Krill are tiny shrimp-like ocean dwellers.

Since krill oil is a good source of omega-3s, it can support a healthy heart by supporting triglyceride levels, and alleviate common joint discomfort according to scientific studies.

Omega-3’s can also help enhance your vision, promote a good mood, and encourage a sharper mind because significant portions of the brain and eye retina are made up from Omega-3 DHA.

Omega-3 EPA and DHA are fundamental building blocks for great whole-body health. The integrity of every single cell in your body depends on your omega-3 EPA intake. Also, your brain and eye retina need enough omega-3 DHA to function properly. Unfortunately, our bodies can’t produce them, so we must get them through an outside source.

It's important to clarify that you’re taking krill oil for its omega-3 content. So how much krill oil you take does not matter. What matters is the omega-3 EPA and DHA dosage. With that said, a number of health authorities say to aim for at least 250mg of omega-3 EPA and DHA combined.

There are 3 main reasons why krill oil is the smart choice.First is transparency. Unlike some supplements that don’t disclose heavy metal testing, high-quality products are upfront about which metals are tested—and show that they’ve passed.

Secondly, the body absorbs omega-3s from krill much easier than fish oil thanks to phospholipids — which are compounds naturally found in krill oil.

And finally because krill oil contains a powerful antioxidant called astaxanthin that supports your skin and heart health.

Why Krill Oil Has The Most Effective Omega-3s

In clinical studies, krill oil is shown to be significantly more absorbable by our bodies, making it more effective at supporting heart, joint, and mental health.7 That’s because, unlike fish oil, krill omega-3s come in a unique phospholipid form.

This increased absorbability makes krill omega-3s the best way to support balanced cholesterol, smooth, comfortable joints, and a clear, relaxed mind.

But that’s not the only advantage of krill oil’s unique form.

Advantages Of Krill Oil

Safety

Dietary supplement industry is not always transparent with heavy metal testing, look for products that are transparent about heavy metals that are tested and that they have passed their testing.

 Purity

Quality krill oil is held to an extremely high purity standard. As a result, it’s known to have less of the “fishy” aftertaste found in most fish oil.

 Astaxanthin

This powerful antioxidant isn't available in fish oil, but it's found in high quantities in lobster, crayfish and krill.8,9 Astaxanthin boosts skin health and has been shown to increase good cholesterol levels.10,11 To see results, our research found that you need at least 2 mg of astaxanthin per serving.

There’s just one catch, though: The quality of the formula. That's why it’s important to keep a few things in mind when shopping for a krill oil supplement.

What To Look For in a Quality Krill Oil Supplement

The quality of krill oil depends on where the krill were caught. Unfortunately, most of our oceans are exposed to pollutants like heavy metals and toxins. This means, the sea life living in those waters are often tainted with environmental contaminants.

Meanwhile, Antarctica is far away from heavy pollution. Best of all, this “icy land” is known to have much cleaner waters.

So for the safer, high-quality krill oil you deserve, look for Antarctic Krill Oil. You’ll be doing your health a BIG favor.

image-1

Krill oil's major health benefits come from its high amounts of Omega-3 EPA + DHA. These compounds are the most potent types of omega-3 fatty acids that your body needs to support your heart, brain, vision, and joints.

An independent organization will often examine a formula for purity, safety, and quality. It ensures there’s no deception and offers you peace of mind.12,13 So, make sure to look for a “third-party tested seal."

What Dosage Should I Take?

Through the years, there’s been countless studies on both types of omega-3 fatty acids along with all the wonderful health benefits.

However, there’s one question many people are left to wonder: What’s the ideal amount you need to consume each day?

Well, according to a number of high-ranking health organizations, the answer is at least 250 mg of EPA and DHA combined for healthy adults.

Ingredients to Avoid

This synthetic form of omega 3 is inferior to other kinds like triglycerides and phospholipids. In fact, studies suggest that ethyl esters are the least absorbable and most likely to spoil.17,18,19 But some companies still use ethyl ester because it’s cheaper to produce.

The two usual suspects are sorbitol and ethyl vanillin. Sorbitol is an artificial sweetener and ethyl vanillin is a cheap, synthetic substitute. They offer zero health benefits and can cause undesired digestive issues from diarrhea to occasional bloating.

What Else to Consider

Penguins, whales, and fish depend on krill to survive. So, it’s important to NOT catch excessive amounts of these tiny creatures — or else Antarctica's wildlife may suffer from starvation. An easy way to help is to look for the Friend of the Sea Certification or MSC Certification.

Make sure to prioritize quality when searching for a krill oil supplement — even if that means paying a little extra for a safe, effective, and clinically-tested formula. Your health is far too valuable to take such a gamble.

It’s always a good idea to invest in a health formula that offers a 100% money-back guarantee. This shows the company’s confidence and faith in its product. So, look for brands that allow you to try their formulas for at least 90-days, risk-free.

Now that you know what to look for and avoid in Krill Oil Supplements, it’s time to shop. Check out our Brilliant recommendations below, including our own 1MD Nutrition®’s KrillMD and Live Conscious® KrillWell.

Image

*Per 2 gram serving size

2025's 5 Must-Have Krill Oil Supplements On The Market

The Brilliant Choice:

block.settings.product_rec_info_seal_1_alt_text
block.settings.product_rec_info_seal_2_alt_text
block.settings.product_rec_info_seal_3_alt_text

What We Like:

  • Icon 1600 mg of Pure Antarctic krill oil
  • Icon 294 mg EPA & DHA
  • Icon 550 mg of phospholipids
  • Icon 2 mg of astaxanthin
  • Icon Dairy and GMO-Free
  • Icon No unnecessary fillers or additives
  • Icon No fishy aftertaste
  • Icon 3rd party tested
  • Icon Sustainably sourced with Friend of the Sea Certification
  • Icon Easy-to-swallow soft-gels
  • Icon 90-day money-back guarantee
  • Icon Proud Partner of the Arthritis Foundation

Room To Improve:

  • Icon Frequently out of stock due to high demand

Final Thoughts

KrillMD™ Antarctic Krill Oil by 1MD Nutrition® is Brilliant Wellness’ Brilliant Choice. Our superior omega-3 supplement uses Antarctic krill oil that provides 174 mg of EPA and 120 mg of DHA — an impressive omega profile for its kind.

Additionally, we also provide 2 mg of astaxanthin and 550 mg of phospholipids. It's clear that our scientifically-formulated approach has paid off.

We verified that our formula doesn't contain synthetic fillers or artificial ingredients.

As a proud partner of the Arthritis Foundation, 1MD Nutrition® is a health & wellness company that partners with six board-certified doctors.

1MD Nutrition® also stands by our products by offering a generous 90-day money-back guarantee. We also offer bundled discounts, so click below to learn more about their specials.

Brilliant Buy:

block.settings.product_rec_info_seal_1_alt_text
block.settings.product_rec_info_seal_2_alt_text
block.settings.product_rec_info_seal_3_alt_text

What We Like:

  • Icon 1200 mg of Antarctic krill oil
  • Icon 250 mg of EPA and DHA
  • Icon Phospholipids
  • Icon Gluten and GMO-Free
  • Icon No fishy aftertaste
  • Icon Third party tested
  • Icon Sustainably sourced
  • Icon Easy-to-swallow soft-gels

Room To Improve:

  • Icon Contains sorbitol, an artificial flavor
  • Icon Insufficient 0.12 g dose of astaxanthin
  • Icon 14-day money-back guarantee

Final Thoughts

Sustainably sourced from Antarctic krill, Kori™ Krill adheres to an extremely high standard of purity and quality. It earned its spot as Brilliant Buy because it meets the omega-3 guideline, is third party tested, and contains phospholipids.

Unfortunately, one serving only provides a tiny portion of astaxanthin and an artificial flavor. Furthermore, its 14-day guarantee is too short of a duration to see if it brings you any benefits.

*Results are based on users' personal experiences collected on this page and do not necessarily reflect typical results of using these products. Please see product website for more information.

Influencer Favorite:

block.settings.product_rec_info_seal_1_alt_text
block.settings.product_rec_info_seal_2_alt_text
block.settings.product_rec_info_seal_3_alt_text

What We Like:

  • Icon 1500mg of Antarctic krill oil
  • Icon Phospholipids
  • Icon No unnecessary fillers or additives
  • Icon Non-GMO, non-dairy, gluten free, soy free
  • Icon Third party tested
  • Icon Sustainably sourced
  • Icon 365-day money-back guarantee

Room To Improve:

  • Icon Below omega-3 dose guidelines
  • Icon Insufficient amount of astaxanthin
  • Icon Not endorsed by a doctor

Final Thoughts

KrillWell™ by Live Conscious® comes in as Influencer Favorite with its large amount of sustainably-sourced Antarctic krill oil.

Our product also contains the powerful antioxidant astaxanthin and each omega-3 nutrient is phospholipid-bound to increase bioavailability.

What amazes us the most about Live Conscious® is their 365-day, money-back guarantee. It’s the best one we’ve seen for krill oil supplements which is a big reason why KrillWell™ earned spot on our list.*

*Results are based on users' personal experiences collected on this page and do not necessarily reflect typical results of using these products. Please see product website for more information.

Brilliant Buy:

block.settings.product_rec_info_seal_1_alt_text

What We Like:

  • Icon 1000 mg of Antarctic Krill Oil
  • Icon 188 mg of EPA & DHA
  • Icon Phospholipids
  • Icon Easy to swallow soft gels
  • Icon No fishy aftertaste
  • Icon Gluten and GMO-Free
  • Icon Many positive customer reviews*
  • Icon Well-known brand

Room To Improve:

  • Icon Below our omega-3 dose guidelines
  • Icon Only contains 0.05 g of astaxanthin
  • Icon Contains sorbitol, an artificial sweetener
  • Icon 30-day money-back guarantee if product is not opened

Final Thoughts

MegaRed® by Schiff® is a well-known and popular brand name. However, this product contains a significantly lower amount of omega-3 EPA & DHA than the others on this list. It also contains the artificial sweetener sorbitol. After thoroughly searching the website we cannot find any sort of third party testing claim. Also, be wary, their money-back guarantee only applies to unused products. These setbacks bump it down our list.

One to Watch:

block.settings.product_rec_info_seal_1_alt_text

What We Like:

  • Icon 300 mg proprietary blend
  • Icon Has only 40 mg of mussel oil
  • Icon No unnecessary fillers or additives

Room To Improve:

  • Icon Amounts of EPA and DHA are not specified
  • Icon Many customers are unhappy with the product overall*
  • Icon 90-day (conditional) guarantee

Final Thoughts

Omega XL® is a mussel source omega product. It contains a 300 mg proprietary blend. The amounts of EPA and DHA in this product are not specified. We found the product only offers 40 mg of mussel oil, which is lower than others we’ve seen and not krill-based. They offer a 90-day conditional money-back guarantee that does not include shipping. Even so, Omega XL® offers a unique formula, earning it a spot on our list as the One to Watch.

The Brilliant Process

Like you, we’re picky about products — and serious about quality

Whether we’re featuring an award-winning product from one of our five beauty and wellness brands — or somebody else’s — a Brilliant recommendation doesn’t see the light of day until it has been medically reviewed by our Fact Checkers for accuracy and has fulfilled our Brilliant Criteria. 

At Brilliant, although we often feature products that we sell, we’re not afraid to highlight and celebrate other brands who are doing things right.

We take great care in handpicking high-quality products to feature on Brilliant. Here’s how we choose them: 

  • High-Quality Ingredients: We dig deep into the latest research and look for products that contain comprehensive ingredients for optimal impact. 
  • Pure, Holistic Formulas: We prioritize products that contain clean, wholesome ingredients. A product should only contain what it needs and nothing else—period.
  • Brand credibility: Each product on our list is produced by a company with trusted credibility. We've also verified that each brand adheres to labeling requirements set forth under current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP).
  • Value: We evaluate products based on industry averages and price per serving or application. We also consider quantity and return policy. 

As veteran leaders in the wellness space with an award-winning brand portfolio of 100+ health and beauty products, we are committed to honesty and transparency, providing thoughtful insights into the benefits and limitations of the information and products we evaluate — including our own. Every Brilliant Buying Guide is thoroughly vetted for medical accuracy by our Fact Checkers prior to publication.  

With our discerning selection process, you can feel confident that the products we recommend meet the highest benchmarks of quality, transparency, and efficacy. If we wouldn’t use a product ourselves, it’s not Brilliant

  1. "Omega-3 Fatty Acids." University of Maryland Medical Center. N.p., 5 Aug. 2015. http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/omega3-fatty-acids
  2. Rajaei, Elham et al. “The Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Patients With Active Rheumatoid Arthritis Receiving DMARDs Therapy: Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial.” Global journal of health science vol. 8,7 18-25. 3 Nov. 2015, doi:10.5539/gjhs.v8n7p18
  3. "Avoiding omega-3 deficiency." Igennus Healthcare Nutrition. N.p., n.d. https://igennus.com/nutrition/omega-3-science/omega-3-deficiences/
  4. Id
  5. "Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and Your Health." Wisconsin Department of Health Services. N.p., n.d. https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/environmental/pcb-fish.htm
  6. Hodge W, Barnes D, Schachter HM, et al. Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Eye Health: Summary. 2005 Jul. In: AHRQ Evidence Report Summaries. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 1998-2005. 117.
  7. Fontani, G., et al. "Cognitive and physiological effects of Omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation in healthy subjects." European journal of clinical investigation 35.11 (2005): 691-699.
  8. Takaichi, Shinichi, et al. "Fatty acids of astaxanthin esters in krill determined by mild mass spectrometry." Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 136.2 (2003): 317-322.
  9. Kidd, Parris. "Astaxanthin, cell membrane nutrient with diverse clinical benefits and anti-aging potential." Altern Med Rev 16.4 (2011): 355-64.
  10. Tominaga, K., Hongo, N., Karato, M., & Yamashita, E. (2012). Cosmetic benefits of astaxanthin on humans subjects. Acta Biochimica Polonica, 59(1), 43.
  11. Yoshida, Hiroshi, et al. "Administration of natural astaxanthin increases serum HDL-cholesterol and adiponectin in subjects with mild hyperlipidemia."Atherosclerosis 209.2 (2010): 520-523.
  12. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889157519305137
  13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4678768/
  14. "Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and Your Health." et. al. at 1
  15. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17087052/
  16. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7362115/
  17. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21063431/
  18. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1826985/
  19. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11746-015-2612-9