June 19, 2012 – Krill – the little, shrimp-like, almost-last-on-the-food-chain ocean crustaceans – are taking on the big fish. And a bottle of krill oil capsules may soon knock those fish oil supplements right off your shelf.
Everybody knows that omega-3 fatty acids – DHA and EPA – are good for heart, joint and mental health, among other benefits. Or so we thought. A study published this month in the New England Journal of Medicine found that omega-3s do not benefit cardiovascular health in patients with or at risk of Type 2 diabetes. Because the study sampled only diabetic and pre-diabetic patients, the study's implications are already being debated. That conversation will likely continue, with proponents pointing out that other studies did show a positive effect. The American Heart Association still recommends omega-3s for heart health.
The news of the NEJM article and subsequent discussion is unlikely to slow the sales of supplements, as well as omega-3 fortified foods, which are big business in the United States. The largest player in the supplement market is fish oil. Sales of over-the-counter fish oil supplements in the U.S. were $1.1 billion in 2010, an 11 percent increase, according to Nutrition Business Journal.
Health-conscious consumers looking for those all-important omega-3s might try to eat all the salmon, sardines and anchovies they can, but they are still likely to end up staring at a wall of supplements at a local store. Consumers used to immediately reach for the fish oil, but krill oil is increasingly becoming a sought-after alternative.