Algal Oil vs Krill Oil
How algal oil and krill oil differ in potency, absorption, tolerance, and cost.
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Side by Side
| Algal Oil | Krill Oil (Phospholipid) | |
|---|---|---|
| Absorption | High | High |
| How it is absorbed | DHA (and in some strains EPA) from microalgae, usually in triglyceride form. Absorbed like fish-derived triglyceride oil. | A large share of EPA and DHA is bound to phospholipids, which are emulsifiers and absorb without heavy dependence on dietary fat. |
| Typical dose | 250-1,000 mg EPA+DHA daily | 1-3 g krill oil daily (typically 150-400 mg EPA+DHA) |
| Common uses | vegan and vegetarian diets, pregnancy DHA, fish allergy | people who get fishy burps from fish oil |
| Side effects | Minimal aftertaste. | Less aftertaste than fish oil. Avoid with shellfish allergy. |
| Cost | High | High |
| Also called | algae omega-3, vegan DHA | krill oil, phospholipid omega-3 |
When to Choose Algal Oil
Choose algal oil when you avoid fish or want a plant-based source. Fish get their EPA and DHA from algae; this skips the fish. Many products are DHA-dominant with little EPA.
Algal Oil
The vegan source, and the direct one.
What to look for: Both EPA and DHA stated; many algal oils are DHA-only, which suits pregnancy better than triglyceride lowering.
Find on iHerb Affiliate linkWhen to Choose Krill Oil (Phospholipid)
Choose krill oil when fish oil aftertaste is a deal-breaker and the dose needed is small. Delivers far less EPA+DHA per capsule than concentrated fish oil, so cost per gram of EPA+DHA is high.
Krill Oil (Phospholipid)
Krill oil absorbs well, but the dose per capsule is small and the cost per milligram of EPA plus DHA is high.
What to look for: Total EPA plus DHA in mg. Ignore krill oil weight and astaxanthin content when comparing.
Find on iHerb Affiliate linkProducts on Titrate
The Fish Oil and Omega-3 category in Titrate's index holds 7,169 labels from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database, 3,579 of them currently on market, out of 214,745 labels indexed in total. The search page ships the 6,000 most detailed of these.
Supplement Search loads one category at a time. Choose the Fish Oil and Omega-3 tab, then type a form such as "triglyceride" under Must contain, or a form to avoid under Must not contain.
Related
References
NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
Harris WS, von Schacky C. The Omega-3 Index: a new risk factor for death from coronary heart disease? Prev Med. 2004;39(1):212-220.
Dyerberg J, et al. Bioavailability of marine n-3 fatty acid formulations. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2010;83(3):137-141.
Neubronner J, et al. Enhanced increase of omega-3 index in response to long-term n-3 fatty acid supplementation from triacylglycerides versus ethyl esters. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2011;65(2):247-254.
Albert BB, et al. Fish oil supplements in New Zealand are highly oxidised and do not meet label content of n-3 PUFA. Sci Rep. 2015;5:7928.
Bhatt DL, et al. Cardiovascular Risk Reduction with Icosapent Ethyl for Hypertriglyceridemia. N Engl J Med. 2019;380(1):11-22.
Manson JE, et al. Marine n-3 Fatty Acids and Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer. N Engl J Med. 2019;380(1):23-32.
Nicholls SJ, et al. Effect of High-Dose Omega-3 Fatty Acids vs Corn Oil on Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Patients at High Cardiovascular Risk: The STRENGTH Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2020;324(22):2268-2280.
Gencer B, et al. Effect of Long-Term Marine omega-3 Fatty Acids Supplementation on the Risk of Atrial Fibrillation in Randomized Controlled Trials of Cardiovascular Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Circulation. 2021;144(25):1981-1990.