Krill Oil vs rTG Fish Oil
How krill oil and rTG fish oil differ in potency, absorption, tolerance, and cost.
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Side by Side
| Krill Oil (Phospholipid) | Re-esterified Triglyceride Fish Oil | |
|---|---|---|
| Absorption | High | High |
| How it is absorbed | A large share of EPA and DHA is bound to phospholipids, which are emulsifiers and absorb without heavy dependence on dietary fat. | Concentrated as ethyl esters, then enzymatically converted back to triglycerides. Produced higher plasma EPA+DHA than ethyl esters in a comparative trial (Dyerberg 2010). |
| Typical dose | 1-3 g krill oil daily (typically 150-400 mg EPA+DHA) | 500-2,000 mg EPA+DHA daily |
| Common uses | people who get fishy burps from fish oil | concentrated dosing with fewer capsules, people who take fish oil without meals |
| Side effects | Less aftertaste than fish oil. Avoid with shellfish allergy. | Similar to triglyceride oil. |
| Cost | High | Moderate |
| Also called | krill oil, phospholipid omega-3 | rTG, re-esterified triglyceride |
When 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 linkWhen to Choose Re-esterified Triglyceride Fish Oil
Choose rTG fish oil when you want a concentrated dose without depending on a fatty meal for absorption. Combines high concentration with the triglyceride structure.
Re-esterified Triglyceride Fish Oil
Concentrated and well absorbed. The practical choice when you need 1-2 g of EPA plus DHA in two or three softgels.
What to look for: At least 600 mg EPA plus DHA per softgel, a published TOTOX or IFOS certificate, and an expiration date.
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.