Study shows krill oil reduces liver and fat tissue inflammation

Published: 7-Oct-2021

The study evaluated the effects of krill oil on obesity-associated chronic inflammation in the liver and fat tissue

A recent study has indicated krill oil supplementation may positively affect fatty acid composition in blood, fat tissue and liver.

In the study, led by The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) in partnership with Aker BioMarine and others, Dr Robert Kleemann (TNO) and a team of scientists evaluated the effects of krill oil on obesity-associated chronic inflammation in the liver and fat tissue. The study was done within the public-private partnership ProLiver, a collaboration project made possible by Health~Holland.

Krill oil is rich in phospholipids and has a high content of omega-3 fatty acids, and these lipids can be stored in cells or converted within cells and act as direct inflammatory modulators. The research team performed a long-term krill oil supplementation study using a mouse model of obesity.

Throughout the experiment, the mice were fed a high-fat diet. The test diet was supplemented with 3% sustainably sourced Antarctic krill oil (Superba krill oil by Aker BioMarine) while the control diet did not contain any krill oil. The scientists aimed to determine how fatty acid composition and associated inflammation in fat tissue and the liver would be affected by the intake of krill oil, as obesity develops.

Key findings included that krill oil positively affected fatty acid composition in the blood, fat tissue and liver, while promoting an anti-inflammatory environment in fat tissue and the liver. It also helped fat tissue to store fat more safely, according to the researchers. From these results, the researchers concluded krill oil may have potential as an alternate treatment strategy for obesity and liver issues.

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