Nancy Dell Viewer Mail

 

  

 

 

1 . I have seen the ads for Krill oil. What is it and what are the benefits?
Peter via the Internet.

Krill are tiny Shrimp-like crustaceans.The oil made from Krill is marketed as an alternative to taking fish oil. Like fish oil, krill oil is high in the omega-3 fats called DHA and EPA.

While many studies have been done with fish oil , only a few have been done with krill oil but they show krill works as well and possibly better than fish oil.

In one study at McGill University, people taking 3 grams of Krill oil a day reduced their LDL bad cholesterol 34% and increased their HDL good cholesterol 43.5 percent compared to a placebo. These results are much better than traditional fish oil but more study is needed to confirm these results.

Krill oil is absorbed more readily than fish oil so there tends to be no fishy after taste. Although if you refrigerate your traditional fish oil, you should eliminate the after taste anyway.

The downside to taking krill oil is mainly that the population of this tiny marine life is declining because they live in sea ice and global warming is decreasing the sea ice. Many sea creatures feed on krill so now they have less to eat.

The Krill used in the studies is Neptune Krill. So we recommend you look for supplements made with Neptune Krill and take 1 to 3 grams per day. But as always, Check with your doctor before starting.

2. I seem to have less energy since I started to take a statin medication to lower my cholesterol. My Doctor suggested I start a Co-Q 10 supplement. What is it and how does it work?

Co-enzyme Q -10 is a compound that occurs naturally in our bodies and it is used to produce energy in our cells.

The body normally makes enough Co-Q 10 but we make less as we get older and statin medications can also lower the amount we make.

Co Q-10 is absorbed best when taken with a meal that contains a little fat or buy a supplement that is a softgel with a little fat in it.

The dose you need will very person to person but generally experts recommend 100 to 200 milligrams a day. If you take more than 100 milligrams, split the dose so you take half in the morning and half at night to absorb it better.

Allow 1 month to see an improvement in your energy level.