It’s one of Big Pharma’s favorite tricks. When they run out of ideas, they take a break from mocking natural medicine to steal from it instead.
Drug companies love to dig up time-tested, science-backed, low-cost natural therapies that millions already depend on. After all, they’ve already been proven winners.
Then they create an instant cash cow by disguising them as new drugs they can charge a fortune for.
They’ve done it several times over the years. One of their more recent money grabs was with “prescription strength” forms of fish oil.
Now, they’re quietly trying to do it again with another form of those same omega-3s as a “new” way to slash triglycerides. This time they’re targeting krill oil.
But I’ve got what you need to beat them at their own game. You can get the incredible benefits of this natural triglyceride-lowering therapy without waiting for their “new drug” or paying through the teeth to get it.
Krill oil targets triglycerides
If you’re already trying to get more omega-3s in your diet (and I hope you are), then you probably know some of the best sources of these healthy fats.
They include…
- mackerel
- sardines
- herring
- anchovy
- salmon
Many omega-3 supplements use those same fish as a source for their oil. But new research shines a light on another option for omega-3s. It also comes from the sea but doesn’t get nearly as much attention as it should.
It’s krill oil, which the drug industry has been quietly testing as a potential medication for those triglycerides I mentioned earlier.
I don’t blame them. First, triglycerides can be very dangerous. This form of fat, or cholesterol, in the blood is a far more important marker of cardiovascular risk than the LDL cholesterol that usually gets all of the attention.
And second, while most forms of omega-3s appear to reduce triglycerides, krill oil may turn out to be the most effective of all because it works at much lower doses.
The DOSE is the DIFFERENCE
With most omega-3s, it takes very high levels – 2 to 4 grams a day – to significantly cut triglycerides.
While those are generally considered safe doses, those amounts can also measurably thin the blood. So you should talk to your doctor about it first to make sure it’s appropriate for you.
And, of course, that size dosage would also mean swallowing a LOT of fish oil capsules. If you’re already taking other meds and supplements, that can start to feel overwhelming.
The new study finds that krill oil works at a fraction of that dose. Volunteers were given a 4-gram capsule, but it had just 1.2 grams of omega-3s from krill oil in it. And it cut triglycerides by about 15 percent in people with elevated levels.
The krill oil also helped people with very high triglycerides reduce their levels to below 500 mg/dL, bringing them out of the biggest “danger zone.”
This doesn’t mean you should automatically toss your fish oil for krill. Fish oil might still be the best fit for you. (Check out this Fish oil mistake nearly everyone makes.) But it certainly IS worth talking to your doctor about, especially if you have high triglycerides and nothing else you’ve tried has helped.
There are also other ways to cut those levels, including the easiest of all: a daily walk at a brisk pace for about 30 or 45 minutes at a time. That activity alone could help triglycerides. Plus, it’s got bunches of other benefits.
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