MegaRed Antarctic Krill Oil review: once-daily omega-3s with no fishy aftertaste

This article contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Click here to buy

If you've ever given up on fish oil because of the burps, you're far from alone. It's probably the single most common complaint about omega-3 supplements. Krill oil is one of the nicest fixes I know.

MegaRed Antarctic Krill Oil comes in small, deep red softgels you take once a day. The color comes from astaxanthin, a natural antioxidant found in krill. More on that in a second.

Krill, not fish

Krill are tiny shrimp-like crustaceans that swarm in the cold waters around Antarctica. They're one of the most abundant animals on the planet, and MegaRed sources its krill only from the Antarctic, where they're most plentiful.

Krill oil carries its omega-3s, EPA and DHA, in a phospholipid form. Fish oil usually carries them as triglycerides or ethyl esters. MegaRed says the phospholipid form is better absorbed by the body, and because it's krill rather than fish, there's no fishy aftertaste or odor. That second part is the reason a lot of people switch and never go back.

The heart angle

MegaRed designs this softgel around heart health. The company notes that supportive research has shown that eating EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, and it says its krill oil has been shown to significantly increase your omega-3 index in just 30 days. The omega-3 index is a simple measure of how much EPA and DHA is in your red blood cells.

Then there's the astaxanthin. It's the pigment that makes salmon pink and flamingos, well, flamingo colored. In this softgel it rides along with the omega-3s as a bonus antioxidant.

If you're curious how you're doing, an omega-3 index test is something you can ask about at your next checkup, and at-home kits are available too. It gives you a number to track over the months, which some people find motivating.

Purity

MegaRed uses a process it calls PureTech and says this makes the oil three times more pure than regular krill oil, with salts and other impurities removed. The softgel shell is made from gelatin, glycerin, water, ethyl vanillin and sorbitol. The vanillin is a nice detail, since it gives the softgel a faint vanilla note rather than anything ocean-like.

Living with it

One softgel, once a day. That's the routine. Take it with a meal that has a bit of fat, like breakfast eggs or a salad with olive oil, and you're set. The softgels are small, so even people who hate big fish oil capsules tend to be fine with them.

The 90-count box was listed at $26.88 when I checked, which is three months of daily use. It holds 4.8 stars from more than 8,300 Amazon shoppers, and the reviews keep praising the same two things: no aftertaste and an easy-to-swallow size.

Here's who I think will like it most:

• People who've tried fish oil and couldn't stand the burps

• Anyone who doesn't eat fatty fish twice a week

• Folks focused on heart health who want a simple daily habit

• Pill-averse people who want one small softgel instead of two or three big ones

Friendly safety notes

Krill are shellfish, so if you have a shellfish allergy, please skip this one. If you take a blood thinner like warfarin, or have a bleeding disorder or surgery coming up, check with your doctor first, since omega-3s can affect clotting a little. And if you're pregnant or nursing, run it by your provider.

A cleaner way to get your omega-3s

For anyone who likes the idea of omega-3s but not the fish oil experience, this is an easy switch. One small softgel, a bonus antioxidant, no fishy aftertaste. Take a look at MegaRed Antarctic Krill Oil and see if it becomes part of your morning.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Click here to buy