Krill Oil and Its Effects on Blood Vessel Stiffness and Platelet Function in Healthy Adults

This 12-week clinical trial tested a krill oil extract (FJH-KO) in 120 healthy adults, comparing a low dose (375 mg/day), a high dose (750 mg/day), and a placebo. Researchers measured how quickly platelets clumped together (platelet aggregation) and how stiff the arteries were, using a test called pulse wave velocity, along with various blood markers related to blood vessel and clotting health.

By the end of the study, 115 participants had completed it. The group taking the higher dose of krill oil showed a meaningful reduction in arterial stiffness compared to placebo, and there were also differences in platelet aggregation time between groups. The high-dose group also saw a within-group decrease in P-selectin, a marker associated with platelet activation, while a marker of blood vessel wall activity (ICAM-1) decreased in the low-dose and placebo groups instead.

The supplement was reported to be well tolerated over the 12-week period. The researchers concluded that high-dose krill oil was associated with favorable changes in both platelet function and arterial stiffness measures, though they note these are early findings that point to potential effects rather than definitive health outcomes.