Krill oil study affirms healthy aging benefits with widespread “potential for industry”

03 Jul 2024 --- Aker Biomarine-partnered research used nematode worms and human cells to investigate whether krill oil can slow down the aging process. The study confirmed existing research claims that it does so and helps improve quality of life.

The Norwegian-based company expects age-related healthcare costs to increase massively in the coming years. “There is no question that we need more science to understand how we can impact and improve the life quality of an aging population,” says Line Johnsen, SVP, Science and Regulatory Affairs, Aker BioMarine.

“We have invested in a new study that looks at how krill oil can influence many underlying mechanisms that contribute to aging.”

Nematode worms are common, well-researched organisms used in biomedical research as models for human development, genetics, aging and disease. They typically live for approximately three weeks and have bodily systems like humans, the company states.

The nematode worm’s performance
In the study, published in Aging, research teams from the University of Oslo, Oslo University Hospital and Akershus University Hospital used nematode worms and human cells to investigate if krill oil can slow down the aging processes.

Aging, the synergy between oxidative stress and inflammation, is also a significant risk factor for major lifestyle diseases such as dementia, cardiovascular disease and cancer. The nematodes that received krill oil (Superba Boost) in the research experiment did not lose as many nerve cells in the brain as they got older. The worms preserved memory and neuromuscular function and were generally much more active.

“We have found that krill oil, a natural extract, inhibits many processes driving aging in nematodes. We have also seen this in human cells in culture. By using a so-called aging clock, we see that the speed of the processes slows down for the animals’ given krill oil,” says Hilde Loge Nilsen, professor in the Department of Clinical Molecular Biology at the University of Oslo.

Meanwhile, the company’s brain health ingredient, Lysoveta, achieved new dietary ingredient status in the US in 2023, allowing the company to market the new ingredient locally. The ingredient is derived from krill and contains lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC)-bound EPA and DHA. LPC has been identified as a carrier of DHA and EPA across the blood-brain barrier, which plays essential roles regulating inflammatory processes.

Effects on the aging population
The current study demonstrates how krill oil can help slow aging and potentially improve one’s quality of life. The company’s krill oil was used in two additional studies examining the oil’s effects in aging populations.

Essentially, Aker BioMarine’s Superba Boost krill oil supplement improves stiffness, pain and physical function in people with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis, according to a study conducted by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO.

By Inga de Jong

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