What Distinguishes Dr. Ron's Krill Oil?
Krill Oil, the Marine Stewardship Council, and Astaxanthin
We strive to provide our customers with products that are pure and effective. What is unique about our krill oil? In a nutshell – purity, sustainability and forthright labeling.
Purity
Our krill is taken from the pristine waters of the Antarctic Ocean. The oil is extracted in FDA approved facilities that adhere to strict GMP standards. Our policy of absolutely no additives guarantees a product that contains no impurities.
The Many Benefits of Krill Oil...
The Marine Stewardship Council
Unlike others, Dr. Ron’s Krill Oil bears the seal of the MSC, certifying that the oil comes from a fishery that has met this international organization’s standard as a well-managed and sustainable fishery.
The MSC's fishery certification program and seafood ecolabel recognize and reward sustainable fishing. The MSC is a global organization working with fisheries, seafood companies, scientists, conservation groups and the public to promote the best environmental choice in seafood. The MSC is the world's leading certification and ecolabelling program for sustainable seafood. The Council ensures that MSC-labeled seafood comes from, and can be traced back to, a sustainable fishery. The MSC meets the highest benchmarks for credible certification and ecolabeling programs, including the UN Food and Agriculture Organization guidelines and the ISEAL Code of Good Practice.
Forthright Labeling – Krill Oil and Astaxanthin
Astaxanthin is an important antioxidant found in krill oil. This carotenoid, because of its unique structure, provides a wide range of benefits and is especially important in vision. The astaxanthin content of Dr. Ron’s Krill Oil as listed on the label appears to be less than that of many other brands. But most makers express the astaxanthin content of their krill oil as the weight of the astaxanthin molecules plus the weight of the fatty acid esters (fat molecules) to which they are naturally attached. The weight of this “package” is double the weight of the pure, active astaxanthin. This is why the stated astaxanthin content of some krill oil brands appears about twice as much as ours.
Scientists agree that the most honest way to express the astaxanthin content of krill oil is to cite the weight of the pure, active astaxanthin, known technically as the “astaxanthin diol equivalent.” For example, in 2011, the Australian government’s Advisory Committee on Complementary Medicines stated, “Manufacturers should express the astaxanthin content of krill as the astaxanthin diol equivalent, instead of the commonly used esterified astaxanthin number. The diol number for astaxanthin is a more analytically valid parameter.” This is how we state on our label the astaxanthin content of Dr. Ron’s Krill Oil – 200 mg per two capsule serving. We make our labels as clear and forthright as possible.
Some manufacturers list levels of astaxanthin even beyond the weight that the esterified astaxanthin would account for. We believe they are adding astaxanthin to boost the claimed amount. These figures are used in marketing the product. But krill oil naturally contains only about 100 micrograms (mcg) of pure, active astaxanthin per 1000 milligrams (mg). Adding astaxanthin may bring that level up to 300 to 400 mcg, but there is little or no evidence that such small amounts are enough to provide the significant health benefits larger amounts provide.
Astaxanthin is a marvelous nutrient – its close relative zeaxanthin is a crucial part of our Vision Quest formula, which includes 3 mg. That is some 10 times more than that found in even the most liberally “enriched” krill oil products, and is a dose with significant therapeutic benefits.
The primary value of the astaxanthin in krill oil capsules is to provide antioxidant protection to the oil itself. As discussed in our paper “The Many Benefits of Krill Oil,” the primary benefits of krill result from the many other nutrients present.
Let Your Food Be Your Medicine, and Your Medicine Be Your Food
Hippocrates’ dictum is the essence of Dr. Ron's Ultra-Pure's philosophy of health and healing. Dr. Ron’s 100% Pure Antarctic Krill Oil, Dr. Ron's New Zealand Organs and Glands, and Rosita Cod Liver Oil are excellent mainstays of an optimal daily diet. These special foods are rich in fat-soluble nutrients that are in short supply in modern diets, and even in carefully selected traditional, whole foods diets. These foods are essential for recovering and optimizing health and in living a long, rich and rewarding life.