The Little Known Powerhouse of Calanus Oil

As humans continue to dump all over nature, it still rises above such constant bombardment and emits more healing options. Nature once again shows us its resilience by serving up a tiny sea organism called calanus finmarchicus aka copepods found off the coast of Norway. Although it has always been swimming around in plain sight, it wasn’t until recently that scientists followed the clues of the oil extracted from this microscopic crustacean and confirmed some amazing results, by experimenting on themselves. 

Calanus oil, sometimes referred to as Arctic Ruby Oil due to its deep red hue, holds never before seen health benefits that is turning the oil supplement industry on its head. This oil surpasses the benefits of omega-3 and krill oil combined and, according to the impressive health effects it has on the wildlife that feeds on it, may be a game changer for your health as well. 

Learn of the unique chemical compositions of calanus oil and if it might be a supplement capable of turning your health around. 

A Discovery

Dr. Jan Raa is a renowned biologist from Norway who had an instinct when it came to the copepods living off the coast. Maybe it was the beautiful mass of red these organisms would emit on the ocean surface or the microscopic workings of this hard working creature but Dr. Raa decided to investigate these unique life forms. He reached out to a former student who now ran a local fishery and was also looking into the calanus finmarchicus. 

What was amazing about this student’s curiosity was that he and others in the testing phases of looking into this copepod decided to ingest the ruby red oil that it held. The former student, Kurt Tande, felt that the oil might be similar to the health benefits of fish oil omega-3 or krill oil. He then reported to Dr. Raa that he and his colleagues where not prepared for what happened next.

Tande and his associates had such an immediate reaction to taking the oil they couldn’t wait to share their results, which included:

• Increases stamina
• Weight loss
• Higher endurance

As Dr. Raa looked deeper into calanus, he found similar reactions from those species that fed on this tiny shrimp which included:

• The Little Auk – An Arctic bird that is considered the endurance champion of the Arctic due to its acrobatic feats.
• Bowhead whale – A normal lifespan of 230 years with no signs of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, or inflammation.
• Wild Salmon – Farmed salmon developed visceral fat around their bellies while those in the wild (feeding on calanus oil) did not.
• Eskimos – Feed on the little auk and wild salmon which may be why they do not show signs of obesity related diabetes and heart disease.

Research Rich

The research of calanus oil is showing highly positive results that may make this the next oil of interest for optimal health supplement choices. 

One study titled, ‘Intake of Calanus finmarchicus oil for 12 weeks improves omega-3 index in healthy older subjects engaging in an exercise program’ by researchers from Leibniz University Hannover, Germany, concluded that, 

“This is the first study to show that intake of 2 g CO [Calanus finmarchicus oil] over a period of 12 weeks significantly improves the O3I [omega-3 index] in elderly participants engaging in a moderate exercise intervention while exercise alone did not affect the O3I.” 

Another study from the same researchers from Leibniz University showed the benefits of calanus oil for those struggling with obesity and diabetes. It stated that,

“Our results indicate that Calanus oil causes beneficial effects on glucose metabolism and insulin resistance in obese patients, with clinical relevance to be verified in further studies.” 

One compound found in calanus oil is called, astaxanthin. This compound has been linked to several systemic advantages which include: photo-protective properties, DNA repair, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory benefits.

A study out of the Department of Medicine and Health Sciences “V. Tiberio”, University of Molis, Italy showed the positive results of astaxanthin on skin health concluding that,

“ASX [astaxanthin] inhibits collagenases, MMP [metalloproteinases] activity, inflammatory mediators, and ROS [reactive oxygen species] induction, resulting in potent anti-wrinkle and antioxidant effects. Moreover, ASX may prevent UV [ultraviolet]-induced immunosuppression. Toxicological aspects have been characterized and ASX appears to be a safe and bioavailable compound.”

Nature continues to amaze us with so many health remedies that remain undiscovered. Thanks to outliers like Dr. Raa, researchers remain on the lookout for these clues hidden in plain sight. Hopefully we will continue to cultivate nature’s toolbox while attempting to give back by repairing environmental damage. Try the little known powerhouse of calanus oil and see if it can be as beneficial for your health as it has for so many.

Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7844606/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35057577/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5946307/