Is Krill Oil beneficial for people with knee osteoarthritis?

Krill oil is suggested for knee pain relief as per preliminary evidence, but its effects on osteoarthritis (OA) have remained undetermined. This multicenter, randomized trial by Laura L. Laslett et al. aimed to assess the efficacy of krill oil supplementation versus placebo in reducing pain in individuals with knee OA characterized by substantial knee pain. Overall 262 participants with clinical knee OA, marked knee pain, with synovial inflammation as observed from the MRI, were enrolled. They were randomly assigned to receive either krill oil 2 grams daily (n=130) or a matching placebo (n=132) for 24 weeks. The primary outcome measured was the change in knee pain, assessed by a visual analogue scale (VAS) ranging from 0 to 100 (0 indicating no pain; a minimum clinically important improvement being 15 points).

Out of the total, 222 (85%) participants completed the trial. No significant pain relief in the knee was found with the use of Krill oil compared to placebo (mean difference in the VAS score: -19.9 for krill oil vs. -20.2 for placebo). In terms of adverse events, 51% of the krill oil group (67/130) and 54% of the placebo group (71/132) commonly experienced musculoskeletal and connective tissue conditions, including knee pain, lower extremity pain, and hip pain.

Supplementation of Krill oil was found to be ineffective for knee pain in people with knee OA, as concluded.