Krill ( The Lowly Alamang)

 The usual way of cooking krill in the Philippines, 

Krill pie and Krill with eggplant (Torta), 

photo courtesy of yours truly.

Krill Oil/Capsules are now available in health shops..but our country is so blessed with this tiny shrimp, so we can have them fresh and cooked. But some people are allergic to shrimp because some of it could be sourced in a polluted area, make sure you buy the freshest and cleanest source of krill in the market. Although bagoong or shrimp paste a common Filipino condiment that is made of krill, the process of  cooking, fermentation, too much salt and sometimes coloring and storing for a long period may destroy the omega content, so use minimal cooking and processing. In my case, I love to sauteed it with vegetables such as Amplaya (Amorgoso) or make it into krill pie (torta). 

Alamang is the Tagalog word for “krill” or very tiny, small shrimp. 

Many of us raised in Manila remember it as “bagoong alamang”, a fermented paste made from very small shrimp or krill, sautéed in crushed garlic and chopped onions, in hot coconut oil, with ½ cup banana catsup, sliced siling labuyo, and muscovado. 

 To this day—can readily buy fresh alamang in the public wet market, and eat it for breakfast (or lunch or dinner) as “ulam” to (or “torta” with) their rice.

What many of us—including myself—do not know is the fact that krill or alamang is the RICHEST natural source of a little-known carotenoid called ASTAXANTHIN, the most potent antioxidant Mother Nature has to offer.

When it comes to free-radical scavenging, astaxanthin is “65 times more powerful than vitamin C, 54 times more powerful than beta-carotene, and 14 times more powerful than vitamin E”.

When it comes to “neutralizing singlet oxygen”, astaxanthin is “550 times more powerful than vitamin E, and 11 times more powerful than beta-carotene”.

Astaxanthin “brings antioxidant and anti-inflammatory protection to your eyes, brain and central nervous system, and reduces your risk for cataracts, macular degeneration, blindness, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease”.

A powerful natural anti-inflammatory, astaxanthin has “no adverse reactions, is non-toxic, soluble in lipids (it incorporates into cell membranes), is a potent UVB (ultraviolet) absorber, and it reduces DNA damage”.

Source:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/06/15/benefits-of-astaxanthin-to-your-health.aspx