Omega 3 Fish Oil - The Benefits

Fish Oil (101) The Basics

Graeme — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:50:06 +0000

There are three types of fish oil:

Cod liver oil

Health grade fish oil

Pharmaceutical grade fish oil (“PGFO”)

Pharmaceutical grade fish oil (“PGFO”) is an anecdotal term and not a medical or scientific term.

What is Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oil?

Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oil standards are as follows:

At least 60% of the long-chain fatty acids must consist of EPA and DHA (40:20 TG).

AA/EPA ratio must be less than .04.

PCBs per gram of oil should have a much lower level of 45 ppb.

A-M B-Well Omega-3 PGFO is a highly concentrated triglyceride base fish oil that uses only the finest quality raw materials of fish oils from ocean fish like anchovies, mackerel and sardines. The oil is then put through an exclusive 6-step manufacturing process for extracting the Omega-3s from the fish oil and refining them. In numerous studies, the absorption of Omega-3 fatty acids in their natural triglyceride form are superior to the synthetic ethyl ester form that is common in other concentrated Omega-3 products.

How to Select 5 Star Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oil:

Check that your bottle of pharmaceutical grade fish oil has a Lot Number that has been posted on an official IFOS (International Fish Oil Standards) consumer report site such as IFOS.

Check to ensure that you are buying a TG (natural) PGFO and not an EE (synthetic) PGFO.

Check the ingredient label to ensure that the pharmaceutical grade fish oil has a 60% Omega-3 concentration and complies with the CRN and WHO standards.

Ask your supplier for a Certificate of Analysis and look for its 5 star rating to confirm that the pharmaceutical grade fish oil has exceeded these international standards.

A Certificate of Analysis for each batch of A-M B-Well Omega-3 PGFO has been posted at IFOS under Consumer Reports.

Where to get your Omega-3 PGFO:

If you live in Australia you can order your PGFO from www.puromega3.com.au/ or if you live in New Zealand you can order from www.puromega3.co.nz/

Omega-3s for Baby Boomers: Expert report released

Graeme — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 04:52:44 +0000

Omega-3 scientific experts gathered in Sydney late last year to discuss the health benefits of long chain omega-3 fatty acids for Baby Boomers. The outcomes have now been released and will help raise community and government awareness and understanding of this key nutritional issue. The Omega-3 Centre (O3C) scientific consensus report brings together for the first time expert opinion on the compelling scientific evidence for Omega-3s and Baby Boomers. Long chain omega-3s play a major role in the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease as well as reducing inflammation and pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis. There is growing evidence for the role of long chain omega-3s in maintaining eyesight, weight management, cognition and mental health. The experts concluded that Baby boomers are in dire need of more long chain omega-3s, however most Baby Boomers consume less than a quarter of the 500mg per day recommended by the Heart Foundation.

Click here for a summary of the report which was published in Food Australia.

Heart Attack Survivors to be given Fish Oil Supplements

Graeme — Sun, 05 Nov 2006 03:17:01 +0000

The World is finally waking up and realizing that Omega-3s are truly a “super food”, according to an article published in thislondon.co.uk on November 4, 2006!!

The U.K. has decided to follow Italy and other European countries whereby

Millions of heart attack survivors will be prescribed fish oil supplements for life on the NHS in a bid to prevent further seizures.

According to Dr. Ray Rice, a foundation panel member,

“Currently every patient in cardiac care units in Italy who survives a heart attack goes home with a prescription for purified fish oil and this is the way we want things to go here.

“It is clearly recommended in international guidelines and I’m shocked we are so far behind in the UK.”

In my opinion this is fantastic news, especially since coronary heart disease is responsible for 125,000 deaths in the U.K. every year.

Why wait to have a heart attack? Take preventative steps and start supplementing now with pharmaceutical grade fish oil and follow a healthy Mediterranean style diet. Your life depends on it.

I wonder how long it will take before New Zealand follows suit?

Source: Heart Attack Survivors to be given Fish Oil

What is Omega-3?

Graeme — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 22:33:41 +0000

Omega-3 is the latest catch-word that the whole world is talking about.

However, according to Rosie Schwartz of the National Post:

…if the mention of omega-3s still leaves you scratching your head and wondering just what these nutrients are and why they’re getting so much positive press, here’s an omega-3 primer.

Omega-3 fats refer to a group of essential fatty acids of the unsaturated variety - essential because the body cannot make them. Omega-3s first rose to prominence a few decades ago when research linked diets rich in cold water fish and omega-3 fats to a reduced risk of dying of heart disease.

I believe that in the 80’s and 90’s the international obsession with low fat diets caused many people to overlook these essential fatty acids.

Overall, the medical consequences of this is astronomical, but thankfully people are now understanding that there are both good and bad fats.

Remember not all Omega-3s are created equal.

They’re naturally found in both marine sources and plant foods with the omega-3s known as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) coming from cold water fish like salmon, herring, sardines and mackerel. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is the type of omega-3 found in plant foods like flaxseeds, walnuts, canola and hemp oil and leafy greens.

While the seafood sources have received much of the nutritional accolades, including many of the heart health perks as well as benefits for pregnant women and young children, science shows that the body can convert the plant type into DHA but it’s not a very efficient process. In other words, you need to consume quite a bit of the plant type to make small amounts of DHA.

But don’t ignore the plant sources, or those that provide ALA, even if you consume fish. Research shows that diets rich in ALA also promote good health.

This is what some companies are doing to help you get your essential Omega-3 fatty acids:

Not long after the requirements were set, new products containing omega-3s started lining store shelves. But as with naturally-occurring omega-3 fats, selections like milk, yogurt, juices and eggs, may offer different benefits, depending on the particular omega-3 fat found. In some cases, the omega-3 fats are produced through the feed used for animals while in others, ingredients containing omega-3s may be added to the product.

I trust this blog was informative and you now have a better understanding of the catch-word Omega-3. I will continually strive to educate you on the benefits of fish oil and Omega-3.

Source: What is Omega-3?

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Improve Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury

Graeme — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 23:44:37 +0000

Here is yet another amazing scientific discovery of the miracles of Omega-3:

A study was done by the Neuroscience Centre, Institute of Cell and Molecular Science, St. Bartholomew’s and the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, United Kingdom on spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a cause of major neurological disability, and no satisfactory treatment is currently available. Evidence suggests that polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) could target some of the pathological mechanisms that underlie damage after SCI.

However, the type of PUFAs used in the experiment had very different outcomes.

The w-3 PUFAs -linolenic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) injected 30 min after injury induced significantly improved locomotor performance and neuroprotection, including decreased lesion size and apoptosis and increased neuronal and oligodendrocyte survival. Evidence showing a decrease in RNA/DNA oxidation suggests that the neuroprotective effect of w-3 PUFAs involved a significant antioxidant function.

In contrast, animals treated with arachidonic acid, an w-6 PUFA, had a significantly worse outcome than controls. We confirmed the neuroprotective effect of w-3 PUFAs by examining the effects of DHA treatment after spinal cord compression injury. Results indicated that DHA administered 30 min after spinal cord compression not only greatly increased survival of neurons but also resulted in significantly better locomotor performance for up to 6 weeks after injury.

Dr. Sears has written in his book Enter the Zone that arachidonic acid is so deadly that when injected into the bloodstream of rabbits, they die within minutes, so it only makes sense that the rats treated with the arachidonic acid had a worse outcome.

The outcome of the experiment on SCI is very dramatic:

This report shows a striking difference in efficacy between the effects of treatment with w-3 and w-6 PUFAs on the outcome of SCI, with w-3 PUFAs being neuroprotective and w-6 PUFAs having a damaging effect. Given the proven clinical safety of w-3 PUFAs, our observations show that these PUFAs have significant therapeutic potential in SCI. In contrast, the use of preparations enriched in w-6 PUFAs after injury could worsen outcome after SCI.

Perhaps the rats produced too many bad eicosanoids when treated with the w-6 PUFAs as opposed to good eicosanoids when treated with the w-3 PUFAs and this also had a profound effect on the outcome of the experiment?

Note: An Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio of 1:1 is strongly recommended.

Source: Omega-3 Fatty Acids Improve Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury

Omega 3 and Omega 6 Out of Balance

Graeme — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 01:12:56 +0000

Do you have the correct ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3?

Most people have way too much Omega 6 and not enough Omega 3 which can be detrimental to one’s health.

The major cause of the imbalance between the 2 polyunsaturated fatty acids was the swing from butter to margarine and a decline in the consumption of fish.

According to a recent publication dated 27/09/2006 in the Athlone Advertiser in Ireland:

To embark on the process of changing around the oils, adults (in line with research) should take 2.4g daily of fish oil extract containing EPA and DHA. If there is an existing health problem, take twice that amount for a few weeks at the start.

It is important to understand that to do this effectively you need the highest concentration of fish oils avalable. Cod liver oil is only seven per cent EPA/DHA; take in 32g oil (288 calories, in about three dessert spoonfuls) to get this amount. Various fish oil products offer concentrations ranging from 14 to 30 per cent EPA/DHA. The rest of the fish oil is mainly saturated fat, which many people may wish to limit.

For best results ensure that your product provides 60 per cent EPA/DHA, so that you obtain the beneficial oils with the minimum of extra fat. Most people find it easiest to take their fish oils in capsules. A good example of a 60 per cent product is Bio-Oils from the Tony Quinn Health Centres. With these you need take in four capsules daily, which is 4g oil providing only 36 extra calories. So concentration counts.

Whilst this is an excellent article, it is paramount that all highly concentrated fish oil, also referred to as pharmaceutical grade fish oil, be third party independently tested (after encapsulation) to ensure the purity and potency of the product. The laboratory with the most sophisticated equipment in the world can be found at www.nutrasource.ca under Consumer Reports.

Also the consumer should be aware that there are two types of highly concentrated fish oil - triglyceride (natural) and ethyl esther (synthetic).

AMB Well Omega-3 PGFO is a highly concentrated triglyceride base fish oil that uses only the finest quality raw materials of fish oils from small ocean fish such as anchovies, mackerel and sardines. The oil is then put through an exclusive 6-step manufacturing process for extracting the Omega-3s from the fish oil and refining them. In numerous studies, the absorption of Omega-3 fatty acids in their natural triglyceride form are superior to the synthetic ethyl ester form that is common in other concentrated Omega-3 products.

Source: Omega 3 and Omega 6 Out of Balance

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Fish Oil Hailed as Cheaper Treatment for Arthritis

Graeme — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 23:29:13 +0000

According to Professor Les Cleland from the Royal Adelaide Hospital:

fish oil could save the national health system more than a hundred million dollars in arthritis treatments.

His 20 years of researching the effects of omega-3 on arthritis sufferers have proven that fish oil is a cheaper option than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and could also serve as a preventative measure.

Professor Cleland says the savings by supplementing with fish oil will be greater than a hundred million dollars for the national health system!!

This is great news for persons that cannot take NSAI drugs because of stomach problems.

Fish oil is by far a more natural way of treating the cause, not just the symptoms. Just ensure that the fish oil is a 5 star pharmaceutical grade fish oil tested for its purity and potency by IFOS standards:

Source: IFOS

Dr. Sears (creator of the Zone) has been claiming this for years but never had the scientific research to back his findings. Dr. Sears was and is definitely ahead of his time!

Source: Fish Oil Hailed as Cheaper Treatment for Arthritis

Fish Oil Trial to Boost Pupils’ Brain Power

Graeme — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 21:35:53 +0000

I remember growing up in New Plymouth and at school every morning we were given a pint of milk.

Every night I was also forced by my parents to take a teaspoon of cod liver oil (Omega-3 and Vitamin D) for health purposes. I hated the taste but got a spoonful of malt after, to take away the taste. Little did I know the good my parents were doing me back then.

Now all Year 11 pupils at Durham’s 36 comprehensive schools will be given a chance to take Omega-3 fish oil supplements to kick-start their exam performances.

Trials have already produced stunning results, bringing about dramatic changes in behaviour and performance among 100 children.

It is now hoped that about 5,000 15- and 16-year-olds will sign up to take the supplement.

Durham’s Chief Schools Inspector Dave Ford, the project’s brainchild, believes the fish oil could have an impact on GCSE results, after following the progress of children in the county involved in earlier studies with the omega-3 supplement.

The pupils who decide to supplement with fish oil will continue to do so until their first exams which are written next June.

There are so many variables that could affect the outcome of the exams. Fish oil can help control anger, help with depression and low self-esteem, help a person focus that has ADD/ADHD and all these variables will be taken into consideration when assessing the results.

A Durham trial was already conducted with a dozen schools which offered eye q supplements to pupils aged between six and 12 in 2002.

It saw improvements from toddlers to teenagers in attention, hyperactivity and short-term memory, while also boosting reading, spelling and language.

I believe the outcome will be a nation of more intelligent people.

I hope that they will begin the trials in New Zealand schools soon and that they supplement with a 5 star pharmaceutical grade fish oil.

Source: Fish Oil Trial to Boost Pupils’ Brain Power

Choose Only Natural Omega 3 Oils

Graeme — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 02:12:07 +0000

Here is another example of genetically engineered (GE) foods being marketed to the unsuspecting consumer.

According to a press release dated 28 August 2006 in the “Scoop” Independent News:

Monsanto’s newest GE-derived oil may be heading for our breakast tables, but its unique properties means it should come with a health warning.

The only safe way to get a good clean natural Omega 3 supplement is to select from products that attain the strict 5 star status third party independently tested at www.ifosprogram.com

Source: Beware the light oil in your breakfast

The article further says that:

Low Linolenic acid (Omega-3) in the diet can cause deficiencies that are linked to a range of diseases and medical problems. These include: decreased memory and mental abilities, tingling sensation of the nerves, poor vision, increased tendency to form blood clots, diminished immune function, increased triglycerides and “bad” cholesterol (LDL) levels, impaired membrane function, hypertension, irregular heart beat, learning disorders, menopausal discomfort, and growth retardation in infants, children, and pregnant women, reduced growth rates, infertility, skin scaliness, kidney abnormalities, abnormal liver function, decreased immune function, decreased myocardial contractility and decreased prostaglandin production. Rich sources of linolenic acid are cold water fish, safflower oil, flaxseed, wheat germ, pumpkin and walnuts.

All these sources are totally natural but these synthetic substitutes may do you more harm than good!

Welcome to Fish Oil Blog New Zealand

Graeme — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 22:36:29 +0000

Thank you for visiting. Stay tuned for further developments. Graeme