Category Archives: omega-3

Omega 3 DHA: Higher Doses Improve Early Childhood Development

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According to a new study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, higher doses of omega-3 DHA improve early childhood development.

Notice the researchers did not say the supplements were “linked to” early childhood improvements, but instead suggest that improvements are directly caused by DHA-enriched omega-3.

That’s a pretty big deal.

One of the ways scientists are able to move away from making statements about relationships among variables and toward making specific claims is by introducing more control into their study’s design.

The present study was conducted by scientists at the School of Paediatrics and Child Health over at the University of Western Australia. The researchers already knew fish oil was important during early childhood, but wanted to prove it.

More from FishOilBlog.com: A Parent’s Guide to Fish Oil

To do that, over 400 infants were recruited to participate in the study. After being chosen at random, the children were given either a daily fish oil supplement containing 250mg of DHA + 60mg of EPA, or a placebo containing olive oil for a period of 6 months.

When the children turned 18 months old, they were tested using a variety of assessments designed to measure their brain development and language skills.

The results, according to lead researcher Suzanne Meldrum, indicated that “children in the [fish oil] group had significantly higher percentile ranks of both later developing gestures at 12 and 18 months and the total number of gestures“.

In other words, a statistically significant number of toddlers showed an increase in both the frequency and variety of non-verbal communication. Many parents will recognize these non-verbals as crucial milestones seen just before children begin saying their first words.

As with all scientific studies, these findings need to be replicated before they can be confirmed.

Source: Effects of high-dose fish oil supplementation during early infancy on neurodevelopment and language: a randomised controlled trial.

Is this omega-3 supplement any good? A 5 Minute Checklist

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Most people get fed-up with the marketing hype centered around fish oil and omega-3 supplements. Depending on your perspective, choosing a supplement is either super easy or ridiculously complicated. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of brands to choose from. In fact, it’s one of the most frequently asked questions we get.

What’s the difference in omega-3 brands?

It all boils down to quality. Figuring out which brand is better is normally just a matter of spending a few minutes doing a little investigative research online.

Here is a quick and easy checklist I run through to help me evaluate a fish oil brand:

  • Does it have a 5-star IFOS rating?
  • Does the label clearly tell you what form it’s in?
  • Is the cost per unit reasonable?
  • Is there anything weird in the ingredient list?
  • Is it affordable, overall?
  • Is there a return policy?

What I typically do is search for the brand name online. First, I try to locate the manufacturer’s direct website. Sometimes this is not always an easy task…I’ll settle for a retailer’s website if I can’t find one. The product info on the site is nice, but what I look for is the actual supplement label.

Normally, I can answer most items on my checklist just by looking at the label. If not, I tend to get skeptical. After all — what do they have to hide?

Now, let’s ‘unpack’ that checklist…what exactly are we looking for?

IFOS ratings

These IFOS stars tell you about purity. It’s a matter of personal preference I suppose, but taking potentially contaminated nutrition supplements seems like a bad idea to me.

Form

I’m looking for ethyl-ester or natural triglyceride form because it tells you how easily absorbed the fish oil is. If the label doesn’t say — I pass. Not interested in a wild-goose hunt, thank you very much.

Cost per unit

Unit prices are helpful; unit prices based on actual omega-3 is better. Who cares if the inactive-ingredients are cheap? This step will get you if you don’t pay attention to the form of omega-3s. Absorption rates fluctuate from as much as 24% to 70%; make sure you’re not comparing apples to oranges here.

Ingredients

Speaking of inactive components, I’ve seen some pretty strange ones. Vitamin E is ok, but that’s about all I want to see besides the omega-3s. Don’t just think about ingredients inside, either. Omega-3s are prone to spoilage, especially when they’re exposed to direct sunlight. I look for opaque (white) packaging

Overall price

You can find a high quality supplement for around $20. I’m still a student so this is my personal budget-friendly limit. Yours may be different, but it’s best to decide on a budget up-front to avoid spending large sums of money.

Returns

Money-back guarantees are gold. This is the ultimate risk-free option, and for me, it’s a deal breaker. With so many choices on the market, having a decent return policy gives you a chance to hedge your bets a little.

I hope this checklist helps. Let me know what strategies help you decide on a fish oil by leaving a comment!

US Troops May Soon Be Armed With Omega-3

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The U.S. Department of Defense, or DOD, is considering fortifying troop rations with omega-3 supplements.

Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly the DHA and and EPA types, have been shown in clinical trials to improve conditions such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), pregnancy, and surgical complications.

Lately, the DOD is wondering if the supplement could be useful for soldiers in other areas like improving performance and reducing exorbitant medical bills associated with lengthy recovery times from traumatic brain injuries.

In a statement to NutraIngredientsUSA.com, a DOD representative said there were “discussions at many levels about the addition of the omega-3, especially in combat-feeding and/or clinical setting [such those used to treat TBI].” The representative was also quick to add that at this time, the DOD was in the process of discussions only.

Before a sweeping change such as adding omega-3 supplements to every soldier’s dietary plan can be accomplished, laws regulating military mandated pharmaceuticals must be overturned.

Last December a conference was staged on the subject of military uses for omega-3, titled “Nutritional Armor for the warfighter: can omega-3 fatty acids enhance stress resilience, wellness, military performance and saving lives through helping TBIs?”

Among the topics discussed at the convention were the need for more specific types of research before any changes to the rations of active service personnel could be made, and how best to implement the changes. As military planners see the number of combat veterans returning from Afghanistan with PTSD rise and witness more enlisted troops suffering from depression and suicide, it appears as though there is an increasing role for omega-3s.

One of those in attendance at last year’s convention was Adam Ismail, one of the leaders at the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s. Ismail noted that in his opinion, the most logical way to embrace omega-3s would be through fortification and not supplementation. He added that the troops could be switched to an omega-3 regimen in as little as two years.

In the event that U.S. military regulations are in fact overhauled, omega-3 markets can expect to see a multi-billion dollar demand in the near future.

Source:  US Military May Shock And Awe Omega-3 Market

Omega-3 Deficiency the 8th Leading Cause of Death in US, says Harvard and CDC

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A new study from Harvard University in conjunction with the Center for Disease Control found that Omega-3 deficiency causes 96,000 deaths every year, making it the 8th leading cause of death!

Andrew Shao, PhD, vice president of scientific & regulatory affairs at the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), had this to say:

I think this analysis reinforces the long-held notion that the diet has a tremendously powerful impact on health and longevity and that the consumption of omega 3 fish oil (along with fruits and veggies) by Americans is far from adequate.

Ocean Nutrition Canada, one of the largest producers of fish oil in the world, remarked on how Omega-3s weren’t just about better health, they were also “a matter of life and death.”

This new study validates that Omega-3 EPA/DHA is more than just part of a healthy diet…it’s a matter of life and death,” said Ocean Nutrition Canada’s vice president of marketing and communications, Lori Covert.

Omega-3 deficiency now ranks among these leading causes of death:

1. Tobacco smoking (436,000 to 500,000 deaths)
2. High Blood Pressure / Hypertension (372,000 to 414,000 deaths)
3. Obesity (188,000 to 237,000 deaths)
4. Lack of Physical Inactivity (164,000 to 222,000 death)
5. High Blood Sugar (163,000 to 217,000 deaths)
6. High Cholesterol, LDL (94,000 to 124,000 deaths)
7. High Salt Intake (97,000 to 107,000 deaths)

Causes of Death in US

Source: Omega-3 deficiency causes 96,000 US deaths per year, says researchers

Related Posts:

8 Fish Oil Benefits Proven by Research

Depression and Bipolar Disorder Linked to Omega-3 Deficiency

Lack of Omega-3 in Pregnant Mothers Increases Baby’s Risk of Impaired Verbal, Social and Motor Skill Development

New studies show that, when pregnant mothers take omega-3 fish oil, there is a measurable increase in the mental abilities of their babies. Researchers first warned of the problems associated with insufficient intake of omega-3 fatty acids:

Poor outcomes associated with insufficient intakes of omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy include intrauterine growth retardation, delayed or suboptimum depth perception, adverse neurodevelopmental measures, residual deficits in fine motor skills, speed of information processing in infants, and irreversible deficits in serotonin and dopamine release, according to Dr. Hibbeln and colleagues

In a study of nearly 12,000 pregnant women in England, researchers found an association between those that consumed the least amount of omega-3s during pregnancy and an increased risk of being in the lowest ranks for Verbal IQ, when the child was 8 years old! At 7 years old, there was an increased risk of social impairment. At ages up to 3.5 years, scores were also lower for fine-motor skills, communication, and social development.

The higher the omega-3 intake of the pregnant mother, the less likely a child will score poorly in any of these areas, according to the researchers. So pregnant mothers should definitely take fish oil supplements!

Source: Eating Fish During Pregnancy Provides ‘Brain Food’ For Child

Related Posts:

What Pregnant Moms Need To Know About Fish Oil

Fish Oil For Kids

Fish Oil During Pregnancy Prevents Allergies, Asthma and Eczema

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Make Criminals Less Violent

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Researchers in Norway are saying that criminals treated with fish oil supplements for several months became less violent.

Dr. Havard Bentsen attributes this to the potential of omega-3 fatty acids to reduce aggressiveness and impulsivity, for which fish oil has been touted dozens of times in treating children with ADHD. He even makes a rather lofty claim: Continue reading →