Omega-3

In light of the findings of an October 19 Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) study that found that fish oil docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) does not aid against postpartum depression, the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) says that a strong body of scientific evidence does support DHA’s use throughout pregnancy.

Soybeans are being bred for higher levels of oleic acid by USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and scientists from the University of Missouri and South Korea’s Kyungpook University.

Krill oil supplier Neptune Technologies & Bioressources Inc. (Laval, QC) has been awarded health claims from Health Canada (Ottawa, ON) for its NKO krill oil.

In a recent ConsumerLab.com (White Plains, NY) review of omega-3 supplements, 7 out of 24 products were found to have quality problems.

While fiber has a high place in the nutrition bar industry, there’s still room for a wealth of other functional ingredients-and new innovations are changing the market as we speak. Check out some of the notables.

Consumer will undoubtedly link fish oil to heart health in today’s market, but new research published today at the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition suggests a potential for weight management with the nutrient.

Dairy products enriched with omega-3s may improve cardiovascular biomarkers, according to new research.

Krill oil manufacturer Azantis Inc. (Boulder, CO) and solubilization specialist Ceutical Switzerland AG (Zurich) have partnered to launch a water-soluble krill oil.

Omega-3 supplier Ocean Nutrition Canada (ONC; Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada) has acquired global marketing and distribution rights to GAT Food Essentials’ (Ebenfurth, Austria) wowCAPS omega-3 microencapsulation emulsion technology.

The Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3 (GOED; Salt Lake City) has launched its Proud Member logo that its member companies can use on their websites and advertising.

Trygg Pharma AS, a company jointly owned by Aker BioMarine (Aalesund, Norway) and investment fund Lindsay Goldberg, has acquired omega-3 supplier EPAX AS (Lysaker, Norway).

A study published last Sunday in the New England Journal of Medicine is receiving ample response from omega-3 industry organizations. Using a population cohort of nearly 5,000 people who supplemented with omega-3-enriched margerines for 40 months, researchers behind the study concluded that 'Low doses of omega-3 fatty acids did not significantly reduce the rates of cardiovascular end points.' This was determined to be the case with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).

Soybean oil enriched with stearidonic acid (SDA) can raise levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in the blood, according to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

A proper ratio of omega-6s/omega-3s could improve human EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) levels as much as an EPA supplement, according to new research published in the August issue of the journal Lipids.

Omega-3 association The Global Organization for EPA and DHA (GOED) has launched a new "Proud Member" logo that its more than 80 members, including omega-3 suppliers and consumer product companies, can use on their products.

'Low doses of omega-3 fatty acids did not significantly reduce the rates of cardiovascular end points,' wrote the author of a large-scale study on omega-3s published in the New England Journal of Medicine .

Research conducted by DuPont (Wilmington, DE) suggests that EPA oil derived from genetically modified yeast bears a safety profile 'comparable to that of [Generally Recognized as Safe] GRAS fish oil.' The study, published in the journal Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, investigated the effects of EPA oil from genetically modified Yarrowia lipolytica. For 90 days, rats were assigned placebo; 98, 468, or 976 mg of the yeast; or GRAS fish oil daily by oral gavage.

SourceOne Global Partners (Chicago) is working with Twin Rivers Technologies (TRT; Cincinnati), which will supply SourceOne with U.S.-produced omega-3 in its natural triglyceride form. The companies say that this form of omega-3 is naturally found in foods.According to the companies, demand for the triglyceride form of omega-3 has increased as awareness grows of studies supporting improved absorption and bioavailability of triglyceride omega-3 over omega-3 in ethyl ester form.

Omega-3 supplier Epax AS (Aalesund, Norway) has been awarded Friend of the Sea certification for sustainable marine sourcing and production methods. The company...s omega-3 oils have documented, traceable origins from sustainable fisheries. The certification indicates that products do not originate from overexploited stock, that fishing methods do not impact the seabed, and that fishing methods are selective and below the world average for discards.

Following news of a lawsuit filed today accusing 10 fish oil supplements of failing to meet California...s Prop 65 mandates for toxins, the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN; Washington, DC) is assuring consumers that fish oil supplements pose no health risks.

By Andrew Goldman, Nutricap Labs  

The landmark Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act signed into law by President Obama on March 23 includes several provisions that address complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and dietary supplements.

Alzheimer...s & Dementia, the official journal of the Alzheimer...s Association, has published the results of the first large-scale study to be conducted exclusively on docasahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid. The Memory Improvement with Docasahexaenoic Acid Study (MIDAS) evaluated the effects of algal DHA on elderly individuals with 'age-related cognitive decline,' and found that those supplementing with DHA showed a benefit 'roughly equivalent to having the learning and memory skills of someone three years younger.'

Omega Protein Corporation (Houston) has announced that the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Washington, DC) has published its 2010 Stock Assessment Overview of menhaden fish. Menhaden is a common source for omega-3 fish oil, and the species is often argued as being overfished in the United States. But the Commission...s review, which is comprised of 2008 data from fishery-dependent and fishery-independent research services, concludes that menhaden were not overfished in 2008.

Life...sDHA, a brand of vegetarian, algal DHA is now being incorporated into salad dressings and sandwich toppings at Quiznos Sub Shop (Denver). A total of 16 sauces and dressings will now be fortified with Life...sDHA at Quiznos, according to Martek Biosciences (Columbia, MD), the manufacturer of Life...sDHA.

Jumping on the continuing popularity for omega-3, Nordic Naturals (Watsonville, CA) has introduced Omega Probiotic, a new line of omega-3 soft gels enhanced with live probiotics. The company...s anchovy-and-sardine-sourced omega-3s now come with a reported two billion active probiotics in a single serving. Two Omega Probiotic soft gels contain 585 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), 405 mg of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), 160 mg of other omega-3s, and 140 mg of Bacillus coagulans.

Ocean Nutrition Canada (ONC; Dartmouth, NS) announced today that the company has reached an exclusive agreement with Oxford Nutrascience Group (Oxford; Yarnton, England) to market its omega-3 ingredients in chewable forms.

Nordic Naturals has introduced Omega Probiotic, a blend of fish oil and Bacillus coagulans probiotics, marketed for digestive health. In a press release, the company said, 'Concentrated fish oil works in synergy with a unique spore-form probiotic, Bacillus coagulans, to deliver all the health benefits of omega-3 (EPA and DHA), while also supporting the immune system and promoting an optimal balance of healthy bacteria in the digestive tract.'

In a new report on omega-3's, market research firm Frost & Sullivan (San Antonio, TX) confirms that the fatty acids will drive consumer demand in the coming years.