Norwegian Salmon Oil

	1000 mg 120 capsules mg/capsules Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)....... 76.9 mg Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).... 113.4 mg Pharmaceutical Quality

Numerous population studies have demonstrated that persons who consume a diet rich in Omega-3 oils have a significantly reduced risk of heart disease³¹. Research has shown that individuals with the lowest degree of coronary artery disease had the highest concentration of Omega-3 oils in their fat tissues³². Omega-3 fatty acids consistently lower triglycerides to reduce the risk of heart disease³³. Increasing the intake of Omega-3 fatty acids can lower blood pressure^34,35.

Persons with diets rich in fish oils have exhibited a very low incidence of glaucoma³⁶. Increasing the intake of Omega-3 fatty acids offers significant benefits in treating asthma. Improvements in airway responsiveness to allergens and improvements in respiratory function have been noted^37,38.

Omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent certain types of cancer³⁹. Research indicates that the addition of fish oil to the diet helps to preserve renal function⁴⁰.

Introduction EPA /DHA fatty acids from Fish Oils
In 1969 scientists Sang and Dyerberg were astonished by the exceptionally low occurrence of certain diseases in Greenland's Eskimo population³. More recent research has shown that populations consuming fish experience less coronary heart disease (CHD) and fewer incidences of diabetes, cancer, allergy, inflammation, arthritis, skin diseases and neurological disorders. It has been established that the dietary tactor directly responsible for the health benefits is mainly the content of marine Omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil.

The human body cannot produce Omega-3 fatty acids and must therefore obtain them from dietary sources. Only a few plants can provide Omega-3 fatty acids in noteworthy amount. The most common plant form of Omega-3 fatty acid is Alpha-linolenic Acid (ALA). However, human metabolism does not always assimilate ALA easily, due to inefficient activity of a critical enzyme. The enzyme in question is Delta-6-Desaturase (D6D). which is the initial and rate-limiting enzyme in the Omega-3 metabolic pathway.

Although the body may be getting enough ALA, it may be unable to use this fatty acid if the activity of the D6D enzyme is impaired. D6D activity may be impaired genetically1 or by environmental factors such as:

•  High intake of Linoleic Acid
•  Alcohol consumption
•  Aging
•  High dietary Trans-Fatty Acid intake
•  High dietary cholesterol and Fatty Acid intake
•  Disease conditions (i.e. diabetes)
•  Low levels of enzyme co-factors

To guard against the possible impairment of D6D activity, it is important to consume fatty acids that don't require the D6D enzyme for metabolism - especially for people affected by one or more of the environmental factors known to impair D6D activity.

In the metabolic pathway for Omega-3 EFAs, there are two fatty acids that don't require the D6D enzyme: Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA). Thus, these alternate fatty acids, found in fish oil, are the most valuable sources of Omega-3 fatty acids.

Metabolism of EPA and DHA in the body
EPA and DHA like other unsaturated fatty acids, are important components arid modulators of cell membrane structural phospholipids. These membranes not only coat the cells, but also regulate the transport of nutrients inside and removal of waste products outside, acting as "gate-keepers". The more adequate the diet is in EFAs, the more fluid and flexible the membrane is, resulting in a higher efficiency in exchange across the cell membrane. As a result, they influence the activity of membrane enzymes, receptors and transport Systems.

EPA and DHA differ in their biological roles. EPA serves as a precursor for series B prostaglandins  (PGE3 PGI3, TXA3) and series 5 leukotrienes (LTB5). Numerous studies have shown that EPA supplements are necessary to achieve a healthy balance of eicosanoids in the body. This is because EPA competes with Arachidonic acid for the enzymes cyclo-oxygenase and lipoxygenase. As a result of this competition, fewer of the strong proinflarnatory and platelet aggregation agents (PGE2, TXA2 or LTB4) derived from Arachidonic acid are formed. Several beneficial EPA derivatives with weak proinflamatory, weak aggregatory and vasodilatory functions are produced, resulting in a positive impact on several medical conditions.

DHA is found in large quantities incorporated in neuronal membranes of the retina and the brain. Recent research has indicated that DHA may function as an important neuromodulator affecting synaptic receptors. In doing so, they may have an effect on several aspects of brain function such as memory, perception and mood. 

Metabolic Pathway for Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Alpha-Linolenic Acid (C18:3n-3) D-6-D Stearidonic Acid (C18:4n-3) elongase Eicosatetraenoic Acid (C20:4n-3) D-5-D Eicosapentaenoic Acid (C20:5n-3) PGE3 PGI3 TXA3 LTB5	elongase	Docosahexaenoic Acid (C22:6n-3)

Areas of Research

Coronary Heart Disease and Dyslipidemia
Epidemiological studies have found a strong correlation between intake of Omega-3 fatty acid and lower occurrence of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease (CHD). Fish Oil with a dosage of more than 1.5 g/day, decreases the risk of CHD and heart attacks by interfering positively with several pathophysiological events leading to the development of atherosclerosis. A large number of placebo-controlled clinical trials established that both EPA and DHA reduce blood triglycerides by 25-30% and increase protective high-density lipoprotein (HDL).
Through another mechanism, Fish Oil helps to retain the protective role of the vascular endothelium and prevent vasoconstriction²⁰.
It is also well documented that a regular intake of Fish Oil reduces thrombocyte adhesion and aggregation, preventing blood clotting.

Arrhythmia
Cardiac arrhythmia is the broad term applied to disorders in the regular rhythmic beating of the heart. The severity of this condition can range from mild to severs. In the latter, the blood pressure falls so dramatically that both circulation and respiration cease. This fatal condition is responsible for Sudden Cardiac Death syndrome (SCD) and follows many so-called 'heart attacks'. There is strong experimental evidence, derived from the study of 'ischeamic', or 'reperfusion' arrhythmia, in animal 'heart attack' models suggesting the protective role of Fish Oil. Studies have identified the most antiarrhythmic component of Fish oil as DHA or its mixture with EPA¹⁴.

Hypertension
The blood pressure lowering effects of dietary Fish Oil have been well evaluated by a meta-analysis of 31 placebo-controlled trials comprising 1356 patients¹. Fish oil's hypotensive effect appearsgreater in patients with high blood pressure. In most studies the eftective doses exceeded 3 g of Fish Oil per day.

IgANephropathy
Mesangial IgA nephropathy is a common immunological disease of the kidney Immunoglobulin A -containing complexes deposited in kidney filtrating tissue are responsible ror the progression of this disease which usually causes renal failure within 10 to 20 years. A treatment that can help prevent renal failure in IgA nephropathy has not yet been found. However, some studies suggest that Fish Oil may have a beneficial effect in slowing the progression of this disease. Fish Oil has been reported to prevent deterioration of renal function in experimental models of the disease by decreasing of the production or action of cytokines and prostaglandin evoked by the immunological renal injury^6,19.

Rheumatic disease (RD)
Reviews have been published summing up the research data acquired in this field to date. The nieta-analysis demonstrated that dietary Fish Oil supplementation for 3 months significantly reduced symptoms of RD such as pain or morning stiffness¹⁰. This is due to the decrease in production of inflammatory mediators such as eicosanoids and cytokines. Additional studies have reported that daily supplementation of 6 g of Fish Oil resulted in significant clinical benefits in RD¹². Fish Oil  helped to reduce the need for concomitant antirheumatic medication, sparing patients from considerable gastro-intestinal discomfort.

Cancer
In epidemiological studies, it has been hypothesized that highly unsaturated Omega-3 fatty acids found primarily in Fish Oil could be protective⁹. Some studies on animals have shown that Omega-3 fatty acids may decrease both the number and size of tumors; however the studies are in early stages.

Lupus Erythematosus (LE)
The disease has symptorris ranging from minor skin disorders to severe kidney damage. Several investigators indicated that Fish Oil could favorably affect this disease. A 34-week, double-blind study was performed involving 34 patients with LE¹⁸. Fourteen of the 17 patients from the fish oil treatment group improved their condition, while 13 from the placebo group were rated worse or experienced no change. The difference was statistically significant and it was sugqested that Fish Oil may be a useful way of positively influencing the disease activity.

Crohn's Disease
A recent study has shown the efficacy of Fish Oil in the maintenance of remission of Crohn's Disease. An enteric-coated preparation of Omega-3 fatty acid derived from Fish Oil was studied in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trialfor prophylaxis of postoperative recurrence⁵. Fifty patients were treated with 2.7 g of Omega-3 fatty acids or a placebo for 12 months postoperatively. At 12 months the rate of severe endoscopic recurrences was 34% in the Fish Oil treated patients compared to 62% in placebo-treated patients.

Pregnancy and health of foetuses
There is a small but noticeable worldwide tendency towards shorter duration of pregnancy. This may have a negative effect on fetus development. It is suggested that Omega-3 deficiency may be responsible ror the change. A study has shown that a diet rich in Omega-3 fatty acids may lengthen the pregnancy. Danish women who were given Fish Oil during their third trimester prolonged their pregnancies by four days¹⁵. Fetuses, particularly in the third trimester require DHA to facilitate the development of brain and retinal tissue.

Childdevelopment
Omega-3 fatty acids, DHA in particular, are absorbed into brain cells². Williatts and his coileagues from the Univsrsity at Dundee have studied 44 bottle-fed newly born children who were divided into two groups¹⁹. One group received supplements of Omega-3 fatty acids and the other received ordinary bottle milk. At the age of 10 months the infants were given a test, which involved finding toys through different routes. The test showed a clear difference in ability to solve a task. The infants who were given the supplements scored much better than the other group. Some other studies showed that infants' vision development depends highly on Omega-3 fatty acids as well.

Mental disorders
Currently scientists anticipate that Fish Oil may alleviate certain mental disorders. A group of 16 patients with bipolar disorder who were given 5-10 g Fish Oil May for 4 months experienced much longer periods of remission than those given a placebo¹⁷. Only 13% of patients receiving Fish Oil experienced the recurrence of mania or depression, compared to more than 50% in the placebo group. Improvements following Fish Oil supplementation are expected in schizophrenia. A group of  researchers from the UK found that schizophrenic patients who eat more Omega-3 fatty acids in the diet or receive them as supplements have less severe symptoms and less tardative dyskinesia¹⁸. Epidemiological studies suggest that also depression may be related to an insufficient Omega-3 fatty acid dietary supply⁸.

MultipleSclerosis
There is considerable evidence, based largely on statistics concerning the incidence of multipie sclerosis in different countries where the diet differs, which seems to show that the presence of Omega-3 fatty acids coming mainly from fish, may possibly result in a lower incidence of this disease. Bates published a long-term study in 1989 testing Omega-3 fatty acids in the treatment of multiple sclerosis⁴. At the end he found a trend in favour of the treated group in comparison with a control group in terms of duration, frequency and severity of relapses and the number of patients  who had improved or remained unchanged.

Miscellaneous
I here is a significant group of disorders where Omega-3 deficiency plays a role in pathogenesis such as aggression, depression dementia, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Further study will show if supplementation might bring health benefits.

Recommended intake of dietary EPA / DHA
Fish Oil products are very safe. Several researchers used Fish Oil dosages as high as 15 g/day and did not observe any significant side effects. Patients with diabetes should consult their health practitioner before considering treatment with higher doses because some researchers warn against using doses higher than 3 g/day in diabetes. Also patients receiving anticoagulant therapy or recovering from stroke should exercise a caution while supplementing with Fish Oil since it will likely prolong bleeding and coagulation time.

 All material and information presented by nutrisana.com is intended to be used for  educational purposes only. The statements made about products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (U.S.). They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition or disease. Please consult with your own physician or health care  practitioner regarding the suggestions and recommendations made at nutrisana.com.com.

    References:

       1. APPEL L..J. MIII FR ER 3rd. Seidler A.J. WHELTON PK. Does Supplementation of Diet with 'Fish Oil' Reduce Blood PressureE? A Meta-analysis of Controlled Clinical Trials. Archives of Internal Medicine. 1 53(12E:1429-38 1993.

       2. ANDERSON G.L., CONNOR W.E., COROLISS J.D. Docosahexaenoic acid is the preferred dietary nH 3 fatty acid for the development of the brain and retina. Pediatric Re£ 199027(1), 89-97

       3. BANG, H.O., DYERBERG, J. AND HJOORNE, N. The composition of food consumed by Greenland Eskimos. Acta Med. Scand., 1976; 200: 69-73

       4. BATES 0., CARLIDGE N.E. FRENCH J.M., JACKSON M.J., NIGHTINGALE S., SHAW D.A., SMITH S., WOO E., HAWKINS S.A., MILLAR J.H. J. Neural. Nerosurg. Psychiatry . A doubIeEblind controlled trial of long chain n-B polyunsaturated fatty acids in the treatment of multiple sclesosis. 1989, vol.
       52(1), 18-22.

       5. BELLUZZI, A., BRIGNOLA, C., CAMPIERI, M., PENA, A., BOSCHI, S. and MIGLIOLI, M Effect of an enteric-coated fish-oil preparation on relapses in CrohnEs disease. N. Eng! I Med. 1996; 334:1557-1560.

      6. BFNNFT W.M., WILKER R.G., KINCAI-SMITH P. Treatment of IgA nephropathy with ecosapentanoic acid (EPA): a two year prospective trial. C/in. Nephrot 9989, vol.31, 1?8-131.

      7. HARRIS W.S. n-S Fatty acids and serum lipoproteins: human studies. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1997; 65 (suppl); 16455-545.

      8. HIBBEIN J. Fish consumption and major depression. Lancet 1998j vol.351, 1213.

      9. HURSTING SD, THORNQUIST M, HENDERSON MM. Types of dietary fat and the incidence of cancer at five sites. Prev Med. 1990;19:242 - 253.

      10. FORTIN P.R., LEW RA., LIANG M.H., WRITH E.A., BECKETE LA., CHALMERS T.C., SPERLING R. Validation of a mets-analysis; the effects of fish oil in rheumatoid arthritis. f Clin. Cpidemio/. 1995, vol.48(11), 1379-1390.

      11. FUNG S.M. FERRILL M.J., NORTON L.L. Fish oil therapy in IgA Nephropathy. Ann. Pharm. 1997, vol.31,112-115.

      12. GEUSENS P., WOUTERS C., NIJS J., JIANG Y., DEQUEKER J. Long-term effect of Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in active rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 1994, vol.4, 824-829. HARRIS, W.S. n-B Fatty acids and serum lipoproteins: human studies. Am. J. din. Nutr. 1997; 65 (suppl): 1645S-545

      13. HURSTING SD, THORNQUIST M, HENDERSON MM. Types of dietary fat and the incidence of cancer at five sites. Prev Med. 1990; 19:242 - 253.

      14. MCLENNAN P. HOWE P., ABEYWARDENA M., MUGGLI R., READERSTORFF D., MANO M., RAYNER T., HEAD R. The cardiovascular protective role of docosahexaenoic acid. Europ. J. Pharm. (1995) Vol.300, 83-89.

      15. OLSEN S.F., SORENSEN J.D., SECHER N.J. HEDEGAARD M., HENRIKSEN T.B., HANSEN H.S., CERANT A. Randomized controlled trial of effect fo fish-oil supplementation on pregnancy duration. Lancet 1992, vol.339(8800) 1003-1007.

       16. PEET M., LAUGHARNE J.D.E., MELLOR JEj RAMCHARND C.N. Essential fatty acid deticiency in erythrocyte membranes from chronic schizophrenic patients, and the clinical effects of dietary supplementation. Prostagt teukotrien. Essent FattyAcids. 1996, vol. 55(1&2), 71-75.

       17. STOLL A. L., SEVERUS F., FREEMAN M.P., RUETER S., HOLLY A. ZBOYAN H.A., ELI DIAMOND E., CRESS K.K., MARANGELL L.B. Omega B Fatty Acids in Bipolar Disorder. A Preliminary Double-blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1999, vol.56, 407-412.

       18. WALTON A.J., SNAITH M.L., LOCNISKAR M., CUMBERLAND AG., MORROW Wi., ISENBERG D.A. Dietary fish oil and the severity of symptoms in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Ann. Rheum. Dli 1991, vol.50(7), 467-466.

       19. WiLLAUS P., FORSEH 1.5., DJMODUGNO M.K., VARMA S., COLVIN M. Effect of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in infant formula on problem solving at 10 months of age. Lancet. 1998, vol.352, 688-691.

       20. VEKSHTEIN V.?., YEUNG A.C., VITA J.A., NABEL E.G., FISH R.D., BIUL J.A., SELWYN A.P., GANZ P. Fish oil improves endothelium-dependent coronary relaxation in patient with coronary artery disease. Circulation. 1989, vol.80, II E434.

31. D Kromhout, E B Bosscheiter, and C DeLezenne-Coulander, "Inverse Relation Between Fish Oil Consumption and 20 Year Mortality from Coronary Heart Disease." N Engl J Med (1985): 1205-9.

32 K N Seidelin, B Myrup and B Fischer-Hansen, "n-3 Fatty Acids in Adipose Tissue and Coronary Artery Disease Are Inversely Correlated," Am J Clin Nutr 55 (1992): 1117-9.

33 A Leaf, P C Weber, "Cardiovascular Effects of n-3 Fatty Acids," N Engl J Med (1988) 318: 549-57.

34 E B Schmidt and J Dyerberg, "Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Current Status in Cardiovascular Medicine," Drugs 47 (19940: 405-24.

35 L J Appel et al., "Does Supplementation of Diet with 'Fish Oil' Reduce Blood Pressure? A Meta-Analysis of Controlled Clinical Trials," Arch Intern Med 153 (1993): 1429-38.

36 P H Albirk, "Angle Closure Glaucoma Surveys in Greenland Eskimos," Can J Ophthal 8: 260-64 (1973).

37 J P Arm, et al., "The Effects of Dietary Supplementation with Fish Oil Lipids on the
Airway Response to Inhaled Allergen in Bronchial Asthma," Am Rev Respiratory Dis 139 (1989): 1395-1400.

38 J Dry and D Vincent, "Effect of a Fish Oil Diet on Asthma: Results of a 1-Year Double Blind Study," Int Arch Allergy Apply Immunol95 (1991): 156-7.

39 Z R Zhu, J A S Mannisto, P Pietinene, et al., "Fatty Acid Composition of Breast Adipose Tissue in Breast Cancer Patients and Patients with Benign Breast Disease," Nutr Cancer (1995) 24: 151-60.

40 N Engl J Med (1994) 331: 1194.

 

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 All material and information presented by Nutrisana.com is intended to be used for educational purposes only. The statements made about products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (U.S.). They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition or disease. Please consult with your own physician or health care practitioner regarding the suggestions and recommendations made at Nutrisana.com.

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