Omega-3 Powder

• Home Page • MEG-3® Ingredient Products • Frequently Asked Questions • Contact Us • Links •

Home > main navigation > Health Benefits > Other Health Benefits

Other Health Benefits

The Omega-3 fatty acids EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) and DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) are essential for normal functioning of the human body. Omega-3 EPA and DHA have complementary roles in human health: DHA plays a structural role as a component of cell membranes, while EPA plays an anti-inflammatory role. While Omega-3 EPA/DHA have received a lot of attention for their heart and brain health benefits, these essential nutrients. Research indicates they may have additional health benefits:

Inflammatory and auto-immune conditions
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Overall physical well-being

Whatever your life stage — from infancy to the senior years — you need Omega-3 EPA/DHA!

Health Benefits for Inflammatory & Auto-Immune Conditions

Characterized by redness, heat, swelling, and pain, inflammation is your immune system’s way of protecting you. When your immune system senses a threat, it releases a barrage of inflammatory chemicals to wipe out the invader. While short-term inflammation is a good thing, long-term inflammation has been linked to a number of diseases, including auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.

Research has shown that EPA may keep inflammation in check by regulating the effects of the pro-inflammatory Omega-6 fatty acid ARA (arachidonic acid). Whereas ARA creates substances that promote inflammation, EPA creates substances that reduce inflammation. Consuming adequate amounts of Omega-3 EPA/DHA therefore balances the effects of ARA, helping reduce the risk of inflammatory conditions, including:

Asthma (children) and exercise-induced asthma
Colorectal and prostate cancer
Type 1 diabetes (children)

Additionally, research indicates that increased consumption of Omega-3 EPA and DHA may improve other inflammation-related conditions, including:

Chronic fatigue syndrome
Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis)
Inflammatory skin disorders (psoriasis)
Lupus
Multiple sclerosis
Rheumatoid arthritis

Health Benefits for Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

It’s particularly important that pregnant and breastfeeding women eat plenty of foods rich in Omega-3 EPA and DHA, because they are required for:

The development of a healthy nervous system, which includes the brain, spinal cord, and network of nerves
The development of healthy vision, particularly the retina

Additionally, studies show that pregnant and breastfeeding women who get plenty of Omega-3 EPA and DHA may be less likely to have children with:

Low birth weight
Cerebral palsy
Behavioral problems
Allergies

Not only that, prenatal Omega-3 intake may increase your child’s IQ. Babies whose mothers consumed Omega-3-rich EPA/DHA supplements during late pregnancy and early breastfeeding showed improved IQ and mental functions compared to babies whose mothers did not.

Finally, women with adequate intake of Omega-3 EPA and DHA during pregnancy are less likely to experience:

Gestational diabetes
Preeclampsia
Premature birth
Postpartum depression

Health Benefits for Overall Physical Well-Being

Your body needs Omega-3 EPA/DHA, yet it is unable to manufacture them. Therefore, it’s essential that these fats be consumed through the diet. Unfortunately, the typical Western diet is high in pro-inflammatory Omega-6 fatty acids such as ARA (found abundantly in vegetable oils and animal products) but is low in anti-inflammatory Omega-3 fatty acids such as EPA and DHA (concentrated in cold-water oily fish). Therefore, deficiencies of Omega-3 EPA/DHA are common. In fact, according to Dr. Edward Siguel, in oral testimony given at the second meeting of the U.S. 2005 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, 70% of Americans are deficient in Omega-3 fatty acids.

Since they are as important as vitamins and minerals to human health, it’s not surprising that Omega-3 EPA/DHA have been shown to support overall physical well-being. Some evidence suggests they may even aid weight loss and body composition.

MEG-3™ as Your Source of Omega-3 EPA and DHA

Increasingly, doctors, nutritionists, and other health professionals agree that a healthy diet must contain foods rich in Omega-3 EPA and DHA. However, if you’re not consuming at least two four ounce servings of oil fish per week you’re likely not getting your suggested intake of Omega-3. MEG-3® can help balance your diet in a convenient and worry-free way. Available as a dietary supplement, and as a healthy food ingredient, MEG-3® provides you with Omega-3 EPA and DHA that conform to worldwide quality and purity standards. Along with a well-balanced diet, supplements and/or foods that contain MEG-3® ensure that you and your family are getting adequate amounts of these two essential nutrients.

References:

Health Benefits for Inflammatory and Auto-Immune Conditions:

1. Simopoulos, Artemis P.”Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Inflammation and Autoimmune Diseases.” Journal of the American College of Nutrition 21, no., 6 (December 2002): 495-505.
2. Nagakura T, Matsuda S, Shichijyo K, Sugimoto H, Hata K. “Dietary supplementation with fish oil rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in children with bronchial asthma.” The European Respiratory Journal: Official Journal of the European Society for Clinical Respiratory Physiology 16, no., 5 (November 2000): 861-5.
3. Volker D, Fitzgerald P, Major G, Garg M. “Efficacy of fish oil concentrate in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.” The Journal of Rheumatology 27, no., 10 (October 2000): 2343-6.
4. Cleland L et al. “The role of fish oils in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.” Drugs 63, no., 9 (2003): 845-53.
5. James MJ et al. “Dietary n-3 fats as adjunctive therapy in a prototypic inflammatory disease: issues and obstacles for use in rheumatoid arthritis.” Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes, and Essential Fatty acids 68, no., 6 (June 2003): 399-405.
6. Stephensen CB. “Fish oil and inflammatory disease: is asthma the next target for n-3 fatty acid supplements?” Nutrition Reviews 62, no., 12 (December 2004): 486-9.
7. Simopoulos AP. “Omega-3 fatty acids in inflammation and autoimmune diseases.” Journal of the American College of Nutrition 21, no., 6 (2002): 495-505.
8. Mori TA, Bao DQ, Burke V, Puddey IB, Beilin LJ. “Docosahexaenoic acid but not eicosapentaenoic acid lowers ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate in humans.” Hypertension 34, no., 2 (1999): 253-60.
9. Marchioli, et al. Early protection against sudden death by n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids after myocardial infarction - time-course analysis of the results of the Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio della Sopravvivenza nell’Infarto Miocardico (GISSI) - Prevenzione. Circulation 2002 Apr 23; 105(16):1897-903.
10. Oddy, et al. Ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids and childhood asthma. Journal of Asthma. 2004; 41(3):319-26.
11. Mickleborough, et al. Protective effect of fish oil supplementation on exercise-induced bronchoconstriction in asthma. Chest. 2006; 129:39-49.
12. Theodoratou, et al. Dietary fatty acids and colorectal cancer: a case-control study. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2007; 166(2):181-195.
13. Terry, et al. Increased fatty fish consumption may reduce prostate cancer risk. Lancet. 2001; 357(9269):1764-1766
14. Stene, et al. Use of cod liver oil during the first year of life is associated with lower risk of childhood-onset type I diabetes: a large, population based, case-control study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2003; 78:1128 –34.
15. Norris, et al. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake and islet autoimmunity in children at increased risk for type I diabetes. JAMA. 2007; 298:1420-28. (DAISY)
16. Puri, et al. The use of eicosapentaenoic acid in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids. 2004; 70:399-401.
17. Simopoulos AP. Omega-3 fatty acids in inflammation and autoimmune diseases. J Am Coll Nutr. 2002; 21(6):495-505.
18. James, et al. Dietary n-3 fatty acids and therapy for rheumatoid arthritis. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 1997; 27:85-97.
19. Volker, et al. Efficacy of fish oil concentrate in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol. 2000; 27:2343-2346.
20. Cleland, et al. The role of fish oils in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Drugs. 2003; 63:845-853.
21. Simopoulos AP. Omega-3 fatty acids in inflammation and autoimmune diseases. J Am Coll Nutr. 2002; 21(6):495-505.

Health Benefits for Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
1. Innis. Dietary (n-3) fatty acids and brain development. The Journal of Nutrition. 2007; 137: 855–859.
2. Lauritzen, et al. The essentiality of long chain n-3 fatty acids in relation to development and function of the brain and retina. Progress in Lipid Research. 2001; 40:1±94.

3. Singh. Essential fatty acids, DHA and the human brain. Indian Journal of Pediatrics. 2005; 72(3):239-42.
4. Jensen, et al. Effects of n 3 fatty acids during pregnancy and lactation. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2006; 83:1452S–7S.
5. Lauritzen, et al. 2004; maternal fish oil supplementation in lactation: effect on visual acuity and n-3 fatty acid content of infant erythrocytes. Lipids. 244; 39(3):195-206.
6. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2005.
7. Rocquelin, et al. Human milk fatty acids and growth of infants in Brazzaville (The Congo) and Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso). Public Health Nutrition. 2003; 6(3):241-
8. Petridou, et al. Diet during pregnancy and the risk of cerebral palsy. British Journal of Nutrition. 1998; 79:407-412.
9. Denburg, et al. Fish oil supplementation in pregnancy modifies neonatal progenitors at birth in infants at risk of atopy. Pediatric Research. 2005; 57(2):276-81.
10. Helland, et al. Maternal supplementation with very-long-chain n-3 fatty acids during pregnancy and lactation augments child-ren’s IQ at 4 years of age. Pediatrics. 2003 Jan;111(1):e39-44.
11. Hibbeln, et al. Maternal seafood consumption in pregnancy and neurodevelopmental outcomes in childhood (ALSPAC study): an observational cohort study. The Lancet. 2007; 369:578-85.
12. Olsen, et al. Randomised clinical trials of fish oil supplementation in high risk pregnancies. British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2000; 107:382-395.
13. Olsen, et al. Randomised controlled trial of effect of fish oil supplementation on pregnancy duration. The Lancet. 1992; 339:1003-1007.
14. Thomas, et al. Nutrient intake of women with and without gestational diabetes with a specific focus on fatty acids. Elsevier: Nutrition. 2006; 22:230-236.
15. Jensen, et al. Effects of n 3 fatty acids during pregnancy and lactation. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2006; 83:1452S–7S.
16. Williams, et al. Omega-3 fatty acids in maternal erythrocytes and risk of preeclampsia. 1995; 6(3):232-7.
17. Kendall-Tackett. A new paradigm for depression in new mothers: the central role of inflammation and how breastfeeding and anti-inflammatory treatments protect maternal mental health. International Breastfeeding Journal. 2007; 2(6):1-14.
18. Genuis, et al. Time for an oil check: the role of essential omega-3 fatty acids in maternal and pediatric health. Journal of Perinatology. 2006; 26(6):359-65.
19. Hibbeln, et al. Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association; San Francisco. 2003.
20. Krabbendam L, Bakkerb E, Hornstrac G, van Osa J. Relationship between DHA status at birth and child problem behaviour at 7 years of age. Prosta, Leuko Essen Fatty Acids,2007;76(1):29-34.

Health Benefits for General Well-Being
1. Crowe, et al. Serum phospholipid n 3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and physical and mental health in a population-based survey of New Zealand adolescents and adults. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2007; 86(5):1278-85
2. Hill, et al. Combining fish-oil supplements with regular aerobic exercise improves body composition and cardiovascular disease risk factors. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2007; 85:1267–74.
3. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Meeting. Meeting Summary. Jan. 28, 2004:34. http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/dgac012004minutes.pdf