VENICE-BASED OMEGA3 INNOVATIONS FOUNDER REACTS TO STUDIES ON THE BENEFITS OF OMEGA3 FISH OIL

VENICE, Fla. – As president and co-founder of Omega3 Innovations, Dr. Anne-Marie Chalmers invariably spends as much time educating the public to the healthful benefits of omega-3 as she does creating and promoting her company’s healthy cookies, chocolates and liquid fish oil.

And, just when Chalmers feels she’s made an impact by enlightening consumers about the numerous benefits of the omega-3 products, the results of yet another research study are released and muddy the waters again.

“Most of the studies have been positive and confirm that omega-3s improve people’s heart, joints, brain, eyes, skin, and metabolism,” she says. But other studies, like the one released last month [June] by researchers at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, call some of those benefits into question.

In the London study, three separate trials that lasted between six months and 3½-years were conducted on more than 3,500 participants age 60 and older. While the research concluded that the omega-3s provided no cognitive health benefits, they did recommend that the long-term effects of omega-3s should be explored.

Chalmers believes the dose given may have been inadequate and the oil may have been of poor quality. Moreover, she asks if blood samples were taken to make sure the participants were taking the prescribed amount on a daily basis.

“The reason omega-3 fish oil works in some studies and not in others,” Chalmers explains, “lies in the type of fish oil taken, how fresh it is, and whether people take an adequate dose every day.”

People often say they take omega-3, but don’t see or feel any difference, she said. Most often that is because they take only one or two capsules.

“Depending on the time of year and how the fish oil is prepared, one or two bites of salmon is roughly equal to one or two capsules,” she says. “How can such a small amount make any measurable health effect?”

While fatty fish is the most common source of omega-3, some popular omega-3 supplements are derived from flaxseed, walnuts and other plant products.

“Whether the omega-3 is marine-based or plant-based also makes a tremendous difference,” she says, adding that the American Heart Association states that only omega-3s from fish effectively reduce triglycerides and lower the risk of heart disease. “They have the right molecular flexibility and anti-inflammatory properties.”

The freshness of fish oil is equally important, she says, as is the dosage.

Chalmers says many people take 1,000 mg of fish oil with only one-third of that amount actually being omega-3. The typical recommended dose is between 2,000 and 3,000 mg of not just fish oil, but of the EPA and DHA (fatty acids found in fish oil). That is the equivalent of between seven and 10 capsules of fish oil, she says.

Venice-based Omega3 Innovations’ products – the Omega Cookie, a heart-healthy and tasty cookie, and Omega Cure, a fresh, full spectrum, omega-3 fish oil – allow customers to easily obtain the recommended dose.

“Our research and feedback from customers shows just what the right omega-3s can do for our bodies,” Chalmers says. “And that’s what keeps us 10 steps ahead of every other fish oil product on the market.”

For details about Omega3 Innovations and its products, visit www.omega3innovations.com.

About Omega3 Innovations:
Founded by Bo Martinsen, M.D., and Anne-Marie Chalmers, M.D. – two physicians who have worked with omega-3 fish oil for more than 16 years – the company also offers several varieties of Omega Cookies, as well as Omega Cure supplements. Each cookie contains seven capsules worth of omega-3 fish oil, five grams of fiber, 200% of the daily value of vitamin D and 35% of calcium. The company was an innovation winner at the 2010 annual Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County’s Hall of Fame awards and was nominated in this year’s young business category. Omega3 Innovations is the first to create a bakery product that contains an effective dose of omega-3 fish oil. For more information, visit www.omega3innovations.com.