What are Omega-3's?
Omega-3 fatty acids are a form of polyunsaturated
fats, one of four basic types of fat the body derives from food or
supplements, and they are increasingly recognized as important to human
health. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids (or EFAs)—essential
because they must be derived through the diet.
Interestingly, omega-3 fatty acids are not a single
nutrient, but a collection of several nutrients. The primary omega-3
oil, ALA, is found in flaxseed oil as well as pumpkin seeds and walnuts.
Fish, including deep sea fish, salmon, cod, sardines, and mackerel, and
fish oils contain the other important omega-3 oils DHA (docosahexaenoic
acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). Numerous studies indicate,
however, that the EPA and DHA found in fish and fish oil are more
biologically potent that those from ALA—making fish and fish oil the
better nutritional choice.
Omega-3 benefits, especially from DHA and EPA, are
numerous and significant. They support heart, brain, blood vessel,
nervous system, cellular, immune, and joint health. Additionally, they
help maintain already healthy blood pressure and blood sugars levels.
But that’s not all. They also serve as energy reserves, for oxygen
transport, for synthesizing hormones, and for normal healing.
Adding to the list of omega-3 benefits are some noted
health organizations and specialists. The American Heart Association,
for example, recommends one to two servings of fish per week for all
adults—citing that omega-3 fatty acids EPA plus DHA can help maintain a
healthy cardiovascular system and healthy joints.
Even the FDA has weighed in on EPA and DHA, allowing
the following claim on foods and supplements high in omega-3 fatty
acids: “Supportive, but not conclusive, research shows that consumption
of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart
disease.”
Some people may already know about omega-3 benefits,
but just can’t seem to add enough omega-3 foods to their diets to cover
recommended intake. For them, diet alone may not provide the omega-3s
necessary for the greatest health benefits. And with approximately 80
percent of people eating a standard diet that is low in omega-3 foods,
the nutritional gap may be much wider than it should be.
The reasons can vary: they may not like omega-3 foods,
may be concerned about ingestion of pollutants from fish, or they may
not know exactly what foods provide the most omega-3 “bang for the
buck.” For them, a diet rich in omega-3s or omega-3 supplementation can
add outstanding health benefits.
Some power-packed omega 3 foods that are especially
high in EPA and DHA include coldwater oily fish, preferably wild, like
salmon, cod, halibut, tuna, sardines, and anchovies. Here are some
examples:
- Four ounces of salmon provide 87.1 percent of the
daily value, or DV, of omega-3 fatty acids.
- Four ounces of cod provide 13.3 percent of DV of
omega-3 fatty acids.
- Four ounces of halibut provide 25.8 percent of the
DV of omega-3 fatty acids.
- Four ounces of tuna provide 13.8 percent of the DV
of omega-3 fatty acids.
 Beyond
Omega 3’s - OmegaXanthin
Going beyond Omega 3 was an idea of Jordan Rubin,
(founder of Garden of Life) that addressed the most pervasive health
challenges in America today. Jordan was convinced that the ocean
represents one of the last frontiers for health. He also believed that
it has more to offer than just fish oil. His idea was to combine three
superpower ingredients from the ocean into one formula that goes far
beyond omega-3s. And it wasn’t just “any three” ingredients. The idea
that came to him was to combine three of the most studied, effective and
health promoting ingredients the ocean has to offer. They each share
many of the same health benefits, in addition to the unique attributes
they contain on their own. When combined, they work in concert to
amplify their already enormous health potential.
The unique combination of ultra pure fish oil,
fucoxanthin and astaxanthin contained exclusively in the Oceans 3
formulas is appropriately named OmegaXanthin.
The inclusion of fucoxanthin in the Oceans 3
formulas was a no-brainer for Jordan. Fucoxanthin is a powerful
antioxidant and has been shown to support normal cardiovascular
function, promote a healthy response to inflammation, and provide
antioxidant cellular protection.
Jordan has been working with astaxanthin in
formulations for several years, and when the Oceans 3 concept came
along, he went back to the scientific literature and realized the wisdom
of featuring this powerhouse carotenoid in Oceans 3. Astaxanthin comes
from tiny micro algae with huge health-giving properties. The list of
health benefits from astaxanthin is almost too good to be true. It
promotes cardiovascular health, immune system health and joint
health. It even supports the skin structure during sun exposure.
Of course, fish oil and the omega-3s contained in the
Oceans 3 formulas have a long and rich history of health. While the body
can produce EPA and DHA from ALA (alpha-linoleic acid), the
process is limited to start with— and is further diminished as we age.
Increasingly, it is becoming more and more important to provide our
bodies with additional EPA and DHA through the foods and oils we consume
or the supplements we take. The laundry list of health benefits from
omega-3s (including cardiovascular health, brain health and immune
health) have made fish oils the single best-selling supplement
category in health food stores.
The three ingredients found in
Oceans 3 are available as
stand-alone products. Only Oceans 3 combines these ingredients into a
blend called OmegaXanthin. OmegaXanthin allows fish oil, astaxanthin and
fucoxanthin to achieve far more together than these already powerful
compounds could do on their own. This powerful combination is only
available in Oceans 3 formulas.
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