Understanding Omega-3 Potency and Purity

Dr. Barry Sears
Zone Living

CBN.com – Zone Labs has pioneered the development of a new generation of Omega-3's, known as Ultra Refined EPA and DHA concentrates. These products represent a quantum leap forward when compared to other fish oil supplements in the marketplace. The consumer must always analyze potency and purity when purchasing Omega 3.

In the past, health authorities recommended consuming more fatty fish, such as salmon and tuna. Unfortunately, our treatment of the environment has made all species of fish heavily contaminated with deadly toxins. In fact, while eating fish as a protein source is strongly recommended, consuming fish as the primary source of long-chain Omega-3 essential fatty acids is now being questioned.

Omega-3 Potency

The potency of Dr. Sears’ OmegaRx fish oil concentrate is twice the amount contained in standard health food grade fish. Leading research institutions worldwide have now confirmed that omega-3 concentrates are powerful anti-inflammatory agents and an important weapon against heart disease, cancer, alzheimer’s, and arthritis. It is important to note that the majority of health benefits reported by researchers through daily supplementation were conducted using omega-3 concentrates, not standard health food-grade products. Scientifically, one cannot assume that the same benefits would be seen using lesser, non-concentrated products, even if dosing levels were the same.

Omega-3 Purity

The manufacturing process of Dr. Sears’ OmegaRX increases product purity to a level making it virtually free from all deadly contaminants, such as PCBs, mercury and dioxins. It takes 100 gallons of traditional health store grade fish oil to manufacture only 1 gallon of the Zone Labs Omega Rx.

The development of OmegaRx is a significant food engineering achievement and opens the door for treating disease states affecting heart, brain and immune function using high-dose, ultra-refined oils. Unfortunately, some other companies now claim that their fish oil supplements are "ultra-refined” and we believe that is simply untrue.

The Manufacturing Process of Omega-3

Crude fish oil is perhaps better termed "sewage of the sea" since all water-insoluble contaminants in the ocean become more heavily concentrated in larger fish species as you move up the marine food chain.

As a result, crude fish oil is not fit for human consumption. Some manufacturers have relied on "molecular distillation" as a touch-up process to remove a small proportion of these contaminants. Although this is an improved "clean-up" step, molecular distillation does not remove all the deadly contaminants that they claim and that the consumer is led to believe. Molecularly distilled fish oil products do not qualify as "Ultra Refined" regardless of what the manufacturer says. In fact, it is the crude starting material for the production of OmegaRx.

Additional and costly processing is then required to guarantee that contaminants and saturated fats have been substantially removed from the oil. This can only be done by a complex engineering process known as "fractional distillation," the only guarantee that you are consuming "Ultra Refined" Omega-3 oils. This process takes on average 8 weeks as opposed to the traditional 3 days for molecular distillation

Omega-3 (EPA AND DHA) Concentration:
EPA content greater than 40 percent (Health food grade is only 18 percent)
DHA content greater than 20 percent (Health food grade is only 12 percent)
Zone Labs, OmegaRx has a total Omega-3 content greater than 60 percent
Compared to the only 30 of the health food grade

Toxin Contamination:
PCB's < 30ppb (parts per billion)
Dioxins < 0.001ppt (parts per trillion)
Mercury < 10ppb (parts per billion)

Third Party (Independent), Certification Program

Voluntary standards for health food grade fish oils have been enacted but are not mandatory. Many companies simply claim their products are "ultra-refined" to suggest that their fish oil is what medical doctors and researchers are recommending.

Our independent certification process uses the most advanced technology to measure contaminants in amounts as low as parts per trillion. There are very few laboratories in the world that have the equipment to detect such low levels of contaminants. For some extremely toxic contaminants, such as dioxins, OmegaRx is at least 2,000 times more pure than typical molecular-distilled, health food-grade fish oils. OmegaRx meets the same quality control standards for fish oil purity established for fish oils used in ongoing clinical trials reporting the incredible medical benefits of supplementation with Ultra-Refined Omega-3 Concentrates.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. As with any natural product, individual results will vary.

For more information about Dr. Barry Sears, his incredible fish oil supplements, or the popular Zone Diet, please visit www.zoneliving.com.

If you purchase any Zone Labs, Inc. products, part of the proceeds support CBN ministries.

Dr. Barry Sears is a leader in the field of dietary control of hormonal response. A former research scientist at the Boston University School of Medicine and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dr. Sears has dedicated his efforts over the past 25 years to the study of lipids and their inflammatory role in the development of chronic disease. He holds 13 U.S. Patents in the areas of intravenous drug delivery systems and hormonal regulation for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.