More About Omega-3
Essentially important
With plenty of research to support its health benefits, omega-3 is one of the most well-regarded and often recommended nutrient available today. In fact, omega-3, an absolutely essential for our health and well-being, is now getting the attention it deserves from researchers and health experts.
Omega-3 is the common term given mainly to three specific essential fatty acids (EFAs) – eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and alpha-linoleic acid (ALA). EPA and DHA are found in animal sources such as fish and krill while ALA is found in plant sources such as flax, pumpkin, and black currant.
Studies have shown that omega-3 essential fatty acids play an important role in heart and cardiovascular health as well as cognitive function. The essential fatty acids EPA and DHA are absolutely essential for a child’s overall development, especially the eyes and brain.
It’s important to note that the American diet is generally deficient in omega-3 due to our low consumption of fish. Without at least one serving of fish a week you most likely don’t get enough. But you’ve come to the right place!
A sea of fish oil supplements
Now that everyone seems to know how important omega-3 EFAs are, there are a lot of products from which to choose. Many claim to be the best or the purest. Dive a little deeper and you’ll uncover some key points that can help you identify the best fish oil and krill oil products.
- Enteric Coated – Do you know someone who loves throwing back fish oil shots or guzzling cod liver oil? Most people just aren’t that enamored with fish oil. Many omega-3 fish oil supplements will be in the form of enteric-coated softgels. Enteric coating is a process that can help to mask or virtually eliminate the fishy odor and taste, as well as reduce or eliminate the chances of your fish oil “resurfacing” after ingestion.
- Molecularly Distilled – Sadly the majority of wild fish caught today have high levels of toxins and heavy metals that can adversely affect our health, especially if consumed over long periods of time. A specialized manufacturing process called molecular distillation (or vacuum distillation) reduces the amounts of these impurities to safe levels.
Krill oil
As mentioned earlier, in addition to fish oil, omega-3 can also be found in a tiny marine crustacean called krill. Study results show that omega-3 krill oil may be better absorbed by our bodies than omega-3 fish oil due to the fact that the essential fatty acids in krill oil are bound by phospholipids whereas EFAs in fish oil are not. Phospholipid-bound EFAs are more readily absorbed, which may enhance their bioavailability. NOW® utilizes Neptune Krill Oil (NKO®)(500 mg softgels, 1000 mg softgels), the premier krill oil in the marketplace.
NOW® Omega-3
At NOW we take the quality and purity of our nutritional oils very seriously. Our state-of-the-art in-house laboratories are well-equipped to perform nutritional oil analyses, and we test every lot we receive for identity, purity, potency and composition.
Our fish oils (liquid, Cod Liver Oil 650 mg Softgels, Cod Liver Oil 1,000 mg Softgels, Molecularly Distilled Softgels) are molecularly distilled, and many of our formulations are also enteric coated. The majority of our plant oils are extracted using a mechanical expeller pressing method that doesn’t utilize harsh chemicals or solvents, preserving the vital nutritional components.
No matter how you choose to supplement with omega-3, NOW has a formula for you that’s made with our unwavering commitment to superior quality.
