Stacy talks to Oliver about his quest to create the safest, highest quality, and most effective Omega 3 fish oil supplements. As CEO of Puori, Oliver’s goal is to reduce oxidation from the beginning of the supply chain until the end product, and complete full transparency testing of the final product before it reaches consumers. Stacy shares updated research about the benefits of Omega 3s and recommends revisiting Episode 415 to dig deep on the all science of these essential fatty acids!
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Key Takeaways
Introductions
- Oliver attended Syddansk Universitet – University of Southern Denmark and studied International Business, but has always been interested in health and wellness.
- With this passion, he started one of the first CrossFit gyms in Europe and ended up working for CrossFit Headquarters.
- Oliver and his co-founder Julius Heslet’s curated Puori in 2009 from their uncompromising desire to supplement their own active lifestyle
- Puori is a portmanteau for “pure origins”.
Omega 3 Basics
- Long-chain fatty acids (EPA / DHA) mostly comes from animals, and fish has the most per gram of fat.
- Short-form fatty acids (ALA) mostly come from plants, like walnuts and flax seeds.
- In general, it’s harder to convert short forms like ALA to long-chain acids for the body to absorb. The amount you have to take in from plants is higher. Some people, especially women, are less able to convert ALA.
- Omega 3 fatty acids are a common nutrient deficiency (a close second behind vitamin D). All omega-3s are known as “essential fatty acids,” since the body cannot produce these polyunsaturated fats on its own.
- Dive into much more of the science in The Whole View, Episode 415!
Omega 3 Quality
- Stacy says that based on her doctor’s recommendations, she wanted to take supplementing with Omega 3s seriously. She found a difference in the quality of Puori as there were no “fish burps”!
- Testing of products for contaminants and toxins should not only look at the raw product, but in the process along the way. And unfortunately, labels like “organic” don’t address concerns like heavy metals. Terms like “pure” and “clean” should have actual scientific data to support it. The most expensive product doesn’t always mean the purest.
- Oliver explains that one of the key things their brand look for is to have a low total oxidation number to it from start to finish. Puori tests that number on the final product, which is what consumers are taking. This testing looks different than the the numbers from some brands when it’s just testing the crude oil. Unfortunately, the process from distilling, capsulation, packaging, etc is where things can often goes wrong and oxidation takes place.
- The more brands to produce high quality products the better. And even small changes that make higher quality products more accessible is a good sign.
What’s New?
- A randomized controlled trial found that Omega 3 supplementation reduced negative adjuvant therapy side effects in breast cancer survivors.
[source] - In 2021, a randomized clinical trial found that “Omega-3 supplementation improved the levels of several parameters of respiratory and renal function in critically ill patients with COVID-19.” [source]
- Additional studies show potential benefits to reduce risk of cancer, and reducing all-cause mortality by 15-18%. [source] [source]
- Two meta-analysis from late 2020 and 2021 with nearly 300k combined patients showed that “Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide. Supplementation with EPA and DHA is an effective lifestyle strategy for CVD prevention, and the protective effect probably increases with dosage.” and “Omega-3 reduced cardiovascular mortality and improved cardiovascular outcomes.” [source] [source]
- However, a 2021 double blind randomized control trial of over 25k people that showed no difference in incidence of atrial fibrillation with either Omega 3 or Vitamin D supplementation.[source]
- Furthermore, there is on-going research as of January 2023 is investigating the significance of Omega 3s and their promising role in treating a wide range of conditions and ailments [source].
Studies, References & Products
- The Whole View:
- Clean Label Project
- Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial of Omega-3 Fatty Acids Versus Omega-6 Fatty Acids for the Control of Cancer-Related Fatigue Among Breast Cancer Survivors, JNCI Cancer Spectrum
- Effect of Marine Omega-3 Fatty Acid and Vitamin D Supplementation on Incident Atrial Fibrillation, JAMA
- Effect of Omega-3 Dosage on Cardiovascular Outcomes, Mayo Clinic Proceedings
- The effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on clinical and biochemical parameters of critically ill patients with COVID-19: a randomized clinical trial, Journal of Translational Medicine
- Combined Vitamin D, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and a Simple Home Exercise Program May Reduce Cancer Risk Among Active Adults Aged 70 and Older: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Frontiers in Aging
- Effect of omega-3 fatty acids on cardiovascular outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis, EClinical Medicine
- Blood n-3 fatty acid levels and total and cause-specific mortality from 17 prospective studies, Nature Communications
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- DaVinci Laboratories: Omega-3 vs. Fish Oil: Differences and What to Look For
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Note: Stacy and her guests are not medical professionals. This podcast is for general educational purposes and NOT intended to diagnose, advise, or treat any physical or mental illness. We always recommend you consult a licensed service provider.
