OmegA+D Sufficiency™

The role of Omega-3 EFAs (specifically EPA and DHA) in the promotion of health and the prevention of illness has been studied a great deal in recent years. Both scientists and practitioners are celebrating the results that have been found to date and with every research study the importance of EFAs for health promotion and illness prevention becomes more evident.

Omega 3 essential fatty acids (EFAs) are some of the most crucial essential nutrients for human and other animal health ever identified. Over 2000 scientific studies provide evidence of the importance of EPA and DHA essential fatty acids for the maintenance and restoration of health and the prevention of disease.

Omega 3 EFAs are extremely important in the structure and function of every cell in the body and the function of your cells is what determines your health. Your cells are what determine your immune function, healing, hormone levels, heart function, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, digestion, moods etc. Literally, the function and health of your cells determines every aspect of your health.

EPA and DHA omega 3 EFAs are part of every cell membrane and are required to maintain the proper shape, flexibility or fluidity, and “slipperiness” of cell membranes. The flexibility and “slipperiness” of cell membranes is important for the flow of blood through blood vessels and decreasing the risk of high blood pressure, stroke and heart attack. This fluidity or flexibility of cell membranes is also crucial to ensure the proper flow of nutrients into cells as well as the proper shape of cell receptors for hormones such as insulin (insulin sensitivity).

In addition, EFAs are required for proper nerve signal transmission (memory, concentration, cognitive ability, muscle coordination and strength) and immune function including defence against cancer. This is why EPA and DHA deficiency are linked with cognitive impairments and learning and behaviour disabilities such as ADHD, with depression, and with decreased cognitive ability and increased risk of Alzheimer's and dementia in the elderly. EPA and DHA deficiency is also highly correlated with increased risk of breast, colon, and prostate cancer.

EPA and DHA omega 3 EFAs also play a major role in regulating inflammation via substances called prostaglandins. EPA and DHA Omega 3 fatty acids produce anti-inflammatory prostaglandins while Omega 6 fatty acids produce pro-inflammatory prostaglandins.

Having a diet that is toxic with Omega 6 or deficient in Omega 3 EFAs creates a pro-inflammatory state within the body. This is very significant because inflammation is at the root of virtually all of the common chronic illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and depression as well as the autoimmune and atopic diseases such as arthritis, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel, psoriasis, eczema, allergies, fibromyalgia, lupus, and multiple sclerosis. Inflammation is also a major factor in dysmenorrhea (menstrual pain and/or cramping), headaches, and back and neck pain.

Omega 3 EFAs play a role in virtually every human function including growth and development, digestion, brain and nerve function, immune function, hormone production and regulation, maintenance of skin and bones, regulation of healing and inflammation, heart function, vision, cholesterol levels, and even emotions and behaviour.

This is why supplementing with Omega 3 EFAs has been shown to help people with so many different illnesses. In reality supplementing with Omega 3 EFAs will help anyone that is deficient in Omega 3 EFAs whether they have a diagnosed illness or not. The fact of the matter is that everyone needs Omega 3 EFAs and due to dietary practices virtually everyone in Western society is deficient. Without these essential nutrients cells cannot function properly and illness is inevitable even though it may take years before symptoms arise.

This does not mean that a deficiency in Omega 3 EFAs is the only cause of all illness; that would be an unscientific and illogical claim. However, it does absolutely mean that if someone is deficient in Omega 3 EFAs their cell function and thus their health is compromised and will be improved when they begin to supplement - this is an indisputable scientific fact. Obviously if Omega 3 EFAs are needed for proper cell function and cell function determines our health then Omega 3 EFAs are a significant determining factor in health. This is exactly what research indicates.

The above information is why we stress the importance of supplementation BEFORE illness develops. It is both dangerous and illogical to wait until illness develops to begin to take care of yourself or your children or your pets! How can we PREVENT ILLNESS or PROMOTE HEALTH if we wait until we are already ill before we take action?

To properly understand what essential fatty acid (EFA) nutrients are it is necessary to understand the scientific meaning of three terms - essential, fatty acid, and nutrient.

Essential: If something is classified as essential in nutritional or biochemical terms it means that the body cannot make it and must therefore receive it from the diet.

Fatty Acid: A fatty acid is simply a type of fat that is classified according to its structure and biological function. Fat has gotten a bad rap over the last few decades and this topic deserves some clarification. I like to classify fats as good, bad, and ugly. The good fats, the fats that are absolutely essential for health and protection from illnesses are the EFAs. The bad fats, the fats that when overconsumed can lead to heart disease, obesity, and other illnesses are the saturated fats from farm raised animals that are fed omega 6 grains such as corn and soy. The ugly fats are the unnatural human made fats such as trans fats and hydrogenated fats. These fats are literally toxic. Sadly they are found in almost all junk foods and even a lot of ‘health' foods.

If you are buying a packaged food read the label and check for trans, hydrogenated, or partially hydrogenated or fractionated fat or oil. If you see this put the product back on the shelf!! In fact, these fats are so toxic that the Canadian government is making them illegal; other countries will surely follow as will lawsuits against the companies who put them in their products.

Nutrient: A nutrient is something that the cells of the body require in order to function properly, express health and avoid sickness. You are probably familiar with nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fats, carbohydrates and proteins.

Essential Fatty Acid Nutrient: An essential fatty acid (EFA) nutrient, in scientific terms, is a nutrient required for health and protection from sickness that the cells of the body cannot produce or make; it is a nutrient that must be derived from our diet. Without these essential nutrients proper health is impossible and illness is inevitable - they are literally that important in terms of determining quality and quantity of life.

Common signs of EPA and DHA deficiency are chronic excessive pain and inflammation, fatigue, weakened immunity and/or autoimmunity, dry skin, eczema or hair loss, heart problems and/or poor circulation, reproductive problems (men and women), poor memory, behaviour problems, learning problems, and mood swings and/or depression.

EPA and DHA deficiency have been linked with cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and depression as well as the autoimmune and atopic diseases such as arthritis, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel, psoriasis, eczema, allergies, fibromyalgia, lupus, and multiple sclerosis. Inflammation is also a major factor in dysmenorrhea (menstrual pain and/or cramping), headaches, and back and neck pain.

Omega Sufficiency® is extracted in a licensed pharmaceutical grade facility from cold water anchovies and sardines that are the purest, least toxic source of omega 3 fish oil. Our oil is purified in a non-chemical molecular distillation process that removes even trace amounts of heavy metals, PCBs, organochlorides, and organophosphate pesticides resulting in the safest, purest source of EPA/DHA fish oil possible. As the oil is purified it is immediately infused with our natural, proprietory antioxidant blend consisting of rosemary extract, ascorbyl palmitate and natural mixed tocopherols and then immediately bottled in a dark glass bottle with a patented spill-proof, threadless cap. This process ensures the greatest oxidation protection possible. There simply is not a better, purer source of EPA/DHA omega 3 fatty acids in the world as our third party testing results indicate.

Omega 3 EFAs are extremely important in the structure and function of every cell in the body and the function of your cells is what determines your health. Your cells are what determine your immune function, healing, hormone levels, heart function, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, digestion, moods etc. Literally, the function and health of your cells determines every aspect of your health.

EPA and DHA omega 3 EFAs are part of every cell membrane and are required to maintain the proper shape, flexibility or fluidity, and “slipperiness” of cell membranes.

The flexibility and “slipperiness” of cell membranes is important for the flow of blood through blood vessels and decreasing the risk of high blood pressure, stroke and heart attack. This fluidity or flexibility of cell membranes is also crucial to ensure the proper flow of nutrients into cells as well as the proper shape of cell receptors for hormones such as insulin (insulin sensitivity).

In addition, EFAs are required for proper nerve signal transmission (memory, concentration, cognitive ability, muscle coordination and strength) and immune function including defence against cancer. This is why EPA and DHA deficiency are linked with cognitive impairments and learning and behaviour disabilities such as ADHD, with depression, and with decreased cognitive ability and increased risk of Alzheimer's and dementia in the elderly. EPA and DHA deficiency is also highly correlated with increased risk of breast, colon, and prostate cancer.

EPA and DHA omega 3 EFAs also play a major role in regulating inflammation via substances called prostaglandins. EPA and DHA Omega 3 fatty acids produce anti-inflammatory prostaglandins while Omega 6 fatty acids produce pro-inflammatory prostaglandins.

Having a diet that is toxic with Omega 6 or deficient in Omega 3 EFAs creates a pro-inflammatory state within the body. This is very significant because inflammation is at the root of virtually all of the common chronic illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and depression as well as the autoimmune and atopic diseases such as arthritis, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel, psoriasis, eczema, allergies, fibromyalgia, lupus, and multiple sclerosis. Inflammation is also a major factor in dysmenorrhea (menstrual pain and/or cramping), headaches, and back and neck pain.

Omega 3 EFAs play a role in virtually every human function including growth and development, digestion, brain and nerve function, immune function, hormone production and regulation, maintenance of skin and bones, regulation of healing and inflammation, heart function, vision, cholesterol levels, and even emotions and behaviour.

Literally, the moment you begin to supplement with Omega Sufficiency® or OmegA+D Sufficiency® you will begin to move toward EPA and DHA sufficiency and better cell function and health. How much time it takes each individual to become sufficient in EPA and DHA will depend on several factors such as how deficient the person is when beginning supplementation, how much Omega 6 fatty acids they are consuming, their exercise and nutritional status etc.

As far as seeing results in terms of symptoms of illness the results will vary for the same reasons. Many people report seeing results within days of beginning supplementation whereas others report it taking weeks or months before changes in symptoms are noticed.

This is precisely why we don't advocate treating symptoms with EPA and DHA but rather focusing on supplying your cells with the sufficient amounts of EPA and DHA that science has shown are required for health and the prevention of illness. Furthermore, and very importantly, the significant determining factor regarding who should supplement with Omega Sufficiency®is not whether or not you are symptomatic but whether or not you are supplying your cells with the sufficient amount of EPA and DHA required for health and illness prevention.

Waiting until you or your family become symptomatic or have a diagnosed illness to supplement with Omega Sufficiency® would be absurd considering the fact that science has shown beyond any reasonable doubt that everyone requires EPA and DHA on a daily basis in order to be healthy and prevent illness.

Here at Innate Choice® we base our product development around the scientific fact that human beings and all other animals are genetically designed as part of nature and to derive all nutritional requirements from nature. We also understand that human beings have never intervened in nature and made it better. For this reason we go to great lengths to provide products that are as close to their natural, whole form as possible. Humans and all other animals are genetically designed to ingest, digest, absorb and utilize whole foods in their natural biochemical form. Based on these scientific facts we have chosen to keep Omega Sufficiency® in its natural triglyceride form and in its natural EPA/DHA ratio.

All of the studies on the healthiest populations of people in the world who have virtually no heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, depression, ADHD, Alzheimer's, arthritis, allergies, etc have shown that these people have sufficient amounts of EPA/DHA Omega 3 fatty acids in their diet from natural sources in their natural form and ratio as found in Omega Sufficiency®.

It seems illogical and unscientific to use such data to support the importance of EPA and DHA Omega 3 fatty acids from fish oil and then to chemically alter the fish oil and change its biochemical properties. Several studies have shown that the natural triglyceride form of EPA and DHA found in Omega Sufficiency®is absorbed much better than the human-made, chemically concentrated synthetic ester form. In one study comparing absorption of different fish oil forms, the natural triglyceride form was 300% better absorbed than the synthetic ethyl ester form. Again, this makes sense, why would humans have proper digestive enzymes to absorb a fish oil with an unnatural form and ratio that our genes have never been exposed to?

If, for therapeutic reasons, it was determined that more EPA or DHA was required for a certain individual, the most scientific and logical thing to do would be to simply increase the amount of natural fish oil consumption.

Although most often categorized as a vitamin, vitamin D is actually a hormone. Vitamins cannot be produced by the cells in your body and thus must be obtained via consumption from dietary sources. Vitamin D, however, can be made by the cells in your body in a process that involves the conversion of cholesterol derivatives into vitamin D using sunlight.

Vitamin D3 is produced in the skin of humans (and other vertebrates) after exposure to ultraviolet B light (uVB). Vitamin D3 only becomes biologically active after two conversions; one in the liver (primarily) to 25-hydroxyvitamin D(25 OHD), the circulating form of vitamin D, and then in the kidney to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25 (OH)2D), the biologically active hormone form which is also known as calcitriol. Calcitriol or biologically active vitamin D is often considered the most potent steroid hormone in human physiology.

Like all steroid hormones, vitamin D is involved in the genetic regulation of the production of proteins and enzymes which are essential for wellness and prevention. Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption and maintains blood levels of calcium and phosphate for proper bone development and muscle action. Some of the other roles of Vitamin D are assistance in the regulation of cell growth, immune function, neuromuscular action, and regulation of inflammation. It assists the action of insulin and has been shown to have a significant role in cancer prevention. Many cells have Vitamin D receptors and many genes are influenced by the action of Vitamin D. In fact, it has been estimated that the human genome has over 2700 binding sites for Vitamin D. from http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/what-is-vitamin-d/) This is why being deficient in Vitamin D can lead to increased risk of many diseases, and, conversely why being sufficient in Vitamin D is essential for wellness and prevention.

There are literally thousands of peer-reviewed scientific articles establishing vitamin D deficiency as a significant causal factor in serious illnesses. At this point we can confidently state that having sufficient levels of vitamin D is essential for both wellness and prevention.

Vitamin D insufficiency can result in thin, brittle, or misshapen bones, while sufficiency prevents rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults, and, together with exercise, helps to protect older adults from osteoporosis. Vitamin D also modulates neuromuscular function, reduces inflammation, and influences the action of many genes that regulate the proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis of cells which is critical in terms of cancer prevention.

The role of vitamin D deficiency in other serious illnesses is also being reported. "As Holick's New England Journal of Medicine review stressed, the litany of vitamin D deficiency diseases is now legion. Evidence even suggests that vitamin D is involved in the triple current childhood epidemic of autism, asthma, and autoimmune diabetes. Not only do tenable mechanisms of action exist to explain vitamin D's role in all three, but epidemiological evidence suggesting a vitamin D connection to these devastating diseases is growing." Cannell et al. 2008 Cod Liver Oil, Vitamin A Toxicity, Frequent Respiratory Infections, and the Vitamin D Deficiency Epidemic. Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology 117 (11): 864-870

"Improving calcium and vitamin D nutritional status substantially reduces all-cancer risk in postmenopausal women." Lappe et al. 2007 Vitamin D and calcium supplementation reduces cancer risk: results of a randomized trial. Am J of Clin, Nutr. 85 (6): 1586-1591.

"Vitamin D is an inhibitor of the renin-angiotensin system and has anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant properties." "Low serum 25 (OH) D levels are associated with a higher prevalence of Peripheral Arterial Disease. Several mechanisms have been invoked in the literature to support a potential anti-atherosclerotic activity of vitamin D." Melamed et al. 2008 Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels and the Prevalence of Peripheral Arterial Disease. Thrombosis andVascular Biology 28: 1179-1185

The most important thing to know is that in the VAST majority of cases, vitamin D deficiency is asymptomatic up to the point of serious illness. The second important thing to know is that symptoms are very poor indicators regarding the CAUSE of illness, many, many causes of illness present with the same symptoms. However, here is a list of symptoms that can occur.

• Frequent Colds and/or Flu
• Depression
• Chronic pain
• Joint pain
• General muscle pain and weakness
• Headaches
• Muscle cramps
• Weight gain
• Restless sleep
• Fatigue
• High blood pressure
• Poor concentration
• Bladder problems
• Constipation or diarrhea

The answer is SUNLIGHT. In order to get the daily requirement of vitamin D from sunlight you would need to have direct summer month sun exposure on your arms and legs for a minimum of 10-15 minutes per day. This is why vitamin D deficiency is so common in non-tropical climates, especially in the winter months. Of course in the industrial nations neither the climate nor the season are accurate determinants of the amount of sun exposure because most people spend the majority of their time inside or covered up when outside.

So, if you are not getting a minimum of 15 minutes per day of direct summer sunlight on bare arms and legs (without sunscreen) then you need another source of vitamin D. What are the other available sources of vitamin D you ask? Great question!

The simple fact is that humans were never meant to get their vitamin D from food. Genetically humans are designed to get vitamin D from sunlight. As we have outlined above this is simply not a realistic option for most humans living and working indoors or who live in areas where sunlight levels change with the seasons. It should be noted here that humans with pigmented skin (non-caucasians) require significantly more sun exposure to achieve sufficient vitamin D levels. This means these people are at an even greater risk for illnesses caused by vitamin D deficiency.

As humans migrated away from the equator we had to devise ways of replacing the sun as a source of vitamin D. In other words, in order to survive non equatorial climates humans had to find a source of vitamin D other than sunlight. Over thousands of years of experimentation virtually every human culture learned that the best way to stay sufficient in vitamin D in environments with reduced sun exposure was to consume marine animal liver or liver oil. Cod liver oil is probably the best known and widely recognized as the best source of dietary vitamin D for humans. For centuries humans have used cod liver oil as a safe and effective way to achieve sufficient vitamin D levels in the absence of sun exposure.

• Fatty wild fish like mackerel, salmon, halibut, tuna, sardines and herring
• Fortified milk, orange juice and cereal
• Dried Shitake mushrooms
• Egg yolks

To get adequate amounts of vitamin D from food, you would have to eat at least 5 servings of salmon a day or drink 20 cups of fortified milk.

The current ranges for "normal" are 20 to 55 ng/ml. These are much too low!!! They may be fine if you want to prevent rickets or osteomalacia, but not for optimal health. The ideal range for optimal health is 50-80 ng/ml.