Fatty Acids

The adequate provision of a balanced spectrum of fatty acids is one of the cornerstones of optimum nutrition. In many cases, dietary intake of the most beneficial fatty acids, especially polyunsaturated types (PUFA), are deficient. It is therefore desirable to augment fatty acid intake with supplemental sources such as Evening Primrose oil, fish oil or flaxseed oil. Very often, however, these supplemental fatty acids are incompletely absorbed, especially as the chain length increases. Moreover, individuals with gastrointestinal disturbances or sensitivities frequently have sub-optimal absorptive efficiency.

Are these the only fish oils which are naturally enriched for EPA and DHA?

We think so!

At Pharmax and Seroyal however, we gently concentrate the levels of EPA and DHA by using natural lipase enzymes (and no alcohol or chemicals) which selectively remove shorter chain fatty acids from the fish oil triglyceride, leaving the EPA and DHA untouched. This patented process called NEO-3™ process is responsible for the superb palatability, and lack of fishy odors and aftertaste that characterizes Pharmax and Seroyal fish oil products.

Fish and Cod Liver Oils

What Makes Pharmax Omega Oils So Different?

The Standard Process for Concentrating Fish Oils
Many premium fish oil products are processed to produce higher levels of EPA and DHA. However, almost all of these processes involve both chemicals and alcohol in the enrichment process and result in the fish oil being converted into a 'mixture of ethyl ester', where the individual fatty acids, including EPA and DHA are bound to alcohol molecules. The ethyl esters that contain the shorter chain fatty acids are lighter than those containing long chain fatty acids (such as EPA and DHA) and hence can be 'boiled away' in the process known as molecular distillation, leaving a higher concentration of the longer chain fatty acid (EPA and DHA) esters. This mixture either becomes the finished product (many softgel capsules contain ethyl esters), or further processing takes place to re-convert the ethyl esters back into triglycerides. These triglycerides however have a different configuration of fatty acids to that found in the original fish oil.

As such, virtually all concentrated fish oil products on the market are either ethyl esters or reconstituted triglycerides—both of which are unnatural. This is particularly true of ethyl esters, which are completely de novo molecules that are not naturally found in any whole food product.

The CRYO-3 Process
When subjected to low temperature, triglycerides that have a high proportion of saturated fatty acids start to solidify, due to the higher 'freezing point' of saturated fatty acids compared to unsaturated fatty acids such as EPA and DHA.

The CRYO-3 process has now been optimized whereby the fish oil is cryoprotected as it is gradually taken to very low temperatures, enabling accurate fractional crystallization or 'precipitation' of the triglycerides carrying high levels of saturated fatty acids. Once the solid fractions have been separated, the remaining liquid fraction has a higher ratio of EPA and DHA.

This process is used by Pharmax to produce its High EPA Finest Pure Fish Oil and Ultimate Cod Liver Oil.

Pharmax NEO-3™ and CRYO-3 concentrated fish oils retain the natural configuration and structure of glycerides found in the original oil.
Not only are these processes a gentle and natural way of enriching fish oil while maintaining the natural configuration of the original fish oil molecules, but we think it is also the reason why our oils tasted so clean with no hint of fishy tasted or odor.......even after you've taken it!

The following Pharmax omega products are produced using either the NEO-3™ or CRYO-3 process, as shown:

Moreover, we have established just how effective the Multox system is by measuring the stability of all products under their normal usage conditions. For instance, with Finest Pure Fish Oil kept at room temperature, one teaspoon was removed every two days and analysed for evidence of peroxidation.

This provides the hardest test for any product because, as the bottle becomes depleted of oil, the residual oil is exposed to progressively more oxygen. The result opposite shows that the Multox system is totally effective in preventing peroxidation and this means that anyone using the Pharmax range of products can be assured that the last teaspoon from the bottle will be as fresh and pure as the first.

Plant Oils

Plant Oils

As such, flaxseed oil-containing products should be considered a cornerstone for any program aimed at boosting overall levels of omega-3 intake.

The Pharmax Omega 3:6:9 Range

What is Special about WisdOM-3™

When we digest most fats and oils in our diet, the emulsification that naturally occurs in the stomach and intestine is sufficient to ensure that complete absorption takes place. However, the problem with the most important omega-3's, EPA and DHA, is that they are very long molecules and our digestive tract finds them much more difficult to digest and absorb. The result is that over half are left behind and not absorbed, and is probably the reason why people often complain of 'repeating' after taking cod liver and other fish oils.

What else does WisdOM-3™ do?

Finally WisdOM-3™ causes oils to lose their 'oiliness' and also allows natural flavors and fruit concentrates to be added, making WisdOM-3™ products delicious to take either directly from the spoon or mixed into fruit juices or smoothies.

The following Pharmax products are made using the WisdOM-3™ process:

Combination nutrients—products like the unique Cardol combine oils and other cardiovascular nutrients to produce probably the most complete cardiovascular supplement available anywhere. Cardol can only be made using the WisdOM-3™ process.

Pharmax Fish and Cod Liver Oils are Ultra Pure

Increasing pollution of oceans and seas, globally, has led to accumulation of toxins, such as heavy metals and various chlorinated phenolic products call PCB's, in fish. As such, oils extracted from the fish, particularly from the liver, carry these contaminants. The good news is that most high quality fish and cod liver oils, including those from Pharmax, have these contaminants extracted out during the refining of the oil. The result is that all Pharmax fish oils contain virtually undetectable levels of heavy metals and PCB's. The table clearly shows that the levels of mercury and dioxins detected per 1000mg of EPA/DHA in our Finest Pure Fish Oil are thousands of times lower than those found in fresh sardine, with dioxins at least 85 times lower. This means that the Pharmax oils are so good that from a purity perspective, it is better to take the oil than eat the original fish!

However, to provide the ultimate level of insurance, Pharmax has every batch of fish oil independently tested by third parties to ensure that there are no detectable levels of any contaminants.

Levels of Contaminants in Standard Portions of Raw Wild and Farmed Fish Compared with Pharmax Finest Pure Fish Oil
Fish Species/Product	Total Mercury mcg (parts per million)	Total PCB ng (parts per billion)	Total Dioxins pg (parts per trillion)
Tuna (Albacore)—Per 7oz (200g) Per 1000mg EPA/DHA	70mcg 40.6mcg	20,000ng 11,600ng	46.0pg 26.7pg
Swordfish—Per 7oz (200g) Per 1000mg EPA/DHA	196mcg 119.7mcg	— —	— —
Salmon (Wild)—Per 7oz (200g) Per 1000mg EPA/DHA	<10mcg 4.79mcg	560ng 268ng	36.0pg 17.25pg
Salmon (Farmed)—Per 7oz (200g) Per 1000mg EPA/DHA	<10mcg <3.8mcg	6200ng 1170ng	106.0pg 20.0pg
Sardine—Per 7oz (200g) Per 1000mg EPA/DHA	<10mcg <40.6mcg	8000ng 4073ng	80.0pg 42.6pg
Halibut—Per 7oz (200g) Per 1000mg EPA/DHA	50.0mcg 53.8mcg	— —	215.0pg 200.0pg
COD—Per 7oz (200g) Per 1000mg EPA/DHA	20.0mcg 63.0mcg	— —	20.0pg 63.3pg
Pharmax Finest Pure Fish Oil—Per Teaspoon (4.7g) Per 1000mg EPA/DHA	0mcg† 0mcg†	<5ng <2ng	1.2pg 0.5pg
Current advice by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for women of child-bearing age, nursing mothers & young children is to limit intake of methyl mercury to <50mcg / week. (1 portion of Albacore Tuna exceeds this level!) † Not detectable at levels of 0.01ppm (or 0.06mcg per teaspoon) Compiled from Mozaffarian & Rimm, JAMA 2006

 

Fish Oils Emulsified by WisdOM-3™

The wonderful health benefits offered by increasing intake of omega-3's are well recognized, but some people prefer not to take lots of capsules and additionally do not like the oily mouthfeel and potential 'fishiness' of liquid oil products. For these reasons, Pharmax scientists began to study ways of emulsifying omega oils using a natural process called WisdOM-3™ to make them more palatable. However, in the course of this work, they uncovered some facts about absorption of omega-3's that are beginning to completely change the way in which omega-3's are presented. Here are some facts about WisdOM-3™.......

Pharmax Fish and Cod Liver Oils Resist Oxidation

EPA and DHA are long chain fatty acids that are highly unsaturated, and this makes them prone to rapid 'peroxidation' or rancidity, if the oils are exposed to air over extended periods. This can be prevented by the addition of the appropriate mixture of antioxidants added to the oils in the correct concentrations. Pharmax has developed a mixture of natural mixed tocopherols, called the Multox system, which provides maximum protection to all Pharmax omega oil products.

Moreover, we have established just how effective the Multox system is by measuring the stability of all products under their normal usage conditions. For instance, with Finest Pure Fish Oil kept at room temperature, one teaspoon was removed every two days and analysed for evidence of peroxidation.

This provides the hardest test for any product because, as the bottle become depleted of oil, the residual oil is exposed to progressively more oxygen. The result opposite shows that the Multox system is totally effective in preventing peroxidation and this means that anyone using the Pharmax range of products can be assured that the last teaspoon form the bottle will be as fresh and pure as the first.

Plant Oils

Much emphasis is placed on our requirement for fish oil derived EPA and DHA, and while these two fatty acids are of utmost importance, the precursor omega-3 fatty acid, alpha linolenic acid (ALA) is an equally important part of our overall omega-3 intake. Indeed, alongside the omega-6 fatty acid, linoleic acid, ALA is the only other universally recognized essential fatty acid. The richest sources of ALA are plant oils, particularly flaxseed oil, which is approximately 50%-60% ALA by weight, making it an important source of omega-3 fatty acids for vegetarians.

The Pharmax Omega 3:6:9 Range

In our opinion, fresh flaxseed oil is so flavorsome, the best way to increase intake is to use it as a culinary oil. With the Omega 3:6:9 range, flaxseed oil has been blended with a mixture of extra virgin olive, sesame and evening primrose oils to produce a delicious, nutritionally balanced culinary oil to be used as a salad dressing or in short duration cooking. Other oils such as CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) and phytosterols are added for those individuals interested in weight or cholesterol reduction respectively.

Omega Oils You Can Cook With

Importantly, Pharmax research has shown that flaxseed oil is more resistant to oxidation than is generally believed, particularly if it contains a potent antioxidant system such as Multox. Indeed, our research shows that high quality flaxseed oil can be kept at ambient temperature after opening and even used in short duration/low temperature cooking for up to 15 minutes without any significant increase in peroxidation value (see graph).

As such, flaxseed oil-containing products should be considered a cornerstone for any program aimed at boosting overall levels of omega-3 intake.

Unique DriCelle/ MicroCelle Process The DriCelle process has been specifically developed to overcome these problems by providing nutritional oils in a freeze-dried, emulsified, water-soluble powder form. This can then be taken either as a drink, by dissolving the powder in water or juice for high dosage supplementation, or in vegetarian (MicroCelle) capsules for lower level usage. The DriCelle process converts nutritional oils into a completely water-miscible emulsion in which the microscopically small oil droplets are microencapsulated with oligosaccharides. The emulsion is then freeze-dried at a temperature of between 0 to 20°F to form a water-soluble powder. Because the drying process takes place at such low temperatures and in a vacuum, there is no heat or oxidative damage to the oils. In addition, the DriCelle process significantly improves the absorptive efficiency of the oils. In an independent trial, total absorption of EPA & DHA was 226% and 125% greater when the fish oil was taken in the DriCelle form.

The DriCelle/ MicroCelle Range
The DriCelle range comes in two forms, powders and vegetarian (MicroCelle) capsules. These alternatives provide a variety of choice, which accommodates the need for different dosage regimes and personal preferences. The unique DriCelle processing is common to both formats.

Vacuum packing the dry powder preparation or encapsulating in vegetarian capsules ensures stability.

DriCelle Powders
All products are fully water-soluble powders which, when added to water, or preferably juice, produce a pleasant drink containing high dosage levels of fatty acids.

MicroCelle Vegetarian Capsules
The vegetarian capsules contain the freeze dried,
microencapsulated oils and are specially vacuum packed in bottles to ensure no oxidation occurs even in extended shelf life conditions. The micro-encapsulation means that these capsules produce little or none of the ‘oily reflux’ that is so common with traditional oil-filled, soft gelatin capsules. Moreover, with the exception of the capsules containing fish oil, all MicroCelle capsules are suitable for vegans—even the DHA and arachidonic acid products.

The unique DriCelle /Microcelle process developed within the Pharmax alliance is now recognized as a leading technology in the field of fatty acid nutrition. The process not only improves the absorption of fatty acids compared to normal oil products, but it also allows physiologically efficacious levels of fatty acids to be delivered in a palatable format and in combination with other water soluble nutrients.

These benefits, combined with the extensive range of nutritional oils available—most of them in vegetarian form- makes the DriCelle /MicroCelle products the state-of-the-art in providing the practitioner with fatty acid requirements for all therapeutic applications.

Benefits of DriCelle/MicroCelle Range of Fatty Acids
	Improved and more rapid absorption compared to liquid oils
	Available as pleasant drink or as a capsule, to provide full spectrum dosage format
	All products (except fish oil) suitable for vegetarians and vegans
	All products vacuum packed for total stability
	Wide range of omega-3 and omega-6 oils available
	Minimum oil taste and mouth feel