Fish Oil - Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Minami Nutrition Scientific Advisory Council

Minami Nutrition has a broad range of affiliations with the most respected medical research facilities in the world. Time and time again this research supports our understanding that a regular intake of Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil supplements have a profound
effect on health.

Minami Nutrition designs its supplements in consultation with a committee of independent and renowned scientists throughout the the world and its products are endorsed by the world renowned Omega-3 fat expert Michael Maes.

Chairman:

Jo Wyckmans, president, Minami Nutrition Inc, USA, Minami Nutrition SA Belgium,

Scientific Board Members:

Prof. dr. Jaak Ph. Janssens M.D., PhD
University Limburg, Belgium

Prof. Artemis P. Simopoulos, M.D.
Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health,
Washington DC, USA

Prof. Regina C. Casper, M.D.
Depart. of Psychiatry
Stanford University, California, USA

Prof. Dr. Richard J. Bloomer, PhD, CSCS
Depart. of Health and Sport Sciences
The University of Memphis, USA

Dr. Christa Eelen, M.D.
Gynaecology and Obstetrics
Antwerp University, Belgium

Prof. Krishna Vaddadi, PhD
Depart. of Psychiatry, Monash University,
Melbourne, Australia

Prof. Malcolm Peet, PhD
Depart. of Psychiatry
University of Sheffield, UK

Prof. Per A. Gustafsson, M.D.
Depart. of Child Psychiatry
Faculty of Health Sciences
University of linköping, Sweden

Dr. F. Pouwer, M.D.
Depart. of Medical Psychology
VU University Medical Center
Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Prof. dr. Luc van Gaal, M.D.
Depart. of Diabetology, Metabolism
and Clinical Nutrition
University of Antwerp, Belgium

Prof. Seid Abolghasem Djazayery
Prof. Seid Ali Keshavarz
University of Medical Sciences
Tehran, Iran

A. Frank, M.D.
Nutritionist at the Flemish
Association of GP’s, Belgium

Dr. Pharm. Geert Vergote, PhD
Belgium

Sofie Noppe, MSc (Biomed Sc)
Belgium

Myriam Peeters, M.D.
Psychiatry
Antwerp University, Belgium

Advice from our scientific board members :

1. For children of all ages, a regular intake of omega-3 is desirable for optimal brain development and function.

For children under 5, a direct supply of DHA is helpful as this is an essential component of the actual structure of the brain and nervous system. (For this reason, pregnant mothers should also ensure a good intake of DHA - along with other essential nutrients - to support the developing baby`s brain growth without putting their own supplies at risk of depletion. There is evidence that a low intake of omega-3 may increase the risk of maternal depression, for example.)

For older children, a greater emphasis should probably be placed on EPA, as this plays a more `functional` role.* Considerable research - including our own - now supports the view that EPA is likely to be more helpful than DHA in reducing difficulties in behaviour, learning and mood. Thus although both are important, a high-EPA formulation may be more suitable for children beyond the age of 5, and also for adults.

EPA is used to make other substances in the brain and body that regulate hormone balance, immune function and blood flow - and the ones made from EPA are essential to counterbalance others made from the omega-6 fatty acid, AA. The latter is plentiful in modern diets (mainly from meat and dairy produce), but its derivatives promote inflammation and blood clotting, while EPA`s derivatives are anti-inflammatory and improve blood flow.

2. Re seeking medical advice - this is always sensible for anyone who is taking *any* dietary supplement (or even making any significant change to their diet), so we would support the FSA recommendation. Any good doctor should know that omega-3 are essential nutrients that are often lacking from modern diets.

The main issue here is that some fish oil supplements may be contaminated with traces of heavy metals, PCBs or dioxins, because unfortunately not all manufacturers take sufficient care over the quality of their oils and manufacturing methods.

Another issue concerns fish liver oils - which may be too rich in Vitamins A and D for long-term use at high doses. Minami Nutrition products are exemplary in both of these respects, and this (together with their high concentration of the key omega-3) was one of the key reasons behind our decision to use them in our own research into behavioural and learning difficulties.

3. Re safety - the only known negative side-effects of omega-3 fatty acid supplements, even at high doses, concern digestive intolerance (i.e. nausea and loose stools). This affects only a small minority of individuals (estimated at less than 3% of the general population), but obviously, those >with a known fish allergy should avoid such products. One other point is that anyone taking anti-coagulant medications should notify their doctor before taking high doses of any fish oil, as this can have natural anti-coagulant effects (usually regarded as one of the major health benefits). This is obviously much more likely to apply to adults than to children, but provides another reason why people are advised to inform their medical practitioner when they take any supplement.