Omega-3 Science
Seal vs. Fish
Fish Consumption
- The American Heart Association recommends at least two servings of fish a week to meet minimum requirements of Omega-3 PUFAs.
- Two servings of fish = 6 OmegaVite BALANCE capsules or ¾ tablespoons of OmegaVite SOURCE
The major problem with marine sources of Omega-3 PUFAs is diet. Most people do not eat enough fish or seal. This is especially the case with children who often find the taste of seafood unpalatable.
In order to obtain 500mg of Omega-3 PUFAs from marine foods, one would need to eat between 2 - 26 servings weekly:
| Fish | EPA + DHA mg per serving | Amount needed to get 500mg EPA + DHA/day | Amount needed to get 500mg EPA + DHA/week |
| Cod | 134 | 3.7 | 25.9 |
| Catfish | 151 | 3.3 | 23.1 |
| Haddock | 203 | 2.5 | 17.5 |
| Clams | 241 | 2.1 | 14.7 |
| Shrimps | 267 | 1.9 | 13.3 |
| Wild Salmon | 1825 | 0.27 | 1.9 |
* Servings are 3oz, cooked portions
Graph source: Gebauer, S.K., et al., 2006.
Triglyceride vs. Ethyl Ester
Marine oil Omega-3 PUFAs in capsule form are available in two major forms:
- Triglyceride form (natural and reconverted)
- Ethyl Ester form (Methyl Esters: similar to Ethyl Easter but are uncommon)
OmegaVite BALANCE is available in "natural" triglyceride form.
"Natural" Triglyceride Form vs. "Synthetic" Ethyl Ester Form
Triglyceride form (TG) oil: unlike ethyl ester (EE) oil, contains glycerol to stabilize the oil in its natural form. The body must receive Omega-3 PUFAs in triglyceride form to yield positive health benefits.
Ethyl Ester form (EE): bodily conversion from ethyl ester form to triglyceride form is possible but conversion is slow and results in lowered Omega-3 PUFAs content. The cycle for conversion:
Ethyl Ester 
Free Fatty Acid 
Glycerol Triglyceride
Reconverted Triglyceride form: is used in many expensive fish oil concentrates. The cycle of reconverted concentrated fish oil begins with regular fish oil that is converted into an ethyl ester. This process is identical to the process above. The ethyl ester is then converted back to triglyceride form for easier bodily absorption:
Fish Oil Ethyl Ester Free Fatty Acid Glycerol Triglyceride
The two major problems with reconverted triglyceride form concentrated fish oils are: 1) price; and 2) chemical alteration. Like ethyl ester form, reconverted triglyceride form requires industrial chemicals high in contaminants that affect the purity and freshness of the Omega-3 PUFAs.
- OmegaVite Quality
- OmegaVite BALANCE is available in natural triglyceride form; no chemicals, no additives.
Simply put, OmegaVite BALANCE is the best source of unaltered Omega-3 PUFAs because of purity and freshness.
OmegaVite PLUS is concentrated fish oil available in ethyl ester form. All OmegaVite products meet all strict purity and freshness standards set by the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN).
Any concentrated fish oil is, or was once, in ethyl ester form. While some concentrated fish oils claim to be in natural triglyceride form, all are chemically altered from ethyl ester form to triglyceride form. Ethanol (an industrial chemical) is mixed with fish oil to yield higher levels of Omega-3 PUFAs. This process of chemical alteration can leave trace amounts of chemicals in the oil which result in higher impurities and lowered freshness (Take a look at our purity tests).
| Triglyceride | Ethyl Ester |
| Natural | Synthetic (chemically altered) |
| Bodily conversion not required | Must be converted to triglyceride form |
| Easier bodily absorption | Conversion before absorption |
| Higher blood levels of Omega-3 (when compared to ethyl ester form) | Lower blood levels of Omega-3 (when compared to triglyceride form) |