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Core 5 Supplements: Part One – Fish Oil

Prescott Compounding Pharmacy is dedicated to providing education and treatment for our patients. To accomplish this, we will issue a five part series detailing our “Core 5” supplements we provide at our pharmacy. We begin this series with fish oil.

Fish oil, also known as omega-3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids that can’t be manufactured in the body.1 They can be provided by supplements, which will be discussed in detail later, or by dietary consumption. In foods, omega-3’s can be found in oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, trout, tuna and in shellfish such as mussels, oysters, and crabs.1,2

There are three types of omega-3’s we will review and are listed below:

  • DHA: docosahexaenoic acid
  • EPA: eicosapentaenoic acid
  • ALA: alpha-linolenic acid

DHA and EPA are not similar and are types of omega-3’s, sometimes referred to as long-chain omega-3’s due to there chemical structure.3 ALA, the third type of omega-3, is found in plant oils like flaxseed, soybean, and canola oils and used for “energy, and conversion into EPA and DHA is very limited.”2,4

Omega-3’s are an important part of the cell membrane in the body and affect the way cell receptors within those membranes work. Due to this, they are critical in providing a “starting point for making hormones that regulate blood clotting…relaxation of artery walls, and inflammation.”4

Indications for Omega-3’s include cardiovascular disease, lowering triglycerides, anti-inflammatory effects, which might improve symptoms in Rheumatoid arthritis.1 In a recent study, researchers randomly selected 987 individuals, and over 10 years, 31.5% of those patients had a major cardiovascular event. An event was defined as death, heart attack, stroke, or heart failure. Patients with highest levels of EPA in their blood “were less likley to experience a major cardiovascular event.”2 Further, individuals who “eat seafood between 1-4 times a week are less likely to die of heart disease vs those who do not.”2

Some side effects consist of burping, indigestion, and distortion of taste. Warnings before taking any fish oil supplements are hypersensitivity to fish or shellfish and if you are currently taking anti-platelets or anti-coagulants, as fish oil can prolong bleeding time.

At Prescott Compounding Pharmacy we offer fish oil in Xymogen’s MonoPure 1300 EC soft gels. Xymogen is only sold to healthcare providers, with strict standards of quality, purity and efficacy. MonoPure provides a “novel delivery system, studies show three times (300%) greater aborption of EPA and DHA compared to other leading fish oils.”5

Recommendation: MonoPure 1300 EC one soft gel daily, or use as directed by healthcare professional. Contains 860mg of omega-3’s (600mg of EPA and 260mg of DHA).

by Jimmy Stevens, Pharm. D.

 

References

  1. Fish Oil. www.mayoclinic.org. https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-fish-oil/art-20364810 Last reviewed December 8th, 2020. Accessed February 16th, 2022.
  2. Health Heart: Not all omega-3s are equal. medicalnewstoday.com. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/heart-health-not-all-omega-3s-are-equal#Omega-3-levels-in-the-blood Last reviewed May 21, 2021. Accessed February 16th, 2022.
  3. Omega-3 Supplements: In Depth. www.www.nccih.nih.gov. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/omega3-supplements-in-depth Last reviewed April 2021. Access February 16th, 2022.
  4. Omega-3 Fatty Acids: An Essential Contribution. www.hsph.harvard.edu. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-and-cholesterol/types-of-fat/omega-3-fats/ Accessed February 16th, 2022.
  5. Omega MonoPure Formulas. https://www.xymogen.com/assets/imageDisplay.ashx?productID=10905&attachmentTypeID=1 Accessed February 16th, 2022.