NanOmega³: What the Experts Say*

Scientific Experts Comment on Flax, Fish Oil, Lignans, Vitamin E, Vitamin D and Folic Acid

Please be advised that providing the following quotes are not presented as proofs or claims that BioPharma products diagnose, prevent, or treat any disease, but rather are for your educational purposes only.*

“functional foods... can be regarded as functional if they can be satisfactorily demonstrated to affect beneficially one or more target functions in the body, beyond adequate nutritional effects, in a way relevant to an improved state of health and well-being and/or reduction of risk of disease. Functional foods must remain foods and they must achieve their effects in amounts normally consumed in a diet...” - Functional Food Science in Europe, Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2001 Aug;11(4 Suppl):20-3

“Limit saturated fat intake to less than 7 percent of total daily calories. Limit trans fat intake to less than 1 percent of total daily calories. The remaining fat should come from sources of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as nuts, seeds, fish and vegetable oils.” - Know Your Fats, American Heart Association

“Both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are essential... omega-6 are significantly more inflammatory... This necessitates that omega-3 and omega-6 be consumed in a balanced proportion; the ideal ratio of omega-6/omega-3 being from 3:1 to 5: 1. Typical Western diets provide ratios of between 10:1 and 30:1 - i.e., dramatically skewed toward omega-6.” - Simopoulos AP, Cleland LG. Omega-6/Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acid Ratio: The Scientific Evidence. World Rev Nutr Diet. Basel, Karger, 2003, Vol 92.

“These dietary goals can be met by limiting the intake of fat from dairy and meat sources, avoiding the use of hydrogenated oils and fats in cooking and manufacture of food products, using appropriate edible vegetable oils in small amounts, and ensuring a regular intake of fish (one to two times per week) or plant sources of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)...Regular fish consumption is protective against coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke and is recommended. The serving should provide an equivalent of 200-500 mg of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid. People who are vegetarians are recommended to ensure adequate intake of plant sources of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).” - Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases, WHO Technical Report Series, Sec 916.

“Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an abundant fatty acid in the brain. In the diet, DHA is found mostly in fatty fish. The content of DHA has been shown to be decreased in the brain and plasma of patients with dementia.” - Schaefer, EJ, et. al. Plasma Phosphatidylcholine Docosahexaenoic Acid Content and Risk of Dementia and Alzheimer Disease The Framingham Heart Study, Arch Neurol. 2006;63:1545-1550.

“Epidemiological studies suggest that increased intake of the omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is associated with reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD)” - Freund-Levi Y, et. al. ”Omega-3 supplementation in mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease: effects on neuropsychiatric symptoms.” International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry Published online 21 June 2007, doi 10.1002/gps.1857

“Epidemiological studies suggest that diets rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids reduce cancer incidence.” - Berquin IM, Min Y YQ, et. al, Modulation of prostate cancer genetic risk by omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, J. Clin. Invest. 117:1866-1875 (2007).

“These results support a protective role of n-3 PUFA (omega 3) supplementation in the prevention of colorectal cancer.” - Nowak J, et. al. Colitis-associated colon tumorigenesis is suppressed in transgenic mice rich in endogenous n-3 fatty acid. sCarcinogenesis Advance Access, published online on July 18, 2007, Carcinogenesis, doi:10.1093/carcin/bgm166

“Supplementing Omega -3- PUFA intake may be of benefit in preventing retinopathy.” - Kip M, et. al., Increased dietary intake of -3-polyunsaturated fatty acids reduces pathological retinal angiogenesis, Nature Medicine 13, 868 - 873 (2007)

“Periodontitis is responsible for most tooth loss in adult populations. If enough omega-3 fatty acids are provided, periodontitis with alveolar bone resorption may be controlled, and tooth loss may be prevented.” - Hamazaki K, Itomura M, et al. Fish oil reduces tooth loss mainly through its anti-inflammatory effects? Med Hypotheses,2006;67(4):868-870.

“These data point to a benefit for problem solving... at age 9 months in infants of mothers who consumed a DHA-containing functional food during pregnancy.” - Judge MP, Harel O, Lammi-Keefe CJ. Maternal consumption of a docosahexaenoic acid-containing functional food during pregnancy: benefit for infant performance on problem-solving but not on recognition memory tasks at age 9 months. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 85, No. 6, 1572-1577, June 2007

“Flaxseed(s)...are rich sources of the essential fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is a biologic precursor to omega-3 fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid...omega-3 fatty acids have been associated with improved cardiovascular outcomes... The lignan constituents of flaxseed (not flaxseed oil) possesses in vitro anti-oxidant and possible estrogen receptor agonist/antagonist properties,” - Flaxseed and Flaxseed Oil (Linum usitatissimum), Natural Standard Monograph, www.naturalstandard.com 2007.

“Flax is a potent source of lignans.... studies suggested that they may interfere with the development of breast, prostate, colon, and other tumors in humans.” - Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Vol. 86 No.23. December 7, 1994 pg. 1748

“Secoisolariciresinol diglycoside, or SDG, is a plant lignan most notably found in flaxseed (linseed). SDG is classified as a phytoestrogen since it is a plant-derived, nonsteroid compound that possesses estrogen-like activity.” - PDRHealth.com

“Flaxseed, a rich source of mammalian lignan precursor secoisolariciresinol-diglucoside (S.D.) And alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) has been shown to be protective at the early promotion stage of carcinogenesis.” - Thompson LU, et. al. Flaxseed and its lignan and oil components reduce mammary tumor growth at a late stage of carcinogenesis. Carcinogenesis (1996 Jun) 17(6):1373 6

“Flaxseed ash received attention from the National Cancer Institute because it contains large amounts of a phytochemical Secoisolariciresinol and omega-3 fatty acids. Lignans, as a class, have a wide variety of biological activity. Flaxseed lignans in particular, are being actively studied as a dietary intervention in breast and colon cancer.” - The FASEB Journal, Vol 7, Number 3, February 19, 1993

“The mean decrease in hot flash scores after flaxseed therapy was 57% (median decrease 62%). The mean reduction in daily hot flash frequency was 50% (median reduction 50%), from 7.3 hot flashes to 3.6. This study suggests that dietary therapy decreases hot flash activity in women not taking estrogen therapy.” - Pruthi S, et. al., Pilot evaluation of flaxseed for the management of hot flashes. Journal of the Society for Integrative Oncology, Volume 5, edition 3, pp 106-12, Summer 2007

“A major problem of Western diets may not be the presence of meat or dairy products in the diet but the absence of desirable ingredients of vegetarian diets, namely dietary fiber and certain plant lignans and isoflavonoids.” - Stephens FO, Breast cancer: aetiological factors and associations (a possible protective role of phytoestrogens). Aust N Z J Surg (1997 Nov) 67(11):755 60

“These results suggest that vitamin E should be supplemented in fish oil feeding to prevent the enhanced lipid peroxidation... in the body.” - Cho SH, et. al. Lipid peroxidation and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine formation in rats fed fish oil with different levels of vitamin E. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 1995 Feb;41(1):61-72.

“Several epidemiological studies have demonstrated that vitamin E is a chemo-preventative agent for prostate cancer. Alpha-Tocopheryl Succinate (VES), a derivative of vitamin E, effectively modulates prostate cancer cell growth.” - Ni J, Chen M, Zhang Y, Li R, Huang J, Yeh S. Vitamin E succinate inhibits human prostate cancer cell growth via modulating cell cycle regulatory machinery. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2003 Jan 10;300(2):357-63

“Alpha-Tocopheryl Succinate (is) the most effective form of vitamin E in comparison to -tocopherol, -tocopheryl acetate and -tocopheryl nicotinate in inducing differentiation, inhibition of proliferation and apoptosis in cancer cells” - Prasad KN, Kumar B, Yan X, et al. Alpha-tocopheryl succinate, the most effective form of vitamin E for adjunctive cancer treatment. A review. J Am Coll Nutr, 2003;22(2):108-17

“For adults, the 5-microg (200 IU) vitamin D recommended dietary allowance may prevent osteomalacia in the absence of sunlight, but more is needed to help prevent osteoporosis and secondary hyperparathyroidism. Other benefits of vitamin D supplementation are implicated epidemiologically: prevention of some cancers, osteoarthritis progression, multiple sclerosis, and hypertension...To ensure that serum 25(OH)D concentrations exceed 100 nmol/L, a total vitamin D supply of 100 micrograms (4000 IU)/d is required.” - Vieth R. Vitamin D supplementation, 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations, and safety. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 May;69(5):842-56.

“Ecological and observational studies suggest that low vitamin D status could be associated with higher mortality from life-threatening conditions including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes mellitus that account for 60% to 70% of total mortality in high-income countries” - Autier, P Gandini S. ”Vitamin D Supplementation and Total Mortality: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.” Arch Intern Med. 2007;167:1730-1737.

“raising vitamin D levels may prevent up to half of all breast and two thirds of colorectal cancer cases in the United States.” - Karen Glanz, PhD, Emory University's Prevention Research Center Director, Rollins School of Public Health in Atlanta, Georgia

“In a cross-section of older adults, vitamin D deficiency was associated with low mood and with impairment on two of four measures of cognitive performance.” - Wilkins CH, Sheline YI, et al. Vitamin D Deficiency Is Associated With Low Mood and Worse Cognitive Performance in Older Adults. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry,2006;14:1032-1040.

“Folic acid supplementation can reduce risk of stroke (by 25%)... patients with a variety of diseases are often deficient in folic acid, other B vitamins such as vitamin B6 and vitamin B12, and the omega-3 fatty acids (particularly DHA)”. - Lancet. 2007;369:1876-1882, 1841-1842.

“Folic acid lowers the risk of ...birth defects. It may also have anti-atherogenic, anti-carcinogenic, neuroprotective and antidepressant actions...Epidemiologic studies have shown that diminished folate status is associated with colorectal, lung, esophageal, brain, cervical and breast cancers...Low concentrations of folate in the blood have been associated with poor cognitive function, dementia and Alzheimer's disease-related neurodegeneration of the brain...Folate deficiency has been associated with depression and other psychiatric symptoms...Based upon findings from this updated meta-analysis, it has been estimated that, for every 50 microgram daily increase in average food folate intake, 4,000 to 18,000 deaths due to cardiovascular disease could be prevented annually.” - PDRHealth.com