Sioux Falls Biotech Leader Known For Omega-3 Index Becomes National Fellow

Published in the Sioux Falls Business Journal on June 17, 2020

Dr. Bill Harris, the founder and president of Sioux Falls-based OmegaQuant, has been named to the Class of 2020 Fellows by the American Society of Nutrition. Read more.

Brazilian Study Finds Higher Omega-3s Equate To Less DNA Damage

Published in Nutraingredients Latin America on June 5, 2020

A study done in Brazilian adolescents has shown that higher levels of omega-3s are associated with a lower incidence of DNA damage. Read more.

OmegaQuant’s Dr. Bill Harris Named ASN Fellow

Featured in Whole Foods Magazine on May 19, 2020

OmegaQuant has announced that its Founder and President, William S. Harris, Ph.D., has been inducted into the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) Class of 2020 Fellows. ASN recognizes individuals for significant discoveries and distinguished careers in the field of nutrition. Dr. Harris’ research has focused on understanding the role of omega-3 fatty acids in lowering risk for cardiovascular disease. In his 40-year career, he has been the principal investigator on five omega-3-related NIH grants. He currently has 300 omega-3-related publications and has co-authored three American Heart Association Advisory Statements on omega-3 (and omega-6) fatty acids and heart health. Read more.

Can Omega-3s Help Square the Curve?

By William S. Harris, PhD, Featured in Nutraceuticals World on May 1, 2020

Pursuing the fountain of youth becomes all the more relevant with age. But the key to aging these days is not just extending life but continuing to remain healthy and active as consumers glide into their golden years. We know this as “squaring the curve,” or living well until the very end. In this vein, new research is showing that some nutrients might be more important than others in staying healthier longer. Here we will focus on the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. Read more.

OmegaQuant, Standard Process Offer Omega-3 Testing Kits for Healthcare Practitioners

Featured in Whole Foods Magazine on April 27, 2020

OmegaQuant has partnered with Standard Process to offer an Omega-3 Index testing kit to healthcare practitioners, to help them better support patients’ health, according to a press release. The Standard Process Omega-3 Index Plus test kit was developed by OmegaQuant, which was founded by William S. Harris, Ph.D., known for developing the Omega-3 Index. Studies have shown that those with a higher Omega-3 Index support their heart, brain, and eye health. However, most Americans are omega-3 deficient, the press release notes. Read more.

Episode #18: Omega-3s Effect on Heart and Health

Featured in Health, Psychology & Human Nature Podcast on April 7, 2020
Omega-3 are some of the most important nutrients when it comes to health. They are also some of the most studied. In this episode of Health, Psychology & Human Nature, host Andre Sturesson discusses how omega-3 affect the heart, mental health, babies and even sperm with OmegaQuant’s Drs. Bill Harris and Kristina Harris Jackson. He also discusses how much Omega-3 people need, supplements and dietary sources, and how to measure omega-3 levels. Listen here.

New Evidence Emerges on the Importance of EPA Levels and Cardiac Events

Published in Nutraingredients USA on April 2, 2020
Research presented at the American College of Cardiology Meeting found a direct correlation between higher blood levels of omega-3s (in this case the specific level of EPA) and fewer cardiac events. Triglyceride levels, whether lower or higher, were not correlated in the same way. Read more.

Heart Health – A Crowded, Competitive, and Niche Market for Supplements

Published in Nutritional Outlook on April 1, 2020
Heart health is a solid category where natural solutions have found fertile ground for the last several years. But it is also crowded and very generic. That’s why there is a lot of movement to be more specific about a heart health product’s benefits, as well as find new angles for innovation. Read more.

Heart Association Advisory on High Triglycerides Could Help Raise Omega-3 Supplements

Published in Nutraingredients USA on March 6, 2020
A new scientific advisory for the use of omega-3s in lowering critically high triglyceride levels will bolster overall recognition and scientific backing of these nutrients among the community of physicians, according to longtime omega-3 researcher William S. Harris of OmegaQuant. Read more.

OmegaQuant’s Dr. Kristina Harris Jackson Joins Podcast to Discuss DHA and Babies

Featured in The Less Stressed Life Podcast on February 1, 2020
OmegaQuant’s Dr. Kristina Harris Jackson recently joined Christa Biegler for Part 2 of their podcast conversation (Part 1 can be found here), which focused on omega-3 doses for pregnant women and the importance of prenatal DHA testing. Listen here.

Keys to a Healthy Heart

Published in Whole Foods Magazine on January 23, 2020
Healthy lifestyle factors can prevent it, yet it’s the number one health threat in the world, says Trisha Sugarek MacDonald, BS, MS, Sr. Director of Research & Development at Bluebonnet Nutrition Corporation. She’s talking, of course, about cardiovascular disease, a variety of conditions that affect the heart—from infections to genetic defects and blood vessel diseases. Read more.

Two Drug Trial Failures Not Good News for Omega-3 Sector

Published in Nutraingredients USA onJanuary 15, 2020
The omega-3 sector has endured a bad week with the announcement of the failure of clinical trials of two high profile drugs — one based on fish oil and hte other on krill oil. OmegaQuant’s William S. Harris weighs in on what this means. Read more.

STRENGTH Omega-3 Trial Discontinued

Published in Whole Foods Magazine on January 14, 2019
The STRENGTH trial for Epanova, omega-3 carboxylic acids, has been discontinued due to its low likelihood of demonstrating a benefit to patients with mixed dyslipidaemia who are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a press release from AstraZeneca, manufacturers of Epanova. The decision was made following the recommendation from an independent Data Monitoring Committee. Read more.

OmegaQuant partners with Australian agency to drive omega-3s research

Published in Nutraingredients USA on December 16, 2019
A new lab partnership will help drive omega-3s research in the Asia Pacific region, according to OmegaQuant, a firm that has developed a simple blood test to measure levels of these important nutrients. Read more.

ISSFAL publishes guidelines on analysis of omega-3 blood status in clinical research

Published in Nutraingredients USA on December 9, 2019
The International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (ISSFAL) has released new guidelines to encourage best practice in clinical trial design and study interpretation. Read more.

Episode #83: Bill Harris & Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Featured in Peter Attia’s Podcast, The Drive, on December 9, 2019
In this episode, Bill Harris, Ph.D. in human nutrition and expert on omega-3 fatty acids, sets the table by clearly defining the families of fatty acids (saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated) before diving into the current landscape of polyunsaturated fat (omega-6 and omega-3) with a particular focus on EPA and DHA (the two main elements of fish oil supplements). Bill gives a historical overview, updates us on the latest science related to the health benefits, and provides plenty of insights as to how we should think about increasing our EPA and DHA intake. Read more.

OmegaQuant Cheers Statement About Omega-3 Blood Testing

Published in WholeFoods Magazine on December 9, 2019
The International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (ISSFAL) has put together a formal statement regarding the importance of omega-3 blood testing in research studies, according to a press release from OmegaQuant. Read more.

Nutritional Outlook’s 2019 Best of the Industry Awards, Retail Brand/Product: OmegaQuant

Published in Nutritional Outlook on December 3, 2019
The omega-3 category has had its highs and lows over the years. Occasional bad press has hurt public opinion about the benefits of omega-3 EPA and DHA supplements, affecting sales, but the category always seems to bounce back. That’s probably because omega-3s remain among the most well researched and recognized nutrients on the market. Read more.

Vascepa’s label expansion could boost supplement realm

Published in Nutraingredients USA on November 15, 2019
An expert panel has recommended an expanded treatment envelope for the EPA drug Vascepa. An expert says the move won’t affect the supplement market directly but does add to recent official recognition of the health benefits of omega-3s. Read more.

New Answers From Long-term Studies of Dietary Fats: Many Will Be Surprised

Published in WholeFoods Magazine on October 17, 2019
A conversation with Dr. William S. Harris on the topic of new findings on fats. Read more.

Why and How to Get DHA in Your Diet, with Dr. Kristina Harris Jackson

Featured in Drruscio.com Podcast on October 14, 2019
You may not have expected fish and pregnancy to go together. But it turns out that fish contain a critical fatty acid called DHA. DHA has been shown in numerous studies to lower women’s preterm birth risk, and supplementing with fish oil is an easy way to get enough DHA in your diet (algae is another option). How much is enough? And what about avoiding mercury? Dr. Kristina Harris Jackson, an expert in omega-3s and measuring DHA in blood, shares everything you need to know about safely optimizing your DHA level. Listen here.

Building Omega-3 Market Momentum

Published in Nutraceuticals World on October 1, 2019
The total value of the global omega-3 market in 2017 was $1.32 billion, up 2.3% from 2016, according to the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3 (GOED). Dietary supplements hold the largest share of value (54%), alongside infant formula (19.7%), pharmaceuticals (15.1%), pet foods (6.0%), and food and beverages (4.3%). Read more.

Omega Fatty Acids and Their Clinical Importance: An Opinion

Published in Tekno Science on September 25, 2019
One of the important conclusions drawn about fish oil (rich in EPA and DHA) by several contributors is that EPA and DHA are of benefit in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and depression and anxiety. To achieve this beneficial action, it is suggested that an adult need to ake of 1g EPA + DHA per day. It was opined that increased intake of EPA/DHA could have prevented 227,000 European deaths during 2016. Read more.

Recent study devises “omega-3 calculator” to help researcher determine proper EPA and DHA doses

Published in Nutritional Outlook on August 28, 2019
A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition attempted to model the effects of omega-3 EPA and DHA supplementation on the omega-3 index of subjects. The model equation the researchers devised might make it possible to determine how much omega-3 EPA and DHA is needed to elevate the omega-3 index to the desired level. Read more.

Researchers develop “omega 3 calculator” to ensure the ideal dose

Published in Nutrition Insight on September 3, 2019
A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition will make it possible to calculate how much omega 3 EPA and DHA is needed in studies, for subjects to reach a healthy Omega 3 Index. The index measures the level of omega 3 EPA and DHA’s in the blood, and can be used as a risk factor for heart disease, among other conditions. The researchers highlight that dose likely played a role in the relative success or failure of previous studies that have focused on omega 3 as a research variable. Read more.

New Study Allows Researchers to Calculate Proper Dose of Omega-3s

Published in WholeFoods Magazine on August 27, 2019
A new study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has made it possible for researchers to calculate how much omega-3 fatty acids they need to use in their studies in order for subjects to reach a healthy Omega-3 Index (O3I), according to a press release. Read more.

OmegaQuant Growth Recognized by 2019 Inc. 5000 List

Published in Nutraceuticals World on August 19, 2019
OmegaQuant, an independent, CLIA-certified lab that offers Omega-3 Index testing, has earned a spot on the 2019 Inc. 5000 list, which features the fastest-growing private companies in America. Growing 177% in a three-year period, OmegaQuant offers evidence-based nutritional status tests to researchers, health practitioners, and consumers, with a focus on fatty acids. Read more.

Episode #142: Prenatal DHA Testing with OmegaQuant

Featured in the Whole Mamas Podcast on July 16, 2019
Dr. Elana, host of the Whole Mamas Podcast interviews Dr. Kristina Harris Jackson from OmegaQuant, a company that specializes in Omega-3 testing. These beneficial fats are known as Essential Fatty Acids because your body cannot produce them on its own so they must come from your diet. This episode takes a deep dive into the science behind DHA, one of the essential fatty acids. Did you know that some research suggests that low levels of DHA can increase preterm births by 42%? Learn more about the importance of DHA during pregnancy and postpartum, how to test your levels, whether you should supplement, and what foods you can eat to boost your DHA levels. Listen here.