May 21, Sioux Falls, SD: A new review published in the May 2024 issue of the Journal of Nutrition evaluated all commercially available omega-3 tests on the North American market. The goal of this narrative review, according to its authors, was to provide more context around all of the omega-3 testing options and discuss the evidence linking increased omega-3 intake or status to improved health, in support of recommendations to increase omega-3 intake and testing.
The study authors firmly believe testing could significantly improve the interpretation of omega-3 research results and lead to an increased intake of these important nutrients, especially for those with low levels. But finding common ground among the variety of omega-3 tests has been a challenge.
Currently, numerous commercial laboratories provide fatty acid testing of blood and breast milk samples by different methods and present their results in a variety of report formats: full fatty acid profile, Omega-3/Omega-6 fatty acid profiles, fatty acid ratios, as well as the Omega-3 Index, the Holman Omega-3 Test, OmegaScore, and OmegaCheck, among others.
Some of the major differences between these tests relate to the methods used to analyze omega-3s in samples, as well as the type of specimen used for analysis (red blood cells vs. plasma).
The study authors did single out the Omega-3 Index for the amount of clinical substantiation behind it, as well as the advantage of testing in red blood cells as a more long-term, stable, and reliable biomarker of omega-3 status. They also said that there is good evidence to suggest that a value between an Omega-3 Index of 8% and 11% is associated with favorable outcomes and below 4% with unfavorable outcomes.
From a research standpoint, the authors believe the lack of omega-3 baseline and post-intervention testing has contributed to the neutral results for many studies. Including only those subjects with low omega-3 status would result in more accurate conclusions about omega-3s’ benefits in particular health areas as well as help identify who could benefit the most from increasing omega-3 intake.
In a recent interview with the senior author of this review, Dr. Kevin Maki, during the OmegaMatters podcast with Drs. Bill Harris and Kristina Jackson, he said, “I think we’re heading toward a day when clinicians will be routinely assessing omega-3 status and for people with low status, recommending an intervention to raise their status… it’s hard to make healthy people healthier. If you start with low status and move people up to above average status, you’re more likely to see benefits. And I think more trials should be evaluated that way.”
Most people globally do not consume enough omega-3s to reap their health protective benefits. And there are likely several reasons for this: 1) people might not have access to fish (the main dietary source of omega-3 EPA and DHA) or supplements; 2) some people don’t like fish or supplements; 3) these options can be expensive for those on a tight budget; and 4) consuming omega-3s does not typically result in benefits people can feel.
Even for those who do eat fish and/or take supplements, there are several other factors that can impact someone’s omega-3 status. According to Dr. Bill Harris, President of the Fatty Acid Research Institute (FARI) and Founder of OmegaQuant, “You can’t know your Omega-3 Index just by knowing that you eat fish or take fish oil supplements. Just like you can’t know your cholesterol level by looking in the mirror. You need to test,” he said.
“While the Omega-3 Index test has the most data behind it, I think for anyone who is interested in knowing their omega-3 status that any testing is more important than not testing at all,” Dr. Maki said in his interview with Dr. Harris.
While the purpose of this review was not to determine the “best” omega-3 test, the authors said that evaluating omega-3 status is a critical and necessary step in the process of striving to reap the potential health benefits of increasing omega-3 intake — a fact that has been underappreciated by laypersons and researchers, and sadly, by healthcare providers. For the future, they believe the widespread adoption of omega-3 status testing will favorably impact personal and public health.
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Study Link:
https://jn.nutrition.org/article/S0022-3166(24)00164-0/fulltext
Media Inquiries:
Becky Wright
Marketing Communications Director, OmegaQuant
+1-201-675-0197
About OmegaQuant:
OmegaQuant is an independent, CLIA-certified lab that offers nutritional status testing to researchers, clinicians and the public. OmegaQuant performs analysis in Sioux Falls, SD, for commercial and academic research collaborators, and for consumers interested in monitoring their nutritional status in both blood and breast milk. Its goal is to offer the highest quality fatty acid analytical services to researchers and to provide simple tests of nutritional status to consumers, with the ultimate purpose of advancing the science and use of certain nutrients to improve health. Internationally, OmegaQuant works with lab partners based in Australia and the UK. In the UK, it has a partnership with the University of Stirling, based in the Scotland, to help process blood samples from Europe. Learn more @ www.omegaquant.com
About FARI:
FARI was established in 2020 as a non-profit foundation that brings together nutrition scientists and biostatistical experts with strong publication records and expertise in fatty acids to accelerate discovery of the relationship between fatty acids, especially omega-3s, and health. FARI is currently the only organization focused directly on discovering and publishing research evaluating the health effects of individual fatty acids. Learn more @ www.faresinst.org