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The evolution of truth

By: Dr. Barry Sears Filed: 2/2/98

The 19th century German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer said that all truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.

The concept of the Zone is a new idea. It has gone through its ridicule stage, and now has entered the violent reaction phase, as many mainstream and backwoods nutritionists use the most outrageous untruths to bash the concept of the Zone.

Why such a violent reaction? Because the concept of food as a hormonal control agent disrupts the carefully constructed nutritional fiefdoms built over the past 20 years by the nutritional establishment. What good bureaucrat is going to stand up and stay ?I was wrong?? Not only wrong, but inadvertently decreased the quality of life for millions of Americans in the process. The Zone threatens to take away their livelihood. I would also feel threatened if I were in their shoes. But I am not.

For many years I labored out in the scientific wilderness discussing with anyone who cared to hear not only about the dangers of excess insulin and the resulting overproduction of bad eicosanoids as the underlying cause of heart disease, but also about how food could reverse those factors. The fact that more than two million of my books on the Zone have been sold indicates that a growing percentage of the American public is paying attention to this message. The fact that people are also beginning to question the ?wisdom? of the government?s nutritional policies is a pretty good reason for the violent reaction. How dare the average person tell our nutritional leaders (usually self-appointed) that their recommended low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets are simply not working!

Fortunately, more and more of my colleagues are beginning to come to the same conclusions that I did more than a decade ago. As more of them come to the same understanding, then the concept of the Zone will become self-evident with most (including the more voracious critics of Zone) saying their previous statements were simply misunderstood by an ignorant public. Oh, well, that?s why they are good bureaucrats. They know when to change positions with the shift of the wind.

Third World countries not immune to modern diseases

By: Dr. Barry Sears Filed: 5/5/97 If you believe current dogma, then heart disease, cancer and strokes are strictly diseases of modern civilization and the sedentary lifestyle of today?s couch potatoes. Politically correct statements, but unfortunately they don?t square with the facts.

For the first time, reliable figures are appearing that set the record straight. In a study commissioned by the World Health Organization and published in Lancet last week, it was found that 50.2 million people died worldwide in 1990. The leading cause of death? Heart disease, with more than 6.3 million deaths. But nearly 60 percent of those diseases came from the Third World. Cancers came next with 6 million deaths (with more than 50 percent coming from Third World countries), followed by stroke at 4.4 million with nearly 70 percent coming from the Third World.

Heart disease, cancer, and stroke ? all diseases that are routinely only associated with industrialized countries. Yet these three diseases accounted for more than 33 percent of all worldwide deaths with the vast majority coming from the Third World. It can?t be the sedentary lifestyle in those in the under-developed countries that's causing such alarming mortality percentages. Maybe the massive amount of grain that we routinely ship them to help their hunger could be part of the problem.

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More research links high insulin and heart attack risk By: Dr. Barry Sears Filed: 8/10/98 A recent study in Circulation (Vol. 98: 398-404) confirms the relationship between elevated insulin levels and heart attack. This was a prospective study in which Finnish policemen with no evidence of heart disease were followed for 22 years. Those who had the highest insulin levels after five years were three times more likely to get a heart attack. This observation is in line with another recent article in the June issue of JAMA that indicates high levels of insulin increase the risk of heart attack by a factor of 5.

It is almost on a weekly basis that new information appears that confirms the link between elevated insulin and an increase in the risk of heart disease. And there is only one "drug" that can lower insulin. It is called food, and in particular, food recommended in the Zone Diet.

Of course, someone would have to take credit for making the mistake of convincing Americans that they should eat even more carbohydrates (that stimulate insulin) and less fat (which has no effect on insulin). But you can bet that someone will not be the American Heart Association (AHA). In a statement released by the AHA it was stated that "On the basis of present evidence, doctors do not necessarily need to screen patients for hyperinsulinemia." Talk about spin control.

I hope at some point reality will step in for the American Heart Association. Until then, you can take charge of your own fate by following the Zone Diet, which was designed to reduce excess insulin levels. If you believe the published research data, that reduction in insulin can save your life.

Physical fitness in the Zone By: Dr. Barry Sears Filed: 8/3/98

In the chapter I am writing on exercise and the Zone for my new book on anti-aging, I included a home test to determine how you stack up in terms of physical strength. This becomes vitally important as you age, since functionality will be determined by both upper-body and lower-body strength. The one way to build strength is by doing weight training. Though weight training is by its very nature boring and difficult, you will always have one set of weights to work with where ever you go. The weight is your own body weight. The best exercise to build upper body strength is the old standard military push-up with your arms in a direct line with your shoulders. It is also the best way to measure your upper body strength. If you are a male here's how many push-ups you have to do to be considered to have average upper body strength at various ages.

Age: 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-plus Military Pushups: 35-44 25-34 20-29 15-24 10-19 For women, the test is a little different, because they should do knee push-ups. Here are the numbers of these type of push-ups they would need to do to be considered having average upper body strength.

Age: 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-plus Knee Pushups: 17-33 12-24 8-19 6-14 3-4 I recommend you test yourself at home (after all, no one's watching) to see how your upper body strength stacks up. Before you get too disappointed with the results, realize that about 50 percent of all teen-agers can't do more than 10 pushups. Maybe that's the state of the nation we get by eating high-carbohydrate diets.

Chunky is in?

By: Dr. Barry Sears Filed: 2/9/98

After years of promoting Kellogg?s Special K cereal as the ?high-protein? alternative to typical breakfast cereals (because it contains one extra gram of protein per serving), Kellogg Co. recently announced that it will no longer use slim models to demonstrate how ?to lose the fat, but keep the muscle?.

According to an Associated Press story, women in focus groups were upset that none of them could ever conceive of being thin enough to fit into designer jeans or clinging evening dresses. Apparently chunky is in, and being your ideal body weight is out. Did anyone at Kellogg?s ever think that maybe their breakfast cereals may be the cause? Cereals have the same hormonal effects on insulin that candy bars do (actually candy bars enter the bloodstream at a slower rate than breakfast cereals). If the women in these focus groups had only realized that excess insulin makes you fat, then they would have figured out that the reason that they were upset is because they have been eating cereal for breakfast.

When you make too much insulin (by eating breakfast cereals, bagels and pasta), there is no way you are going to fit into your jeans. It used to be that nutritionists said you should weigh the same as an adult as when you were at age 18. Today that statement seems as if it belongs in Fantasyland. If that concept seems too far-fetched, then go back to the old 1959 Metropolitan Life tables. It also seems that no one in America can reach those realistic weights. Maybe it?s because of El Nino, not the cereal manufacturers.

Funny that breakfast cereal isn?t all that popular in Europe, and most everyone (at least in France) seems to fit into their clothes.

Go take a walk

By: Dr. Barry Sears Filed: 2/16/98

Remember the saying ?no pain, no gain?. This thought of physical abuse turned millions off to exercise. But an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association last week puts exercise back into perspective. This unique study focused on identical twins so that genetic background was not a variable. What they found was that if you take about six brisk 30-minute walks per month, you would decrease your mortality by 30 percent. If you took more than six brisk 30-minute walks or jogs per month, you further decreased your mortality by another 14 percent or practically cut your mortality in half!

I guess I was too stringent when I recommending walking 30 minutes per day as a great exercise program. Why would walking such limited amounts be useful? One reason is you are lowering insulin when you walk, and that will reduce mortality from heart disease and cancer. Second, if you?re walking, you are also out of the kitchen. There is nothing like boredom to entice you to eat more food.

There you have it, another medical breakthrough ? walking. Too bad it can?t be patented.

Using TV to tune Americans into the Zone

By: Dr. Barry Sears Filed: 2/23/98

The concept of the Zone is not intuitively obvious since hormonal thinking is quite a bit different than caloric thinking. The reason the Zone Nutrition Program was developed was to turn back an epidemic growth of obesity and Type II diabetes in this country, which in my opinion if left unchecked, will destroy our health care in the next decade.

But how to get this message to the 260 million Americans who are not avid book readers? After all, less than 1 percent of the population has even purchased the books that describe this technology. I admit that we live in a visual world, and unfortunately the written word is becoming a less and less powerful medium to put forward a mass message. Therefore what has become the most likely medium to spread the word? You guessed it ? TV.

Today we aired the first 30-minute infomercial about the Zone. It is really more of a documentary on hormonal thinking, a kind of a cross between ?Nova? and the ?Today Show." Hosted by Peggy Fleming, this program puts the Zone into a visual context that I hope will teach a far greater number of Americans that much of the dietary information they have been fed the past 15 years is simply dead wrong hormonally. They don?t have to read a book, just watch their televisions. I hope that will galvanize them to action so that they can begin taking responsibility for what they put into their mouths.

The success of this television program will tell whether or not Americans are willing to change their diet and lifestyles to ones compatible with the Zone. I hope the answer is yes. If not, our country is in for some very rough times.

The origin of 'official' dietary recommendations Guest column By: Eric S. Freedland, MD Medical director Eicotech Corp. Filed: 12/29/97 Next article: Monday, Jan. 5, 1998

(From time to time, it is my pleasure to have outstanding researchers and physicians write the weekly column for the Zone Files. This week, Eric S. Freedland, MD, medical director at Eicotech Corporation, writes on how the official dietary recommendations became official. I encourage other physicians and researchers who want to write Zone-related articles to submit them to the Zone Files. ? Barry Sears)

Since 1950 the American Diabetes Association (ADA) has published dietary recommendations. The ratio as a percentage of calories for carbohydrate:protein:fat was 40:20:40 in 1950 and 45:20:35 in 1971 [1,2]. These are close to the Zone Nutrition Program?s 40:30:30 ratio. In 1986, the ADA was concerned about saturated fat intake and the risk for heart disease. Therefore, to ?simplify? things, all types of fat were to be limited and a low-fat diet rich in carbohydrates (up to 60 percent of the total energy) was recommended. An increase in carbohydrate replaced the fat. It was believed that high-carbohydrate diets would improve the diabetic condition with better blood glucose control and reduced insulin requirements [3].

Soon after the 1986 ADA guidelines were announced, the National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference on Diet and Exercise [4] expressed concerns about recommending high-carbohydrate diets because of their potentially harmful effects on blood lipids, i.e., increasing triglycerides and lowering of HDL or ?protective? cholesterol. This was felt to be especially dangerous in type 2 diabetics who already suffered from abnormal lipids and cholesterol [3]. Numerous studies have challenged the contention that a high-carbohydrate diet improves glucose control in type 2 diabetics [5-8,3], and, in fact, the opposite has been observed [3,8-11]. Many of these studies were stimulated by the 1987 NIH report, and, much like the Zone Nutrition Program, involved the replacement of saturated fatty acids of type 2 diabetics by cis-mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) instead of carbohydrates. High-carbohydrate, low-fat diets in patients with type 2 diabetes have been shown to lead to higher day-long plasma glucose, insulin, and triglycerides when compared to a high monounsaturated diet consisting of 40:25:45 [8,9].

The above studies are included in an extensive review [11], which shares the conclusions that there appears to be little evidence to support the view that substituting carbohydrate for fat in the diets of type 2 diabetics results in any measurable beneficial effect on either carbohydrate or lipoprotein metabolism. The authors further conclude that the available evidence supports that such diets deteriorate the characteristic lipid abnormalities. Data indicating the high-carbohydrate, low-fat diets lead to beneficial effects were considered confounded by the following: The lack of suitable experimental control; or by the fact that diets differed in the type of dietary fat and amount of cholesterol; or the diets were enormously enriched in dietary fiber, which would be likely to slow down the absorption of carbohydrates and decrease the impact of the glycemic load [11]. Clearly, diets approaching the Zone?s ratio of 40:30:30 are advantageous, especially for diabetics.

Despite the above data, the 1994 and current ADA nutrition recommendations do not prescribe recommendations for the amount of carbohydrate, fat and protein [2]. To meet the perceived protein requirements, 10-20 percent of the calories is comprised of protein. The remaining 80-90 percent of calories, to be divided between carbohydrate and fat, is left up to the discretion of the ?individual?s needs.? Although a low-fat diet is not necessarily high-carbohydrate, most often carbohydrates are substituted to make up for the decrease in fat, which is permitted by the ADA guidelines [1,2]. Although adding fat in the form of MUFAs is allowed, it is not w

The depression epidemic

REPRINT
By: Dr. Barry Sears Filed: 4/14/97

Has there been a sudden genetic change in humankind that has given us a new generation of Prozac-deficient adults? I think not, even though depression is constantly increasing in our society. Even when corrected through better and earlier diagnosis, it is clear that depression is reaching epidemic proportions. Is it possible that this rise in depression may be linked to something as fundamental as the diet, a diet which has also undergone dramatic changes in the last generation? The answer appears to be yes.

New research indicates a striking difference in the amount of bad eicosanoids in the spinal fluid in normal versus depressed patients. The higher the levels of bad eicosanoids (i.e. PGE2), the greater the extent of depression. More important, recent studies have shown that simply increasing the amount of fish oil in the diet can dramatically reduce the extent of existing depression. Since high levels of fish oil supplementation can reduce the production of bad eicosanoids, this new data is compatible with viewing depression as an eicosanoid imbalance disease.

How best to rectify an imbalance of eicosanoids? Simply treat the food you eat with the same respect that you would a drug. In other words, every time you open refrigerator door, believe that you are pulling out a bottle of Prozac.

Food is that powerful.

Your blood tells all

REPRINT
By: Dr. Barry Sears Filed: 4/7/97

You can?t hide from your genes. You can?t change them, but you can alter the way they are expressed. How would you like to peek inside your genetic code to see if you are very sensitive to an over-production of insulin when you eat carbohydrates? Then simply find out your blood type.

If you have type O blood, then it is very likely that you will have real problems consuming large amounts of high-density carbohydrates. Type O blood is the oldest surviving blood type in humans. If you have type 0 blood, your genetic response to carbohydrates will be similar to what it was for your ancestors 10,000-20,000 years ago when there were no grains on the face of the earth. And it also means that your insulin response to high-density carbohydrates such as grains, starches, bread, and pasta will b e very strong. Such an intensive insulin response is your worst hormonal nightmare.

If you have Type O blood, it just means you are genetically unlucky when it comes to eating pasta and bagels. Can you change your genetic fate? No, but you can change the way you eat so that your diet is in sync with your genes. Just cut out the high-density carbohydrates, and primarily eat the same carbohydrates your ancestors ate ? fruits and vegetables.

Promoting and maintaining a state of wellness requires a dynamic balance of hormones known as eicosanoids.*  Eicosanoids are powerful cell regulators that help maintain virtually all body functions including the brain, the heart and the immune system.*  Daily supplementation with pharmaceutical- grade fish oils rich in the long-chain omega-3 essential fatty acids, EPA and DHA, is critical for maintaining optimal eicosanoid balance throughout the body.

According to Dr. Sears, ultra-refined grade fish oil has some very distinct characteristics:

• Concentration of EPA and DHA > 60%
• Concentration of PCB's < 45 ppb/g
• Concentration of Dioxins < 1 ppt
• Concentration of Mercury <10 ppb

Because of these rigid and exacting specifications, the supply of this type of fish oil is very limited since it takes 100 gallons of health-food grade fish oil to make one gallon of pharmaceutical- grade fish oil.

Although this more refined fish oil costs 10-20 times more than health-food grade, we keep our price per gram of EPA and DHA as low as possible as shown below.

OmegaRxTM
Ultra-Refined
Fish Oil



8 fl oz bottle
(45 day supply)
Retail $78.15
Autoship $62.50

120 capsules
(30 day supply)
Retail $50.00 
Autoship $40.00

Why OmegaRxTM
Ultra-Refined Grade Fish Oil?

• It is so pure and refined, it contains hundreds of times less PCB's than health food grade fish oil.
• It has twice the EPA and DHA (substances necessary to affect your eicosanoid balance) potency as found in health-food grade fish oil.
• Most people will not experience mild gastric upsets often found with high doses of health-food grade fish oil.
• We believe you'll never find this quality of fish oil in any health food store, nor from any direct mail company.

Ingredients: marine lipid concentrate, lime flavor, and natural mixed tocopherols.

One teaspoon of the liquid OmegaRxTM contains 2.7grams of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (1.8 grams of EPA and 0.9 grams of DHA). Four capsules of contain 2.4 grams of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (1.6 grams of EPA and 0.8 grams of DHA). For comparison purposes, one tablespoon of cod liver oil contains approximately 2.5 grams of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids.

Type of Fish Oil
Compare Cost Per Gram Price Per
Gram of
EPA & DHA Lowest grade health-food grade $0.30 Molecular distilled health-food grade $0.54 OmegaRxTM  capsules $0.56 OmegaRxTM liquid oil $0.49

  "High-dose pharmaceutical grade fish oil is as close to a medical miracle as we will see in the 21st century."
Dr Barry Sears
   

Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oil
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• 8 Fl Oz Bottle (45 day supply)
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Scientific Evidence Reveals a Diet Rich in Long-Chain Omega-3 Fatty Acids Helps Support

• A Healthy Brain

• A Healthy Heart

• A Healthy Immune System

• Healthy Joint Movement

• Healthy Kidneys

• Balanced Mood

• Sense of Well Being

• Strength and Stamina

• And Helps Maintain Cholesterol Levels that are Already within the Normal Range*

Click here to Listen to the 3 minute audio by Dr. Barry Sears about Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oil

       

 

Fish Oil & Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Dr. Barry Sears is a research scientist and author of the best selling Zone Diet books. After twenty years of research he released the book "The Omega Rx Zone - The Miracle of the New High-Dose Fish Oil". It is loaded with information about the benefits of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids of the type found in fish oils. It was Dr. Sears who created pharmaceutical grade fish oil. OmegaRx is a highly refined nutritional supplement containing generous quantities of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA.     Scientists discovered that Greenland Eskimos rarely develop coronary heart disease even though they consume a great deal of fat. Sea mammals and other seafood provide most of the fat in their diet including significant quantities of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Dr. Barry Sears OmegaRx Fish Oil contains these same essential omega-3 fatty acids.     It is recommended by the American Heart Association that healthy people protect their heart by consuming omega-3 fatty acids from plant and fish sources.     Studies: Extensive research has been completed on the function of essential fatty acids in the mind and body. This includes hundreds of clinical studies and thousands of scientific studies about omega-3 fatty acids..     Purity: OmegaRx Ultra Refined Fish Oil is hundreds of Times More Pure and Twice as Potent as Health Food Grade Fish Oil. According to Dr. Sears the fish oils available at health food stores and the cod liver oil used for generations is not pure enough to feel all the potential benefits. Omega Rx is high potency, the dangerous toxins have been removed, and clinical testing has produced encouraging results. It is a highly purified, pharmaceutical grade, ultra refined fish oil.     Zone Books: In addition to the Omega Rx Zone, Dr. Barry Sears has written a number of Zone related books including The Anti-Inflammation Zone, The Anti-Aging Zone, Zone-Perfect Meals in Minutes, Zone Food Blocks, Mastering the Zone, A Week in the Zone, The Soy Zone and The Top 100 Zone Foods. In his latest two books The OmegaRx Zone and The Anti-Inflammation Zone Dr. Sears makes it easy to follow The Zone Diet by dividing your plate into sections and filling each with a certain type of food. He also describes why a pharmaceutical grade fish oil like Omega Rx is the most important nutritional supplement you can take.     Capsules: The suggested usage for Dr. Barry Sears Omega Rx Fish Oil Capsules is 4 per day. This provides 2.4 grams of omega-3 fatty acids with 1600 mg of EPA and 800 mg of DHA. Each 1000 mg capsule of pharmacy grade fish oil contains 600 mg of long chain omega-3 fatty acids including 400 mg EPA and 200 mg DHA. The bottle contains 120 capsules and will last for 30 days.     Microcaps: These are half the size of capsules and easier to swallow. The suggested usage is 8 per day. This provides 2.4 grams of omega-3 fatty acids with 1600 mg of EPA and 800 mg of DHA. Each 500 mg capsule of pharmacy grade fish oil contains 300 mg of long chain omega-3 fatty acids including 200 mg EPA and 100 mg DHA. The bottle contains 240 microcaps and will last for 30 days.     Liquid: The suggested usage for Dr. Sears Omega Rx Zone Fish Oil Liquid is one teaspoon per day. This provides 2.7 grams of long chain omega-3 fatty acids including 1.8 grams EPA and 0.9 grams DHA. The bottle contains 8 oz of fish oil concentrate and lasts for 45 days. If the usage is increased to one tablespoon per day each bottle will last for 15 days.     Fish oil for kids: The suggested usage for children 4 years of age and older is the same as adults.     Source: Omega Rx is made from the fish body oil of sardines, anchovies and mackerel. These fish are small and low on the food chain so they contain less toxins. They also multiply rapidly and are replenished in the ocean quickly creating a more sustainable ecosystem.

 

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Fats from another world

By: Dr. Barry Sears Filed: 3/24/97

What if an alien fat from another world was sent on a mission to disrupt the delicate central control systems in the human body? And what if this fat ? wearing the disguise of your favorite food ? had an insidious way to inhibit the most powerful hormonal systems in the human body? Sounds like something from the X-Files?

In reality such an alien fat has found its way to this planet. It doesn?t come from the outer reaches of the galaxy, but is actually made in massive quantities right here in the United States. This alien fat is called partially hydrogenated polyunsaturated fat.

Where do you find this alien fat? Not in some dark alley. It is found in virtually every processed food product in the country, from ice cream to crackers to margarine. And why is it there? Because it is simply less prone to oxidation and rancidity, and therefore makes processed food taste better. Unfortunately, it is also an inhibitor of the key enzyme that is necessary for the body to make eicosanoids, the most powerful group of hormones known to medical science. If there was ever a fiendish villain to weaken your internal control systems, partially hydrogenated fat would be a major candidate.

There is a major misconception about hydrogenated fats Fully hydrogenated fat is exactly the same as saturated fat, and your body knows how to metabolize it. Therefore it has no negative effect on eicosanoids.

Partially hydrogenated fat is another story. These fats contain polyunsaturated double bonds, but now they are in an alien chemical configuration known as trans as opposed to the natural cis configuration. These types of fat play havoc with the essential fatty acid metabolism.

You cannot make these trans fatty acids by heating. They can be made only in the presence of certain catalysts, such as nickel and in the presence of hydrogen gas (two conditions that you probably will not encounter on your kitchen stove). These fats are produced by the largest food companies in world and approved by the FDA as a ?safe? food additive. As a consequence you are only going to find trans fatty acids in processed food products.

Therefore if you don?t want to sabotage your internal hormonal systems, stay away from partially hydrogenated fat, and stick with natural fat, especially monounsaturated fat. Otherwise there?s no telling what strange fate awaits you.

The epidemic no one cares about

By: Dr. Barry Sears Filed: 3/17/97

What if there were an epidemic affecting the children of America and no one really knew about it or even cared to find a cure? Most publications and news media would be running sensational stories about parental neglect and the inability of researchers and physicians to find the cause and the cure.

But there is, indeed, such an epidemic running rampant in society. It?s called childhood obesity. In the March issue of the Journal of Pediatrics, it was reported that childhood obesity for every age group has doubled in the past 20 years. That is a 100-percent increase! If there were such an increase in incidents of some rare childhood cancer, you can be sure that Dateline, 20/20 and every other national news show would have the issue as its lead story. And newspapers would run banner headlines.

Keep in mind that adult obesity has only increased by 33 percent in the same time period. This means that childhood obesity is increasing three times faster than adult obesity. What does this predict for the future of health care this country? Not too many good things.

However, the story can have a happy ending. Like adult obesity, childhood obesity has a simple, guaranteed cure. Simply reduce the levels of insulin in the bloodstream. And we have the drug that is ready to go to battle to eradicate this epidemic virtually overnight.

What is that drug? It?s called food. Food is the only drug known to lower insulin, but the door can swing both ways, since food can also raise insulin levels.

Once America understands the hormonal rules about food, this silent epidemic of obesity can be articulated. And then it will be history. Until that time, we can expect an increasing acceleration of this hormonal disturbance in our children that will in turn lower the quality of their lives.

Zone in if you're stressed out

By: Dr. Barry Sears Filed: 3/10/97 Tax time is a stressful time. It?s stressful to prepare the forms. It?s even more stressful trying to come up with a way to pay . The end result is stress.

But stress is not some isolated event. It brings powerful hormonal consequences. Under conditions of chronic stress (like preparing taxes or meeting any today?s never-ending deadlines) there is an increase in the levels of the hormone cortisol, which in turn increases insulin. And any increase in insulin is going to drive you out of the Zone.

Stress in the ?90s (like taxes) is here to stay. Although you can?t decrease the stress of modern living, you can alter and reduce its hormonal consequences.

How? Follow the Zone Diet, which will minimize, if not eliminate, the stress-induced increase in insulin. The end result is you are going to be able to handle the chronic stress induced by today?s living more effectively and with greater ease.

And remember that the stresses encountered by your children are no different in intensity than the ones you are challenged with every day. A child?s problems may be small but so is the child.

If you want them to also have a more stress-free life, get them into the Zone and keep them there.

The bitter facts about sweeteners

By: Dr. Barry Sears Filed: Monday 1/10/97

I am often asked about my opinion of artificial sweeteners. My answer is simple - keep them to a minimum.

We tend to forget that artificial sweeteners were developed 25 years ago because experts told us that it was sugar that causes obesity. Ten years later fat became the enemy. Unfortunately, artificial sweeteners remained on the landscape like some rusted car with a fairly uneven safety record. In particular, I strongly feel that Nutrasweet can be potentially dangerous for anyone following a ketogenic diet or who has reactive hypoglycemia.

With the understanding of the Zone, we have come full circle. Small amounts of table sugar (one-half teaspoon which is 4 grams of carbohydrate in your decaf coffee, plus a dash of lowfat milk) will not make you fat if you make sure that you are eating some extra protein at the same time to control insulin.

Likewise, dietary fat alone will not make you fat because it has no effect on insulin. If you have to use artificial sweeteners, them use them in moderation.

The best sweetener? Just like your grandmother told you. Add a sprinkling of cinnamon or nutmeg. Try it on oatmeal or yogurt or even in your decaf.

Scientists cannot ignore the facts.

Carbos are up, civility is down

By: Dr. Barry Sears Filed: Monday 3/3/97

Have you noticed that with the epidemic rise in obesity there has also been corresponding decline in civility? Is this simply a coincidence, or are the two trends somehow linked?

I believe the answer is yes they are. Morality and civility can be linked to adequate levels of the hormone serotonin in the brain. Serotonin acts as the veneer that separates human traits from purely animalistic impulses. The thinner that veneer becomes, the less civil behavior correspondingly becomes.

Not surprisingly, the increase in obesity and the decrease in serotonin can be caused by an increase in insulin levels, which is caused by increase in carbohydrate consumption.

And this is exactly what has happened in this country during the past 15 years. I don?t believe that this country just happened to spawn a new generation of Prozac-deficient adults. I also don?t believe that the stresses of life in the ?90s are any greater than the stresses caused by the Great Depression in the ?30s.

What has changed dramatically is what we eat, especially in terms of absolute carbohydrate content of the diet. If you are what you eat, then it is also safe to say that you behave in a certain manner because of what you eat.

Helps Support A Healthy Brain

Burgress, J. R., L. Stevens, and L. Peck. "Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder." Am J Clin Nutr 71:327S-330S (2000).

Connor, W. E., M. Neuringer, and D. S. Lin. "Dietary effects on brain fatty acid composition: The reversibility of n-3 fatty acids deficiency and turnover of docosahexaenoic acid in the brain erythrocytes and plasma of rhesus monkeys." J Lipid Res 31:237-247 (1990).

Connor, W. E., M. Neuringer, and S. Reisbick. "Essential fatty acids: Importance of n-3 fatty acids in the retina and brain." Ntr Rev 50:21-29 (1992).

Conquer, J. A., M. C. Tierney, J. Zecevic, W.J. Bettger, and R.H. Fisher. "Fatty acid analysis of blood plasma of patients with Alzheimer's disease, other types of dementia, and cognitive impairment." Lipids 35:1305-1312 (2000).

Fenton W. ., Dickerson F., Boronow J., Hibbeln J. R., Knable M. “A placebo-controlled trial of omega-3 fatty acid (ethyl eicosapentaenoic acid) supplementation for residual symptoms and cognitive impairment in schizophrenia.” Am J Psychiatry 158(12):2071-4 (2001).

Gamoh, S., M. Hashimoto, K. Sugioka, S. Hossain, N. Hata, Y. Misawa, and S. Masumura. "Chronic administration of docosahexaenoic acid improves reference memory-related learning ability in young rats." Neurosci 93:237-241 (1999).

Jones, C. R., T. Aria, and S. I. Rapoport. "Evidence for the involvement of docosahexaenoic acid in cholinergic simulated signal transduction at the synapse." J Neurochem Res 22:663-670 (1997).

Katzman, R., and J. E. Jackson. "Alzheimer disease: Basic and clinical advances." J Am Geriatrics Soc 39:516-525 (1991).

Kodas E., Page G., Zimmer L., Vancassel S., Guilloteau D., Durand G., Chalon S. "Neither the density nor function of striatal dopamine transporters were influenced by chronic n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid deficiency in rodents.” Neurosci Lett 321(1-2):95-9 (2002).

Kyle, D. J., E. Schaefer, G. Patton, and A. Beiser. "Low serum docosahexaenoic acid is a significant risk factor for Alzheimer's dementia." Lipids 34:S245 (1999).

Lauritzen, I., N. Blondeau, C. Heurteaux, C. Widmann, G. Romey, and M. Lazdunski. "Polyunsaturated fatty acids are potent neuroprotectors." EMBO J 19:1784-1793 (2000).

Lauritzen, L., H. S. Hansen, M. H. Jorgensen, and K. F. Michaelsen. "The essentiality of long-chain n-3 fatty acids in relation to development and function of the brain and retina." Prog Lipid Res 40:1-94 (2001).

Marangell L B, Martinez J M, Zboyan H A, Kertz B, Kim H F, Puryear L J. “A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid in the treatment of major depression.” Mood Disorders Center, Department of Psychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.

Schiefermeier M., Yavin E. “n-3 Deficient and docosahexaenoic acid-enriched diets during critical periods of the developing prenatal rat brain.” J Lipid Res 43(1):124-31 (2002).

Sonderberg, M., C. Edlund, K. Kristensson, and G. Dallner. "Fatty acid composition of brain phospholipids in aging and Alzheimer's disease." Lipids 26:421-423 (1991).

Stevens, L. J., and J. Burgess. "Omega-3 fatty acids in boys with behavior, learning, and health problems." Physiol Behav 59:915-920 (1996).

Stevens, L. J., S. S. Zentall, J. L. Deck, M. L. Abate, B. A. Watkins, S. A. Lipp, and J. R. Burgess. "Essential fatty acid metabolism in boys with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder." Am J Clin Nutr 62:761-768 (1995).

Stordy, B. J. "Benefit of docosahexaenoic acid supplements to dark adaption in dyslexics." Lancet 346:385 (1995).

Terano, T., S. Fujishiro, T. Ban, K. Yamamoto, T. Tanaka, Y. Noguchi, Y. Tamura, K. Yazawa, and T. Hirayama. "Docosahexaenoic acid supplementation improves moderately severe dementia from thromboitc cerebrovascular diseases. Lipids 34:S345-S346 (1999).

Voigt, R. G., A. M. Llorente, C. L. Jensen, J. K. Fraley, M.C. Berretta, and W. C. Heird. "A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of docosahexaenoic acid supplementation in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder." J Pediatr 139:189-196 (2001).

Vance, H. E., R. B. Campenot, and D. E. Vance. "The synthesis and transport of lipids for axonal growth and nerve regeneration." Biochim Biophys Acta 1486:84-96 (2000).

Yeh, Y. Y., M. F. Gehman, and S. M. Yeh. "Maternal dietary fish oil enriches docosahexaenoate levels in brain subcellular fractions of offspring." J Neurosci Res 35:218-226 (1993).

Yehuda, S., S. Rabinovitz, R.L. Carasso, and D.I. Mostofsky. "Essential fatty acid preparation improves Alzheimer's patients' quality of life." Int J Neurosci 87:141-149 (1996).

Willatts, P., J. S. Forsyth, M. K. DiModugno, S. Varma, and M. Colvin. “Effect of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in infant formula on problem solving at 10 months of age.” Lancet 352:688-691 (1998).

Helps Support A Healthy Heart

Albert, C. M., C. H. Hennekens, C.I. O'Donnel, U. A. Ajani, V. J. Carey, and W. C. Willett. "Fish consumption and risk of sudden cardiac death." JAMA 279:23-28 (1998).

Angerer P., Kothny W., Stork S., von Schacky C. “Effect of dietary supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids on progression of atherosclerosis in carotid arteries.” Klinikum der Universitat Munchen, Institut und Poliklinik fur Arbeits- und Umweltmedizin-Innenstadt, Ziemssenstrasse 1, Germany.

Appel, Lawrence J., et al. “Does supplementation of diet with "fish oil" reduce blood pressure?” Archives of Internal Medicine 153:1429-38 (1993).

Christensen, J. H., M. S. Christensen, J. Dyerberg, and E. B. Schmidt. "Heart rate variability and fatty acid content of blood cell membranes: A dose-response study with n-3 fatty acids." Am J Clin Nutr 70:331-337 (1999).

Christensen, Jeppe Hagstrup, et al. “Heart rate variability and fatty acid content of blood cell membranes: a dose-response study with n-3 fatty acids. “ American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 70:331-37 (1999).

Christensen, Jeppe Hagstrup, et al. “Effect of fish oil on heart rate variability in survivors of myocardial infarction. “ British Medical Journal 312:677-78 (1996).

Christensen, Jeppe Hagstrup, et al. “Heart rate variability and fatty acid content of blood cell membranes: a dose-response study with n-3 fatty acids. “ American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 70:331-37 (1999).

Dehmer, G. J., J. J. Popma, E. K. van den Berg, E. J. Eichorn, J. B. Prewitt, W. B. Campbell, L. Jennings, J. T. Willerson, and J. M. Schmitz. "reduction in the rate of early restenosis after coronary angioplasty by a diet supplemented with n-3 fatty acids." N Engl J Med 319:733-740 (1998).

Engler M. M., Engler M. B., Pierson D. M., Molteni L. B., Molteni A. “Effects of docosahexaenoic acid on vascular pathology and reactivity in hypertension.” Laboratory of Cardiovascular Physiology, Department of Physiological Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143-0610, USA.

Eritsland, J., H. Arnesen, K. Bronseth, N. B. Fjeld, and M. Abdelnoor. "Effect of dietary supplementation with n-3 fatty acids on coronary artery bypass graft patency." Am J Cardio 77:31-36 (1996).

Eritsland, J., et al. "Long-term effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on haemostatic variables and bleeding episodes in patients with coronary artery disease." Blood Coagulation and Fibrinolysis  6:17-22 (1995).

Flaten, Hugo, et al. “Fish-oil concentrate: effects of variables related to cardiovascular disease.“ American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 52:300-06 (1990).

Geelen A., Brouwer I. A., Zock P. L., Kors J. A., Swenne C. A., Katan M. B., Schouten E. G. “(N-3) fatty acids do not affect electrocardiographic characteristics of healthy men and women.  J Nutr 132(10):3051-4 (2002).

GISSI-Prevenzione Investigators. "Dietary supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E after myocardial infarction: Results of the GISSI-Prevenzione trial." Lancet 354:447-455 (1999).

Harris, W. S., and W. L. Isley. "Clinical trial evidence for the cardioprotective effects of omega-3 fatty acids." Curr Atheroscler Rep 3:174-197 (2001).

Leaf, A., G. E. Billman, and H. Hallaq. "Prevention of ischemia-induced ventricular fibrillation by omega-3 fatty acids." Proc Nat Acad Sci USA 91:4427-4430 (1994).

Leaf, A., and J. X. Kang. "Dietary n-3 fatty acids in the prevention of lethal cardiac arrhythmias." Curr Opin Lipidol 8:4-6 (1997).

Leaf, A., J. X. Kang, Y F. Xiao, and G. E. Billman. "Dietary n-3 fatty acids in the prevention of cardiac arrhythmias." Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care 1:225-228 (1998).

Marchioli, Roberto, et al. “Efficacy of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids after myocardial infarction: results of GISSI-Prevenzione trial. “ Lipids 36:S119-S126 (2001).

Marchioli, Roberto, et al. “Early protection against sudden death by n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids after myocardial infarction: time-course analysis of the results of GISSI-Prevenzione. “ Circulation 105:1897-1903 (2002).

Morris, Martha Clare, et al. “Does fish oil lower blood pressure? A meta-analysis of controlled trials.“ Circulation 88(2):523-33 (1993).

Olszewski, A. J. "Fish oil decreases homocysteine in hyperlipidemic men." Coronary Artery Dis 4:53-60 (1993).

Radack, K. C. Deck, and G. Huster. "Dietary supplementation with low-dose fish oils lowers fibrinogen levels." Ann Intern Med 11:757-758 (1989).

Radack, Kenneth, et al. “The effects of low doses of n-3 fatty acid supplementation on blood pressure in hypertensive subjects. “ Archives of Internal Medicine 151:1173-80 (1991).

Rissanen, T. S. Voutilainen, K. Myyssonen, T.A. Lakka, and J. T. Salonen. "Fish oil-derived fatty acids, dodosahexaenoic acid, and docosapentaenoic acid, and the risk of acute coronary events: The Kuopio ischaemic heart disease risk factor study." Circulation 102:2677-2679 (2000).

Singh, Ram B., et al. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of fish oil and mustard oil in patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction: the Indian experiment of infarct survival. Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapy 11:485-91 (1997).

Von Schacky, C., P. Angerer, W. Kothny, K. Theisen, and H. Mudra. "The effect of dietary omega-3 fatty acids on coronary atherosclerosis: A randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial." Ann Intern Med 130:554-562 (1999).

von Schacky, Clemens. n-3 fatty acids and the prevention of coronary atherosclerosis. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 71(suppl):S224-27S (2000).

Helps Support A Healthy Immune System

Barber, M. D., J. A. Ross, A. C. Voss, M. J. Tisdale, and K. C. Fearon. "The effect of an oral nutritional supplement enriched with fish oil on weight-loss in patients with pancreatic cancer.” Br J Cancer 81:80-86 (1999).

Barber, M. D., D. C. McMillan, T. Preston, J. A. Ross, and D. C. Fearon. "Metabolic response to feeding in weight-losing pancreatic cancer patients and its modulation by a fish-oil-enriched nutritional supplement." Clin Sci 98:389-399 (2000).

Barber, M. D., and K. C. H. Fearon. "Tolerance and incorporation of a high-dose eicosapentaenoic acid diester emulsion by patients with pancreatic cancer cachexia." Lipids 36:347-351 (2001).l
Anti, Marcello, et al. “Effects of different doses of fish oil on rectal cell proliferation in patients with sporadic colonic adenomas.” Gastroenterology 107:1709-1718 (1994).

Bechoua, S., M. Dubois, G. Nemoz, P. Chapy, E. Vericel, M. Lagarde, and A. F. Prigent. "Very low dietary intake of n-3 fatty acids affects the immune function of healthy elderly people." Lipids 34:S143 (1999).

Endres, S., R. Ghorbani, V. E. Kelley, K. Georgilis, G. Lonnemann, J. W. van der Meer, J. G. Cannon, T. S. Rogers, M. S. Klempner, P. C. Weber, et al. "The effect of dietary supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on the synthesis of interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor by mononuclear cells." N Engl J Med 320:265-271 (1989).

Ergas D., Eilat E., Mendlovic S., Sthoeger Z. M. “n-3 fatty acids and the immune system in autoimmunity.” Isr Med Assoc J 4(1):34-8 (2002).

Fernandez, E., L. Chatenoud, C. La Vecchia, E. Negri, S. Franceschi. "Fish consumption and cancer risk." Am J Clin Nutr 70:85-90 (1999).

Gogos, C. A., P. Ginopoulos, B. Salsa, E. Apostolidou, N. C. Zoumbos, and F. Kalfarentzos. "Dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids plus vitamin E restore immunodeficiency and prolong survival for severely ill patients with generalized malignancy: A randomized control trial." Cancer 82:395-402 (1998).

Lee, T. H., R. L. Hoover, J. D. Williams, R. I. Sperling, J. Ravalese, B. W. Spur, D. R. Robinson, E. J. Corey, R. A. Lewis, and K. P Austen. "Effect of dietary enrichment with eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid on in vitro neurophil and monocyte leukotriene generation and neurophil function." N Engl J Med 312:1217-1224 (1985).

Robinson, D. R. "Alleviation of autoimmune disease by dietary lipids containing omega-3 fatty acids." Rheum Dis Clin North Am 17:213-222 (1991).

Robinson, D. R., L. L. Xu, S. Tateno, M. Guo, and R. E. Colvin. "Suppression of autoimmune disease by dietary n-3 fatty acids." J Lipid Res 34:1435-1444 (1993).

Sperling, R. I. "The effects of dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on neutrophils." Proc Nutr Soc 57:527-534 (1998).

Terada S., Takizawa M., Yamamoto S., Ezaki O., Itakura H., Akagawa K. S. Suppressive mechanisms of EPA on human T cell proliferation.” Microbiol Immunol 45(6):473-81 (2001).

Wigmore, S. J. M. D. Barber, J. A. Ross, M. J. Tisdale, and K. C. Fearon. "Effect of oral eicosapentaenoic acid on weight loss in patients with pancreatic cancer." Nutr Cancer 36:177-814 (2000).

Helps Maintain Cholesterol Levels That Are Already Within The Normal Range

Caron M. F., White C. M. “Evaluation of the antihyperlipidemic properties of dietary supplements.” Pharmacotherapy 21(4):481-7 (2001)..

Haglund, O., R. Wallin, R. Luostarinen, and T. Saldeen. "Effects of a new fluid fish oil concentration on triglycerides, cholesterol, fibrinogen, and blood pressure." J Intern Med 227:347-353 (1990).

Harris, W. S. "N-3 fatty acids and serum lipoproteins: Human studies." Am J Clin Nutr 65:1645S-1654S (1997).

Harris, W. S. "N-3 Fatty acids and human lioprotein metabolism: An update." Lipids 34:S257-S258 (1999).

Harris, W.S., H. N. Ginsberg, N. Arunakul, N. S. Shachter, S. L. Windsor, M. Adams, L. Berlund, and K. Osmundsen. "Safety and efficacy of Omacor in severe hypertriglyceridemia." J Cardiovasc Risk 4:385-392 (1997).

Lichtenstein A. H , Ausman L. M., Jalbert S. M., Vilella-Bach M., Jauhiainen M., McGladdery S., Erkkila A. T., Ehnholm C., Frohlich J., Schaefer E. J. “Efficacy of a Therapeutic Lifestyle Change/Step 2 diet in moderately hypercholesterolemic middle-aged and elderly female and male subjects.” J Lipid Res 43(2):264-73 (2002).

Nilsen D. W., Albrektsen G., Landmark K., Moen S., Aarsland T., Woie L. “Effects of a high-dose concentrate of n-3 fatty acids or corn oil introduced early after an acute myocardial infarction on serum triacylglycerol and HDL cholesterol.” Am J Clin Nutr 74(1):50-6 (2001).

Puiggros C., Chacon P., Armadans L. I., Clapes J., Planas M. Effects of oleic-rich and omega-3-rich diets on serum lipid pattern and lipid oxidation in mildly hypercholesterolemic patients. Clin Nutr 21(1):79-87 (2002).

Stark, K. D., E. J. Park, V. A. Maines, and B. J. Holub. "Effect of a fish-oil concentrate on serum lipids in postmenopausal women receiving and not receiving hormone replacement therapy in a placebo-controlled, double-blind trial." Am J Clin Nutr 72:389-394 (2000).

Villa B., Calabresi L., Chiesa G., Rise P., Galli C., Sirtori C. R. “Omega-3 fatty acid ethyl esters increase heart rate variability in patients with coronary disease. “ Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Centre E. Grossi Paoletti, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy.

Helps Support Healthy Joint Movement

Ariza-Ariza, R., M. Peralta-Mestanza, and M. H. Cardiel. "Omega-3 fatty acids in rheumatoid arthritis: An overview." Sem Arthr Rheum 27:366-370 (1998).

Cleland, L. G., J. K. French, W. H. Betts, G. A. Murphy, and M. J. Elliott. "Clinical and biochemical effects of dietary fish oil supplements in rheumatoid arthritis." J Rheumatol 15:1471-1475 (1988).

Curtis C. L., Rees S. G., Cramp J., Flannery C. R., Hughes C. E., Little C. B., Williams R., Wilson C., Dent C. M., Harwood J. L., Caterson B. “Effects of n-3 fatty acids on cartilage metabolism.” Proc Nutr Soc 61(3):381-9 (2002).

Espersen, G. T., N. Grunnet, H. H. Lervang, G. L. Nielsen, B. S. Thomsen, K. L. Faarvang, J. Dyerberg, and E. Ernst. "Decreased interleukin-1 beta levels in plasma from rheumatoid arthritis patients after dietary supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids." Clin Rheumatol 11:393-395 (1992).

Fortin, Paul R., et al. “Validation of a meta-analysis: the effects of fish oil in rheumatoid arthritis. “ Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 48:1379-90 (1995).

Geusens, P., C. Wouters, J. Nijs, Y. Jiang, and J. Dequeker. "Long-term effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in active rheumatoid arthritis: A 12-month, double-blind, controlled study." Arthritis Rheum 37:824-829 (1994).

Judex S., Wohl G. R., Wolff R. B., Leng W., Gillis A. M., Zernicke R. F. “Dietary fish oil supplementation adversely affects cortical bone morphology and biomechanics in growing rabbits.” Calcif Tissue Int 66(6):443-8 (2000).

Kremer, J. M., D. A. Lawrence, W. Jubiz, R. DiGiacomo, R. Rynes, L. F. Bartholomew, and M. Sherman. "Dietary fish oil and olive oil supplementation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: Clinical and immunologic effects." Arthritis Rheum 33:810-820 (1990).

Kremer, J. M., D. A. Lawrence, G. F. Petrillo, L. L. Litts, P. M. Mullaly, R. J. Rynes, R. P. Stocker, N. Parhami, N. S. Greenstein, and B. R. Fuchs. "Effects of high-dose fish oil on rheumatoid arthritis after stopping nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: Clinical and immune correslates." Arthritis Rheum 38:1107-1114 (1995).

Kremer, J. M. "N-3 Fatty acid supplements in rheumatoid arthritis." Am J Clin Nutr 71:349S-351S (2000).

Kremer, Joel M., et al. “Fish-oil fatty acid supplementation in active rheumatoid arthritis: A double-blinded, controlled, crossover study. “ Annals of Internal Medicine 106:497-503 (1987).

Terano, T. "Effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ingestion on bone metabolsim and osteoporosis." World Rev Nutr Diet 88:141-=147 (2001).

Volker, Dianne, et al. “Efficacy of fish oil concentrate in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. “ Journal of Rheumatology 27:2343-46 (2000).

Helps Support Healthy Kidneys

Brown, S. A., C. A. Brown, W. A. Crowell, J. A. Barsanti, T. Allen, C. Cowell, and D. R. Finco. "Beneficial effects of chronic administration of dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in dogs with renal insufficiency." J Clin Lab Med 131:447-455 (1998).

Brown, S. A., C. A. Brown, W. A. Crowell, J. A. Barsanti, C-W. Kang, T. Allen, C. Cowell, and D. R. Finco. "Effects of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids supplementation in early renal insufficiency in dogs." J Lab Clin Med 135:275-286 (2000).

Cappelli P., Di Liberato L., Stuard S., Ballone E., Albertazzi A. “N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation in chronic progressive renal disease.” J Nephrol 10(3):157-62 (1997).

Clark, W. F., A Parbtani, C. D. Naylor, C. M. Levinton, N. Muirhead, E. Spanner, M. W. Huff, D. J. Philbrick, and B. J. Holub. "Fish oil in lupus nephritis: Clinical findings and methodological implications." Kidney Int 44:75-86 (1993).

Donadio, J. V., E. J. Bergstralh, K. P. Offord, D. C. Spencer, and D. E. Holley. "A controlled trial of fish oil in IgA nephropathy." N Engl J Med 331:1194-1199 (1994).

Donadio, J. V., J. P. Grande, E. J. Bergstralh, R. A. Dart, T. S. Larson, and D. C. Spencer. "The long-term outcome of patients with IgA nephropathy treated with fish oil in a controlled trial." J Am Soc Nephrol 10:1772-1777 (1999).

Lenin M., Thiagarajan A., Nagaraj M., Varalakshmi P. “Attenuation of oxalate-induced nephrotoxicity by eicosapentaenoate-lipoate (EPA-LA) derivative in experimental rat model.”  Department of Medical Biochemistry, University of Madras, India.

Pettersson E. E., Rekola S., Berglund L., Sundqvist K. G., Angelin B., Diczfalusy U., Bjorkhem I., Bergstrom J. “Treatment of IgA nephropathy with omega-3-polyunsaturated fatty acids: a prospective, double-blind, randomized study.” Clin Nephrol 41(4):183-90 (1994).

Prickett, J. D., D. R. Robinson, and A. D. Steinberg. "Dietary enrichment with polyunsaturated acid eicosapentaenoic acid prevents proteinuria and prolongs survival in NZBxNZW F1 mice." J Clin Invest 68:556-559 (1981).

Sulikowska B., Manitius J., Nieweglowski T., Szydlowska-lysiak W., Rutkowski B. “The effect of therapy with small doses of mega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid on renal reserve and metabolic disturbances in patients with primary IGA glomerulopathy.” Pol Arch Med Wewn 108(2):753-60 (2002).

Helps Support Balanced Mood and Sense of Well Being

Adams. P., S. Lawson, A. Sanigorski, and A.J. Sinclair. "Arachidonic acid to eicosapentaenoic acid ratio in blood correlates positively with clinical symptoms of depression." Lipids 31:S157-S161 (1996).

Burgress, J. R., L. Stevens, and L. Peck. "Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder." Am J Clin Nutr 71:327S-330S (2000).

Hamazaki, T., S. Sawazaki, M. Itomura, E. Asaoka, Y. Nagao, N. Nishimura, K. Yazawa, T. Kuwamori, and M. Kobayashi. "The effect of docosahexaenoic acid on aggression in young adults." J Clin Invest 97:1129-1134 (1996).

Hamazaki, T., S. Sawazaki, M. Itomura, Y. Nagao, A. Thienprasert, T. Nagasawa, and S. Watanabe. "Effect of docosahexaenoic acid on hostility." World Rev Nutr Diet 88:47-52 (2001).

Hamazaki, T., S. Sawazaki, T. Nagasawa, Y. Nagao, Y Kanagawa, and K. Yazawa. "Administration of docosahexaenoic acid influences behavior and plasma catecholamine levels at time of psychological stress." Lipids 34:S33-S37 (1999).

Hamazaki, T., M. Itomura, S. Sawazaki, and Y. Nagao. "Anti-stress effects of D. H. A." Biofactors 13:41-45 (2000).

Hamazak T., Thienprasert A., Kheovichai K., Samuhaseneetoo S., Nagasawa T., Watanabe S. “The effect of docosahexaenoic acid on aggression in elderly Thai subjects--a placebo-controlled double-blind study.” Nutr Neurosc 5(1):37-41 (2002).

Maes, M. "Fatty acid composition in major depression: Decreased n-3 fractions in cholesterol esters and increased C20:46/C20:5n3 ratio in cholester ester and phosopholipds. J Affect Dis 38:35-46 (1996).

Maes, M., A Christophe, J. Delanghe, C. Altamura, H. Neels, and H.Y. Meltzer. "Lowered omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in serum phospholipids and cholesterol esters of depressed patients." Psychiatry Res 85:275-291 (1999).

Mills, D. E., K. M. Prkochin, K. A. Harvey, and R. P. Ward. "Dietary fatty acid supplementation alters stress reactvity and performance in man." J Human Hypertension 3:111-116 (1989).

Peet, M., J. Brind, C. N. Ramchand, S. Shah, and G. K. Vankar. "Two double-blind placebo-controlled pilot studies of eicosapentaenoic acid in the treatment of schizophrenia." Schizophr Res 49:243-251 (2001).

Richardson, A.J., et al. “Red cell and plasma fatty acid changes accompanying symptom remission in a patient with schizophrenia treated with eicosapentaenoic acid. “ European Neuropsychopharmacology 10 :189-93 (2000).

Stoll, Andrew L., et al. “Omega 3 fatty acids in bipolar disorder.” Archives of General Psychiatry 56:407-12 (1999).

Stoll, A. L., E. Severus, M. P. Freeman, S. Reuter, H. A. Zhoyan, E. Diamond, K. K. Cress, and L. B. Marangell. "Omega-3 fatty acids in bipolar depression: A preliminary double-blind placebo-controlled trial." Arch Gen Psychiatry 56:407-412 (1999).

Voigt, R. G., A. M. Llorente, C. L. Jensen, J. K. Fraley, M.C. Berretta, and W. C. Heird. "A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of docosahexaenoic acid supplementation in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder." J Pediatr 139:189-196 (2001).

Yehuda, S., S. Rabinovitz, R. L. Carasso, and D. I. Mostofsky. "Essential Fatty acid preparation improves Alzheimer's patients' quality of life." Int J Neurosci 87:141-149 (1996).

Helps Support Strength and Stamina

Bruckner, G., P. Webb, L. Greenwell, C. Chow, and D. Richardson. "Fish oil increases peripheral capillary blood cell velocity in humans." Atherosclerosis 66:237-245 (1987).

Muoio, D. M., J. J. Leddy, P. J. Horvath, A. B. Awad, and D. R. Pendergast. "Effect of dietary fat on metabolic adjustments to maximal VO2 and endurance in runner." Med Sci Sports Exerc 26:81-88 (1994).

Pendergast, D. R., P. J. Horvath, J. J. Leddy, and J. T. Venkatraman. "The role of dietary fat in performance, metabolism, and health." Am J Sports Med 24:S53-S58 (1996).

Raastad T., Hostmark A. T., Stromme S. B. “Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation does not improve maximal aerobic power, anaerobic threshold and running performance in well-trained soccer players.” Scand J Med Sci Sports 7(1):25-31 (1997).

Salachas, Anastasios, et al. “Effects of low-dose fish oil concentrate on angina, exercise tolerance time, serum triglycerides, and platelet function. “ Angiology 45:1023-31 (1994).

Although there is no established RDA for Omega-3 Fatty Acids (EPA and DHA), much of the medical research on the health benefits of these nutrients is conducted using amounts of 1,000 mg and up.*

So, what does it really cost you for 1,000 mg
of Omega-3's (DHA/EPA)?

Product
Name Mg of Omega-3's
(EPA & DHA)
Per Capsule # Caps
in a Bottle Mg Per
Bottle Cost Per
Bottle Cost for 1,000 Mg of Omega-3's
(EPA & DHA) OmegaRx™
Ultra-Refined
Fish Oil Capsules
(pharmaceutical grade) 600 120 72,000 $40.00**
$0.56 Triomega Omega-3
(Pronova Biocare) 500 60 30,000 $19.99 $0.67 Omega Brite
(Omega Natural Science) 430 60 25,800 $18.99 $0.74 Ultimate Omega
(Nordic Naturals) 600 60 36,000 $26.95 $0.75 Omega-3
(Nordic Naturals) 300 60 18,000 $13.95 $0.78 Essential Oils Formula Large
(Atkins) 240 120 28,800 $23.79 $0.83 The Total EFA
(Health from the Sun) 118 90 10,620 $9.82 $0.92 Omega 3 & E
(Living Fuel) 200 120 24,000 $34.97 $1.46 Maximum Strength Omega-3
1 Buy 3 (Iceland Health) 500 30 15,000 $33.30 $2.22 Maximum Strength Omega-3
Buy 1 (Iceland Health) 500 30 15,000 $49.95 $3.33

The information for this comparison was acquired from reputable Internet web sites on July 28 and 29, 2004 and Sept. 21, 2004. This comparison chart focuses on the cost of 1,000 mg of Omega-3's (EPA and DHA) only. Although some of the products used in this comparison contain additional ingredients that may be beneficial to your health, only the cost of the long-chain Omega-3's (EPA and DHA) were calculated.

*GISSI-Prevenzione Investigators. "Dietary supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E after myocardial infarction: Results of the GISSI-Prevenzione trial." Lancet 354:447-455 (1999). This study was conducted using approximately 1,000 mg of Omega-3 fatty acids.

** ZoneNet Autoship price.

Fish Oil Types Comparisions Cod Liver Oil   Health Food Grade
Fish Oil   OmegaRx™ Ultra-refined
Fish Oil Not Safe at
High Levels   Questionable If Safe
at High Levels   Safe at
High Levels Highest levels of contaminants (organic mercury, PCB's and DDT).   Typical health-food grade omega-3 fish oil supplements contains varying amounts of contaminants. In addition, the fractional cooling method does not remove the PCB's or the long-chain monoene fatty acids that give rise to significant gastric distress.   It is so pure and refined, OmegaRx contains 100s times less PCB's and other contaminants than health food grade omega-3 fish oil. Low Quality   Better Quality   Highest Quality
Ultra-refined This is what Grandma used to give your parents. It is the lowest quality of all fish oils. Taking a high-dosage of cod liver oil is not recommended due to the high levels of Vitamin A and contaminants found in this form of fish oil.   If the label says the oil comes from a particular species of fish such as salmon oil then you know it is health-food grade omega-3 fish oil supplement. These oils are only sold in soft gelatin capsules because they still have an extremely poor taste profile.

There is a slightly more purified type of health food grade fish oil that includes those that have been subjected to a very limited amount of molecular distillation to remove some of the cholesterol in order to be labeled "cholesterol-free".

There is also another type of higher-grade health-food fish oil known as "fish oil concentrate." This type of fish oil consists of ethyl esters of the fish oil that has been subjected to fractional cooling.

  OmegaRx™ starts with the highest health food grade omega-3 fish oil and then goes through the following painstaking refining processes:

Additional amounts of saturated fats are removed by winterization at a very low temperature.

True molecular distillation process, the final refining process assures removal of all man made pollutants such as mercury, PCB's and dioxins.

Rigorous analysis and certification by an Independent Laboratory before product formulation.  The result is highly purified fish oil supplement.

Potency   Potency   Potency A typical one-teaspoon serving of cod liver oil contains only 500 mg. of long-chain omega 3 fatty acids.   A typical one-gram capsule of health-food grade fish oil contains approximately 300 mg. of long-chain omega 3 fatty acids.

A one-gram capsule of thermally fractionated health-food grade omega 3 fish oil supplements may contain up to 500 mg. of long-chain omega 3 fatty acids.   A one-gram capsule of OmegaRx Ultra Refined Fish Oil contains 600 mg. of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids with 5 I.U. of Vitamin E per gram of omega 3 fish oil.

It has twice the EPA and DHA as found in health-food grade fish oil.

One teaspoon of the liquid OmegaRxTM contains 1.8 grams of EPA and  0.9 grams of DHA.