Women's Heart Disease Risk Lowered
With Combination of Omega-3s and GLA

GUELPH, ONTARIO, Feb. 05, 2002 - Canadian researchers have found that daily doses of a 3-way combination of the essential fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic (EPA), docosahexaenoic (DHA) and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) appear to improve cholesterol levels in healthy women and lower their risk of heart attack.

In a 28-day clinical trial, researchers at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, supplemented 31 healthy women with various dosage combinations of fish oil (Incromega) and GLA (Crossential), which were supplied by Croda Healthcare, a UK-based world leader in lipid technology. Encapsulation of these oils was donated by Bioriginal Food & Science Corp., Croda's exclusive North American distributor of concentrated specialty EFA oils. Dosages of 4g of EPA/DHA, and GLA ranging from 0-4g, were administered. A control group was provided with Incromega fish oil.

Results obtained from the study indicated that participants supplemented with 4g EPA/DHA and 2g GLA demonstrated the greatest overall reduction in heart attack risk, with greatly improved blood lipid and fatty acid profiles. Researchers estimated this combination of EPA/DHA/GLA produce a 43 percent reduction in the 10-year risk of heart attack.

Dr. Claire Packer, scientist at Croda Healthcare, comments: "It has been known for some time that EPA/DHA fish oil supplementation in cardiovascular disease is beneficial, however, the science has now moved on with this latest research indicating that the best protection may be achieved by adding plant-derived GLA oil to fish oil."

The EPA and DHA omega 3 fatty acids used in this study are commonly found in oily fish such as sardines, mackerel and tuna. GLA is obtained from plant oils such as borage (starflower) and evening primrose oils.

Croda Healthcare supplies a range of high purity, high potency marine and plant lipid concentrates, in particular omega-3 and 6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, to the pharmaceutical and nutritional markets.

View the complete article at http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/77/1/37

For additional company and product information, please visit www.croda.co.uk. In North America contact: Carol Reynolds, Marketing Coordinator, Bioriginal Food & Science Corp., at (306) 975-1166 or e-mail business@bioriginal.com.

Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 77, No. 1, 37-42, January 2003,

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