Super Omega-3 Plus EPA/DHA & Sesame, Olive Extract, Krill, Astaxanthin
Better Nutrition 2016 Best of Supplements Award WinnerResearchers have long known the benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids found in the Mediterranean diet, but now a new branch of research is showing surprising results: omega-3 fatty acids from different sources have complementary benefits throughout the body. As part of our OMEGA FOUNDATIONS® line, Super Omega-3 Plus EPA/DHA with Sesame Lignans, Olive Extract, Krill & Astaxanthin provides omega-3 fatty acids from krill oil and fish oil, which together have been shown to provide enhanced support for your cardiovascular system and your brain.
Benefits at a Glance
- Provides two complementary sources of omega-3 fatty acids
- Krill oil and fish oil have been shown to support cardiovascular health and the brain
- Unique formula provides antioxidant support
- Sesame lignans guard against lipid peroxidation, thus extending stability of DHA in the body
- Omega-3 fatty acids are necessary to help counter excessive omega-6 fatty acid consumption
Dietary studies suggest that most Americans consume too many pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids relative to the omega-3 fatty acids that are a major component of the Mediterranean diet.1 Both fish oil and krill oil provide omega-3 fatty acids to help restore the omega-6/omega-3 balance.2 Research has also shown that consuming omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil results in more rapid uptake into plasma triglyceride and platelet phosopholipids, which provides targeted benefits to the cardiovascular system.3 Similarly, the omega-3s found in krill oil are incorporated more rapidly into the red blood cell phospholipids, which are quickly absorbed into brain cells.3
Made with fish oil so pure, it exceeds international standards.
This OMEGA FOUNDATIONS® supplement features AlaskOmega® — a sustainably harvested fish oil made from wild caught cold-water Alaska Pollock and processed in the United States within hours of harvest for exceptional freshness. It is produced with a proprietary technology that purifies the fish oil with a highly advanced distillation process that reduces environmental pollutants. The result is a fish oil so pure, it actually exceeds standards set by international rating agencies. And it’s also produced from a Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified sustainable fishery that is dedicated to sustainable harvesting practices and protection of the fishery ecosystem.
This formula has been fortified with additional astaxanthin, which is naturally found in krill oil. Astaxanthin is a powerful antioxidant carotenoid that has been shown to control free radical activity and boost mitochondrial function.4 A large body of research suggests that astaxanthin helps support joint, DNA,5,6 brain,7,8 cardiovascular,9,10 immune,11,12 and mitochondrial health.13-16 It also supports healthy blood glucose levels for those already in the normal range,17-19 and protects sensitive cells in the eye.20-23
Additionally, this formula has been enhanced with a standardized olive fruit polyphenol extract. Research shows that polyphenol extracts from olive fruit help protect normal LDL cholesterol from oxidation.24-28 The amount of standardized polyphenol fruit extract is equivalent to the polyphenol content found in 8 to 12 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. The combination of olive oil and fish oil is more effective with inflammation than either placebo or fish oil alone.29
Finally, the addition of sesame lignans supports the omega-3 fatty acids by making them more stable.30,31 Sesame lignans have been shown to guard against lipid peroxidation in omega-3 fatty acids, thus protecting the DHA in the body.
With a natural lemon flavor added to improve taste and palatability, this formula provides both fish oil and krill oil togetherto mazimize your omega-3 benefits and powerfully boost your health. Add it to your regimen today!
Supportive but not conclusive research shows that consumption of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
- Minerva Pediatr. 2008 Apr;60(2):219-33.
- Lipids Health Dis. 2013 Dec 5;12:178.
- J Lipid Res. 1999 Oct;40(10):1867-74.4. J Nutr Biochem. 2010 May;21(5):381-9.
- J Nutr Biochem. 2010 May;21(5):381-9.
- J Photochem Photobiol B. 2007 Jul 27;88(1):1-10.
- J Photochem Photobiol B. 2006 Dec 1;85(3):205-15.
- BMC Neurosci. 2012 Dec 29;13(1):156.
- FASEB J. 2009 Jun;23(6):1958-68.
- Arzneimittelforschung. 2011;61(4):239-46.
- Nutr Res. 2011 Oct;31(10):784-9.
- Nutr Metab (Lond). 2010;7:18.
- Chem Biol Interact. 2011 Aug 15;193(1):79-87.
- Available at: Accessed April 22, 2015.
- Available at: Accessed April 22, 2015.
- Biol Pharm Bull. 2011;34(6):839-44.
- Food Chem Toxicol. 2011 Jan;49(1):271-80.
- Biofactors. 2004;20(1):49-59.
- Redox Rep. 2002;7(5):290-3.
- Med Hypotheses. 2011 Oct;77(4):550-6.
- Biochimica et Biophysica Acta. 2001;1512 :251-8.
- Mol Vis. 2013 Jul 25;19:1656-66.
- Mar Drugs. 2013 Mar 21;11(3):960-74.
- J Pharm Pharmacol. 2008 Oct;60(10):1365-74.
- Anal Chim Acta. 2007 Feb 5;583(2):402-10.
- J Agric Food Chem. 2007 Sep 5;55(18):7609-14.
- Lipids. 2001 Nov;36(11):1195-202.
- Eur J Cancer. 2000 Jun;36(10):1235-47
- Eur J Nutr. 2007 Mar;46(2):70-8.
- Nutrition. 2005 Feb;21(2):131-6.
- Metabolism. 2006 Mar;55(3):381-90.
- Biochem Biophys Acta. 2004 Jun 1;1682 (1-3):80-91.
Additional Information
Life Extension – Super Omega-3 Plus EPA/DHA with Sesame Lignans, Olive Extract, Krill & Astaxanthin – 120 Softgels
Life Extension Super Omega-3 Plus EPA/DHA with Sesame Lignans, Olive Extract, Krill & Astaxanthin supplies triglyceride, ethyl-ester and phospholipid Omega-3 forms. The health benefits of eating cold-water fish are robust, yet concerns remain about contaminants found in wild and farm-raised fish. This should not stop consumers from including fish in their diet, as the longevity advantages of consuming cold-water fish instead of foods like beef are substantial. A recent study found that even vegetarians that include some fish in their diet fare better than strict vegetarians.
Eliminate Virtually All Fish-Derived Toxins
Consumers can exert significant control over their exposure to fish-borne toxins. High-quality fish oil is distilled to remove synthetic and natural contaminants that existed in the fish itself. Enhanced molecular distillation techniques utilize redundant processes to virtually eliminate detectable environmental toxins.
The other safety concern about fish oil is that its delicate omega-3 fats are highly vulnerable to rancidity. No one wants to ingest oxidized (rancid) oils.
A new fish oil blend derived from pristine waters off the coast of Alaska utilizes a multistep process to remain exceptionally fresh. The result is that this Alaskan-derived fish oil has a greater than five-fold reduction in the upper level threshold measurement for oxidation.
Current oxidation standards for quality fish oils ensure products free from rancidity. The new Alaskan-derived fish oil specification advances this premium standard five-fold better.
Higher Percentages of EPA and DHA
An advantage to higher EPA and DHA fish oil concentrations is smaller sized omega-3 capsules. The addition of this new Alaskan-derived fish oil to the Super Omega-3 supplement group enables the same high-potency EPA/DHA to fit into slightly smaller capsules for easier swallowing.
International Fish Oil Association Five-Star Rating
The International Fish Oil Association (IFOS) is an independent organization that tests fish oils to determine their overall safety and quality. A Five-Star Rating indicates fish oils have been tested to meet strict standards of quality as determined by EPA and DHA content, and for purity to rule out contamination with heavy metals, radiation, oxidation, and organic pollutants such as PCBs and dioxin.
Alaskan-derived fish oil enjoys the same Five-Star Rating mandated for all fish oils contained in the Super Omega-3 family of supplements.
Sustainable Fishing
The Marine Stewardship Council is an independent nonprofit organization that sets a standard for sustainable fishing so that that fishing can continue indefinitely with minimal environmental impact. The new Alaskan-derived fish oil is the first refined omega-3 concentrate available worldwide that carries the seafood sustainability certification from the Marine Stewardship Council.
Most Advanced Omega-3 Dietary Supplement
From supporting heart health and brain function to balancing the inflammatory response, there is no debating the broad-spectrum benefits of omega-3 fatty acids.
There are hundreds of fish oil supplements on the market. Only one incorporates lifesaving findings to provide omega-3 and olive fruit extracts, along with sesame lignans, in a family of formulas called Super Omega-3.
Fish Oil + Olive Fruit Extract = Greater Efficacy
Research findings indicate that a combination of fish oil and olive oil can support a healthy inflammatory response better than fish oil alone. Super Omega-3 incorporates the benefits of both fish oil and olive fruit extract into a single formula. Four softgels supply the equivalent polyphenol content of 8 to 12 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
Sesame Lignans Enhance Fish Oil Efficacy
Studies show that when sesame lignans are added to fish oil, there is a greater safeguard against oxidation along with the EPA/DHA fatty acids being directed toward pathways that help with inflammatory reactions.
Super Omega-3 Plus EPA/DHA with Sesame Lignans, Olive Extract, Krill & Astaxanthin
Emerging research suggests that different sources of omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish oil and krill oil, provide complementary effects upon cellular targets throughout the body.
Scientists suggest that combining fish oil and krill oil may provide enhanced support for cardiovascular health and the brain due to the different ways that fish oil and krill oil are taken up by our cells. Fish oil and krill oil share many important similarities, such as reducing levels of omega-6 relative to beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. Most Americans consume too many omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and not enough omega-3s.
Evidence suggests that by combining both fish and krill oil, you can maximize the uptake and protective benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids. To provide enhanced coverage, Life Extension offers Super Omega-3 Plus EPA/DHA with Sesame Lignans, Olive Extract, Krill & Astaxanthin.
Human studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil result in a more rapid uptake into plasma triglyceride and platelet phospholipids, which specifically benefit the cardiovascular system. The omega-3s found in krill appear to be more rapidly incorporated into red blood cell phospholipids, which are rapidly absorbed into brain cells. When combined, krill and fish oil appear to help support both the cardiovascular and nervous system.
Astaxanthin protects cells by controlling free-radical activity and boosting mitochondrial function. This potent antioxidant carotenoid has been shown to help optimize joint, immune, brain, cardiovascular, DNA, and mitochondrial health. Astaxanthin also supports healthy blood sugar levels for those already in the normal range. And astaxanthin crosses the blood-eye barrier, supporting vascular health within the eye and protecting the eyes’ sensitive cells.
In Super Omega-3 Plus EPA/DHA with Sesame Lignans, Olive Extract, Krill & Astaxanthin, the natural astaxanthin content of krill is fortified with additional astaxanthin for maximum stability and benefit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Life Extension’s quality control standards?
Life Extension uses only premium quality vitamins and other ingredients. Their dedication to excellence insists that their nutritional supplements meet the highest standards and criteria.
That is why Life Extension insists on purchasing only the highest quality raw materials from all over the world, primarily from leading US, Japanese and European sources. Life Extension goes one step further by using advanced analytical methods, such as high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, to ensure their products meet label claims for potency and purity. Life Extension tests its raw materials using US Pharmacopeia and other exacting pharmaceutical assay standards.
Why are Life Extension’s nutritional supplements more advanced than other dietary supplements?
The unique ingredients included in Life Extension’s products are often years ahead of the products sold by commercial vitamin companies. Life Extension scientists analyze thousands of scientific studies every week to make sure their health-promoting formulas include the most advanced life extending ingredients in the world. The Foundation interacts with the world’s foremost gerontology researchers in order to obtain inside information about antiaging breakthroughs before these findings are published. The Life Extension Foundation funds the most advanced anti-ischemia laboratory in the world, where antioxidant vitamins, hormones, and pharmaceutical agents are used to prevent free radical induced cellular damage.
Are Life Extension vitamins natural or synthetic?
Life Extension carries a combination of natural and synthetic vitamins and supplements. Some advertising statements would have them believe that “natural” is better, but natural supplements in some instances contain impurities such as pollen and naturally occurring hormones that can cause problems for some people. Synthetic nutrients are manufactured to be chemically identical (with the exception of vitamin E) to those extracted from natural sources, and are the most pure nutrient vitamins.
What does Life Extension do to ensure the quality of its products?
They focus on three specific areas.
- Raw Materials: Unlike other supplement companies, the natural ingredients that go into Life Extension’s supplements are not chosen based on cost. Instead they are chosen based on purity (to exclude contaminants such as microbes and heavy metals), potency, and usage in successful scientific research.
- Validation of the Efficacy of Ingredients by Scientific Research: Life Extension uses ingredients and dosages that accurately replicate the most successful results obtained in scientific studies for maximum efficacy.
- Manufacturing:Naturally, Life Extension is in strict compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for manufacturing, packaging, and storage.
Does the label accurately list exactly what’s in the bottle?
Yes. All active ingredients from patented, scientifically validated raw materials as well as final, finished products are verified using advanced analytical methods such as HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography), MS (mass spectrometry), etc., to ensure each and every product accurately meets label claims in strict compliance with their demanding product specifications.
When it comes to supplements, is cost an indicator of quality?
Where Life Extension is concerned, yes. Patented materials validated in scientific studies cost more – period. In contrast with many commercial brands focused on driving up margins by using the cheapest raw materials available, Life Extension collaborates with raw material suppliers who invest in scientific validation of their ingredients, which increases material costs. With Life Extension products, you get the quality you pay for.
What are the “Other Ingredients” on the label, and why are they important?
They are inactive ingredients (excipients) that play a number of critical, essential roles in the manufacturing process including:
- Achieving uniform density for accurate dosing
- Dispersing the active ingredients evenly throughout a solid tablet, capsule, and softgel
- Protecting active ingredients from rapid inactivation due to heat and moisture
- Promoting tablet disintegration, as well as capsule and softgel dissolution
- Sustaining the release of active ingredients into the body over time
Why do some companies refer to these excipients as a threat to your health?
Claiming any product is “pure and free of excipients” can be deceptive advertising, too frequently used to draw attention away from inferior active ingredients! The right inactive ingredients used in the right way do important things… like ensuring that a tablet disintegrates in your GI tract rather than just passing through your system without benefit, or keeping a product from breaking down and being susceptible to microbes. Take Life Extension blueberry extract, for example. It contains AuroraBlue wild-harvested, Alaskan blueberries. To retain their nutritional complexity, these berries are freeze-dried and carefully milled for capsule formulation. But being a whole fruit raw material, it tends to want to reconstitute itself with moisture, which would make it a breeding ground for bacteria. So Life Extension uses a drying excipient to keep the milled blueberry material dry, so it can safely deliver its superior nutritional value compared with other, less costly blueberry extracts in most commercial formulations.
All of the excipients Life Extension uses have earned GRAS (“Generally Regarded As Safe”) status. In many cases not using them compromises final product quality! Excipients are used in nutritional supplements to ensure uniform density of complex active materials, to achieve even dispersion of active ingredients, and to promote appropriate disintegration and/or dissolution of active ingredients inside your body.
Should one be concerned about the use of stearic acid?
Stearic acid functions as a flow agent in the manufacture of quality products, and stearic acid also occurs naturally in the foods you eat. For example, four ounces of dark chocolate contain 3,625 mg of stearic acid; a cup of kidney beans contains 1,655 mg of stearic acid; an ounce of raw ground beef (grass-fed) contains 2,063 mg of stearic acid; and a half pound of lean raw turkey contains 1,642 mg of stearic acid. Even a tablespoon of allspice contains 1,513 mg of stearic acid! Life Extension supplements, on the other hand, typically contain no more than 10 mg per capsule. They always use the lowest level of magnesium stearate possible.
Should one be concerned that products with soybean oil or lecithin are a source of phytoestrogens?
While it is true that soy isoflavones are phytoestrogens, the amount in soybean oil or lecithin is so minute, the USDA lists it in foods as having zero value for isoflavones. To give you a frame of reference, Life Extension’s Ultra Natural Prostate contains 4 mg of lecithin which supplies only about 0.006 mg of soy isoflavones!
Should one be concerned with the usage of genetically modified plants (GMOs)?
Soybeans are an example of a crop that has used extensive genetic engineering to increase crop yield. The reality is that soybean oil and soy lecithin are highly processed derivatives of soy, far removed from their soy origin. Genetic modification doesn’t alter the entire plant, only a specific gene. Thus, specific molecules like soy lecithin are the same whether they come from a GMO or non-GMO soy source. However, due to their sensitivity to customer concerns, products with corn and soy-based active ingredients are in process of having the labels updated to list when soy and corn-derived active ingredients have been certified to be from non-GM food crops.
Does the gelatin used in softgels and capsules contain MSG?
Gelatin does not contain MSG, but does contain about 0.05 grams of glutamic acid in one softgel. You ingest about 120 times more glutamic acid in a serving of asparagus, cabbage or tomatoes!
What’s the difference between tablets, capsules and softgels?
Sophisticated products require sophisticated delivery systems. The best companies choose the most effective finished form based on the characteristics of the raw materials, and the desired disintegration or dissolution characteristics of the finished product and the active ingredients.
Why aren’t Life Extension products organic?
The word “organic” conveys the perception of quality to consumers. But it actually relates to foods that are grown rather than products that are formulated. Many of their scientifically validated raw materials are not produced organically. Rather, their mandate includes rigorous testing and scrupulous processing. The objective is purity, both in terms of their raw materials and finished products.
Commitment to Scientific Research
Commercial companies have made huge profits on products such as coenzyme Q10, melatonin and DHEA, each of which was introduced to the U.S. market by Life Extension at considerable risk. Life Extension performed the research on these products, determined their validity and viability, and subsequently brought them to market based upon the strength of evidence behind them.
In the past seven years, Life Extension has funded over $21 million in research through their affiliations with such esteemed institutions as U.C. Berkeley and Mt. Sinai Medical Center. In 2004, Life Extension’s scientists were awarded a $900,000 grant to continue their pioneering work, and they collaborated with BioMarker Pharmaceuticals and scientists at the National Cancer Institute to develop new anti-aging therapies. This resulted in a recently accepted publication in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
In addition, Life Extension has funded life span studies at the Universities of Wisconsin, California at Riverside, and Arkansas, gene transfer studies at the Gerontology Research Center in Baltimore, neurotransmitter studies to find the key to brain aging at the University of California at Berekely, and resveratrol studies BioMarker Pharmaceuticals in collaboration with Harvard Medical School and Critical Care Research.
Over 30 Years of History
Life Extension has a history of being several steps ahead of the competition, and in many cases, ahead of the mainstream medical establishment and the media in terms of uncovering and reflecting the newest science and research insights.
Life Extension’s Vision
Life Extensionists believe in taking advantage of scientific research to help slow aging and enhance their chances of living longer, healthier lives through the use of nutritional supplementation and an integrative approach to health.
The goal at Life Extension is to increase the quality and longevity of human life with science-based, “cutting edge” formulations. The unique ingredients included in Life Extension products are sometimes five to ten years ahead of the products sold by commercial vitamin companies.
Every week, Life Extension’s in-house research staff analyzes thousands of scientific studies, reviews dozens of the world’s leading peer-reviewed scientific, health, and medical journals, and interacts with leading anti-aging researchers to uncover the very latest breakthroughs as they relate to nutritional supplementation. This information is then passed on to their product development team which develops scientifically innovative, health-promoting formulations.
For over 25 years, Life Extension has developed nutritional supplements with the highest degree of quality, potency, and purity. Unlike discount supplement providers, Life Extension differentiates itself through quality, not price. Many discount products, for example, use low grade vitamin C imported from China that contains traces of arsenic, lead, and iron. Since the FDA does not believe anyone should take more than 100mg a day of vitamin C, the FDA permits the importation of this contaminated vitamin C. Many Life Extensionists take over 3,000 mg of vitamin C a day, so it is crucial that they use top-quality vitamin C that has gone through 18 purification steps to remove contaminants.
Life Extension’s complete line of nutritional supplements includes vitamins, minerals, amino acids, phyto-nutrients and standardized herbal concentrates.
About Life Extension
Life Extension has been helping people stay healthy and live better for more than 35 years. Their belief in a scientific approach to better nutrition has always been the cornerstone of our company. But they also believe that good health is a balance — and suspect that you do, too.
Regular exercise, smart lifestyle choices, and a sensible diet are the keys to living a healthy life. But getting the right vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients—at the optimal levels for your body needs to thrive—isn’t easy. That’s why it’s a good idea to use nutritional supplements to augment even the healthiest diets.
The problem is, how do you choose the very best nutritional supplements … or even know what’s in them? How do you know that they’ve been thoroughly researched with clinically validated dosages? With all of the supplement brands out there — some good, some not so good — how can you be absolutely certain you’re making the best choice?
The answer is simple: always choose Life Extension.
Just like with the foods you eat, the quality, purity, and potency of the ingredients that go into your nutritional supplements really do matter. That’s why at Life Extension, we’ve been committed to sourcing the highest quality raw materials, and creating the best supplements money can buy, since 1980.
Today, they make over 350 vitamins and nutritional supplements that set the gold standard for supporting weight loss, heart, brain, bone, joint, eye, skin, sexual health, and so much more. And they base these formulas on the latest scientific research, making sure that their supplements offer those same ingredients at the same clinically validated dosages.