Market Updates, Products & Ingredients

Clinical Study Finds Plant-Based Omega-3 Ingredient Efficacious

Two omega-3 status tests confirmed the bioavailability of the plant-based DHA, EPA, and ALA.

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By: Mike Montemarano

A human clinical trial confirmed the bioavailability of a plant-based omega-3 supplement containing EPA, DHA, and ALA, sourced from a proprietary canola containing the omega-3 fatty acids found in microalgae.
 
The supplement, marketed as Nutriterra by Nuseed Nutritional U.S. Inc. is sourced from a species of canola which the company has transferred genes into from omega-3 genes of microalgae, making it the first land-based source of EPA and DHA. The findings on its bioavailability appear in Frontiers in Nutrition.
 
Nutriterra acknowledged the contract research organization Nutrasource for its role in designing and successfully completing the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled two-phase pharmacokinetic study and clinical trial.
 
In the study, healthy adult subjects consumed one of three doses of Nutriterra or a placebo for a period of 16 weeks, amounting to four groups each containing 33 people. Throughout the study duration, the researchers measured blood lipid concentrations of EPA, DHA, and ALA through two testing methodologies – OmegaScore and the Omega-3 Index. They found that in the higher-dose group, the ingredient significantly improved omega-3 status in both testing domains to levels that are consistent with those correlated with cardiovascular and cognitive health benefits in prior research.
 
Further, the authors of the study found that the supplement ingredient had a strong safety and tolerability profile, and that the omega-3 fatty acids DHA, EPA, and ALA  were all readily absorbed and present in blood lipids.
 
“The global demand for [omega-3 fatty acids], which exceeds 1.27 million tons per year, cannot be met by current ocean-based supplies,” the authors of the study said. “Notably the highest dose of omega-3-rich canola oil used in the present study provided [360 mg DHA and 20 mg EPA], thereby highlighting its potential to help fill in the supply-demand gap.”
 
Further, acute pharmacokinetic findings recorded on a single dose among the participants, prior to the long-term supplementation duration, demonstrated that blood lipid omega-3 profiles improved within 72 hours after taking a single dose, the authors of the study noted.  
 
“This study confirms Nutriterra’s efficacy without compromise to nutrition or safety,” Benita Boettner, Nuseed Nutritional General Manager, said. “Plant-based is the fastest-growing segment of the omega-3 category, and this new option meets consumer demand for a sustainable alternative to marine oils with DHA, EPA, and ALA.”

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