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-Omega-3 Seal Oil
The most balanced essential fatty acid product in nature.
Scientific research has identified the benefits of omega-3 marine oils on cardiovascular and
circulatory health, as well as possible benefits to infant development and in the treatment of neurological aliments.
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for normal growth, development and may play a role in the prevention
and treatment of hypertension, arthritis, inflammatory and auto immune disorders, diabetes and cancer of
the breast and prostate.
One of the richest sources of marine Omega-3 comes from the Harp seal- a mammal found abundantly
in the waters of Newfoundland and Labrador. Because of their environment, Harp Seal have unique biological
characteristics that make them valuable as a renewable resource to be harvested for human consumption.
The interest in marine oils stemmed from observation of the diet of Greenland Inuit where seal meat and
fats was an important part of the diet. Despite their high fat consumption, the incidence of cardiovascular
disease (CVD) in the Inuit was considerably less than that of the Danish population.
-Benefits of Seal oil
As early as 1908 the Danish doctors Krogh and Krogh studied the Greenland diet. They demonstrated
that Greenlanders were the most meat-eating population known that time. The Danish doctors Bang
and Dyerberg confirmed this in the studies they made between 1970 and 1979.
They found that certain polyunsaturated fatty acids, omega-3 fatty acids, are rich represented
in the diet which consists mainly of seal meat, blubber and small whales.
These polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids may explain the low incidence of cardiovascular diseases
in this population. In 1958, research conducted by C.M. Harlow et al.,
at the Dalhousie University Medical Research Committee revealed that a further lowering of cholesterol
could be obtained by adding 50 grams of seal oil (450 calories) to the diets of ten patients
with atherosclerosis and hypercholesterolemia, who were already on a low-fat diet (5%)
-Role of Omega-3
- DPA (docosapentaenoic acid) is naturally present in human milk.
It postulates to be an essential fatty acid for infant nutrition and development.
Seal oil is one of the few known natural sources of DPA. By contrast, fish oils have little or no DPA.
Recent studies show that DPA is involved with the healing process associated with cardiovascular disease,
namely atherosclerosis and thrombosis.
- DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) has been identified as an essential fatty acid in brain, nerve and eye tissue.
It is especially important in the development of infants cisual acuity and motor skills.
DHA is supplied naturally through breast milk and more recently, through DHA supplemented formula.
Harp Seal oil is an excellent source of DHA
- EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) reduces inflammation and blood clots within the cardiovascular system.
Clinical tests have shown people with diets rich in EPA are less prone to inflamed joints
(Rheumatoid arthritis), inflammation of the intestine (Chrons disease), lupus, asthma,
multiple sclerosis and skin disease.
-The superiority of Seal Oil
Seal oil is a superior source of omega-3 compared to fish in many ways.
DPA is present at very low levels in fish oils relative to EPA or DHA
but is most as important as either the EPA or the DHA. Seal oil can supply up to ten times more DPA than fish oils.
About a third of the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids circulating in human blood is attributable to DPA.
Because of this, DPA has become of interest to medical researchers in both France and Japan.
It seems that in the blood vessel walls, EPA may actually be converted to DPA as the effective agent.
Japanese researchers at the Tokyo Medical and Dental University in Tokyo have shown
that the one stimulating effect of EPA on endothelial cell migration occurs via DPA,
which may act as a powering anti-atherogenic factor. Although it has been believed
that EPA is the key in producing prostaglandin that keeps the artery wall soft and free of plaque,
DPA may be 10-20 times more powerful than EPA in this effect. Seal oil is the ONLY supplement rich
in natural DPA.
With the exception of seal oil, the highest incidence of DPA is in human breast milk. Deficiencies
in omega-3 PUFAs such as DPA may result in impaired development of visual acuiry and motor skills,
according to several studies. The relative proportions of omega-3 PUFA in most fish oils does not correspond
well with that of human breast milk, but seal oil has a more similar compositional structure.
The absorption of seal oil into human body is easier and more through than fish oils.
In seal oil, the omega-3 fatty acids are in the -1 and -3 positions of the triglyceride molecule
(same as humans) while in fish oil they are in the -2 position. The omega-3 content of seal oil is 20%-25%,
which is higher than most fish oils, making seal oil capsules a much more effective source of omega-3
than fish itself.
Seal oil is virtually free of cholesterol while many fish oils are relatively high in cholesterol.
Fish oil is susceptible to oxidization whereas seal oil is more resistant to natural oxidative processes.
Preliminary experiments by Drs. Nakhla and David have shown that the extent of oxidization of omega-3 PUFA
in seal in vitro was less than half observed in fish oils.
-Omega-3 in disease prevention
- Heart disease: Research has indicated that omega-3 can reduce the risk of primary cardiac arrest by 70%,
by reducing blood vessel blockages. Other work (Dr. Leof of Harvard Medical School) has found
that PUFAs can prevent sudden death from irregular heart beats following a heart attack.
Another study has found that a diet rich in omega-3 can reduce chances of a second (fatal) heart attack by 30%.
The results are primarily from the fact that omega-3 makes the walls of the blood vessels smoother
and more elastic thus reducing vessel blockages that are often the cause of heart problems.
- Mental Illness: A British study claims that up to 80% of schizophrenics are deficient
in unsaturated fatty acids like omega-3. Omega-3 deficiency has also been liked to depression
and general mental deterioration.
- Arthritis: More than a dozen studies confirm that omega-3 offers anti-inflammatory relief
for arthritis sufferers.
- Diabetes: A disorder characterized by high blood levels of glucose in the blood.
Diabetes can damage the large blood vessels increasing the risk of stroke, heart attack,
and in the limbs, gangrene. Many studies now suggest that omega-3 is invaluable
in combating circulation problems associated with diabetes by rendering the walls of the veins
and arteries smooth and more elastic.
- Reduces cholesterol: A person with a high level of cholesterol came to the National hospital in Nuuk.
He had tried different diets and medicinal treatment, but his cholesterol count was still higher than was good for him.
He was urged to eat only traditional Greenland food. In just a month his cholesterol count fell by a whole 70%. |
