Having had our eye firmly on the progress of echium seed oil and its route down the path of achieving food approval, we are delighted to be able to offer our customers the best vegetarian source of omega-3 possible.  In fact we have dedicated a site specifically to highlight the benefits and provide current information to our ‘non-fish eating’ customers on how to get the best from their omega-3. Check it out at www.vegetarian-omega3.com.

Vegepa also controls Auto-Immune disorder. My IGE is over 10,000.  It has a very positive effect on Excrutiating Eczma and appears to moisturise the skin from within.  A huge thank you.

Of the 200 parents surveyed, children living in the North of England and those from the poorest families were the least likely to consume breakfast (many experts suggest this is the most important meal of the day), and likeliness of children eating breakfast dropped as they got older. Parents from the poorest socioeconomic groups were also the least likely to express that their child ate healthily, which contrasted strongly with the wealthiest families.

When asked about diet and fruit consumption, 16% of children from poorer families reported consuming no fruit daily, compared with 7% of children from well off families.
In response to questions about their children’s general health, children from the higher socioeconomic group reported less illness.

Intake of omega-3 from oily fish, vitally important nutrients for children’s brain growth, learning and development, seemed to vary quite significantly between regions. Consumption of oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and herring was reported to be extremely low in the North East ranging from 0-8% of children, compared with 13-47% of children living in Greater London. On the other hand, white fish (which contains only low amounts of omega-3 fats) is eaten regularly by children in the North East, with cod being particularly popular with 58% of children, and fish fingers eaten by 42% of children.

According to Dr Nina Bailey, “Diet and consumption of omega-3 fats can have profound implications for health. Low intake of omega-3s, particularly omega-3 EPA fish oil, as well as low intake of fruit and vegetables, is associated with higher rates of childhood learning disorders, such as ADHD and dyslexia, as well as common allergies such as asthma, inflammatory problems such as eczema, and even being overweight. The variance in dietary patterns across different regions of the UK is particularly concerning – not least because those who can’t afford to eat oily fish and fresh fruit and vegetables appear to be those most in need of these nutrients.”

Encouraging children to eat oily fish can be difficult, but with high quality concentrated supplements available, purified fish oil offers a convenient and safe solution. With its high EPA content, Dr Nina Bailey recommends Vegepa Chewables EPA omega-3 fish oil, which contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the optimum ratio to restore a healthy balance in the body. Affordability is often the deciding factor when it comes to purchasing omega-3 supplements, though taking higher doses of cheaper supplements is not the answer, according to Dr Nina Bailey. “Extracting the EPA from fish oil and adding an ethyl-ester to stabilise it can significantly increase the concentration by simply disregarding unnecessary fats.  This is extremely important in terms of health benefits, because very high concentrations of EPA in ethyl-ester form have a higher uptake in the body than formulations with low EPA concentration. In other words, taking higher doses of a cheaper, lower quality supplement will not provide the same health benefits due to the low uptake in the body.” Igennus Healthcare Nutrition provides an information pack that can be presented to GPs, with a view to obtaining the health supplement on prescription; Igennus receives several hundred prescriptions monthly for its concentrated pure EPA omega-3 fish oil supplements. To download Igennus’ health pack, visit www.igennus-hn.co

About the research

The research was undertaken by The Survey Shop and is based on a sample of 200 parents in England. Analysis of the data was provided by Dr Nina Bailey, nutrition scientist based at Igennus Healthcare Nutrition.

Diagnosis of fibromyalgia is often difficult, and the condition itself is far from simple in its definition.  Whilst malfunctions in pain processing include the over sensitisation of nerves responsible for pain-transmitting, and a dysfunction in the pathways involved in inhibiting pain, fibromyalgia also includes changes in our neuroendocrine responses to stress.  The neuroendocrine system, or the ‘HPA-axis’, is a highly complex system that is triggered in stressful situations, and primes the body to cope with whatever situation is raised.

While the stresses of our ancestors were relatively simple to define in initiating the ‘flight or fight’ response when faced with immediate danger, modern day stressors may be less obvious, with work stress or money worries being classic examples.  Interestingly, however, whatever the stress source is, the mechanism by which the body reacts is just the same.

Furthermore, because there are so many influential variables within the HPA-axis (the interactions of stress response include neurotransmitters, hormones, the immune system and the nervous system), multiple abnormalities can affect the normal functioning of both the immune and the nervous systems.  In response, the body releases several types of chemical messengers that can then trigger both inflammation and pain. The detection of specific products called cytokines within the blood provides information on both the degree and severity of this process.

Indeed, increased levels of inflammatory cytokines are common to many conditions including chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia (FMS), complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and also in neuropathic conditions (such as nerve damage associated with diabetes).   A recent study has found that elevated omega-6 long chain fatty acids, as well as trans fatty acid levels, are directly correlated with pain-related disability and anxiety levels in individuals with CRPS.  Because the same fatty acid profile is not seen in pain-free control subjects, this indicates that these fats play a direct role in CRPS development, and therefore in pain processing pathways (Ramsden et al, 2010).

So what is it exactly about omega-6 that relates to pain in such conditions?  Omega-6 fats are a family of polyunsaturated fatty acids, generally over-consumed in Western diets.  These fats are found in common vegetable oils and non-organic red meat (cattle are often fed on grains rich in omega-6 and so these tend accumulate in their flesh).  The relevance of this is that specific fats have specific functions, and one particular type of omega-6 called arachidonic acid (AA) accumulates in our cell membranes and, upon its release, is converted into inflammatory products.

Diets that are particularly rich in this type of fatty acid will therefore result in the over-production of inflammatory products in the body.  We can also convert the omega-6 found in vegetable oils to AA, further adding to its accumulation in the body.  Given that different types of fat give rise to different end products, it is possible to manipulate the production of inflammatory or anti-inflammatory products simply by our dietary intake of fat.

Firstly, we need to limit our intake of omega-6 and increase our intake of another family of fats called omega-3, which have anti-inflammatory properties and are also associated with many health benefits.  For example:

• Swap common vegetable oils rich in omega-6 for other oils such as olive or coconut oil (which is an excellent choice for frying, for example).
• Avoid or reduce non-organic meat and processed meat (such as sausages, burgers, and cold meats such as salami).
• Use oils such as flaxseed oil in dressings, and consume two portions of oily fish a week.  Whilst flaxseed oil contains omega-3, the body first has to modify it into ‘long-chain’ fatty acids in order to provide significant health benefits.  Fish, on the other hand, contains the preformed long-chain omega-3 eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which have direct health benefits.  EPA is particularly significant because not only does it give rise to its own family of anti-inflammatory products, but it directly competes with AA, not only for space in cell membranes, but also for the enzymes needed to turn AA into inflammatory products.  Simply put, this means that consuming EPA lowers the ability of AA to induce inflammation.  With some inflammatory conditions, however, the amount of EPA needed for this to occur far is difficult to obtain simply by consuming the average diet.  Using highly purified and concentrated EPA oils overcomes this problem, as these can simply be added to a normal daily diet.

Given the benefits of omega-3 for pain modulating pathways, and for their known benefits on reducing inflammation, it is not surprising that the use of omega-3 is the focus of many clinical studies where pain is a key influential factor.  For example, omega-3 fish oil has been shown to help diabetic neuropathy (Ko et al, 2010), back pain (Maroon & Bost 2006), arthritis (Das et al, 2009) and FMS (Ozgocmen et al, 2000) – to name but a few conditions.

Adding quality supplements to the diet has a myriad of health benefits, not only for relieving pain but also for reducing the need for over-the-counter and prescription pain relief medicines.  Many of us who often resort to common pain-relieving products, such as ibuprofen or paracetamol, will be pleased to know that long-term supplementation with high strength EPA fish oil may even have a protective role in the prevention of pain.

References

Das Gupta AB, Hossain AK, Islam MH, Dey SR, Khan AL. Role of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation with indomethacin in suppression of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis. Bangladesh Med Res Counc Bull. 2009 Aug;35(2):63-8.

Ko GD, Nowacki NB, Arseneau L, Eitel M, Hum A. Omega-3 fatty acids for neuropathic pain: case series. Clin J Pain. 2010 Feb;26(2):168-72.

Maroon JC, Bost JW. Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) as an anti-inflammatory: an alternative to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for discogenic pain. Surg Neurol. 2006 65:326-31.

Okuda Y, Mizutani M, Ogawa M, Sone H, Asano M, Asakura Y, Isaka M, Suzuki S, Kawakami Y, Field JB, Yamashita K. Long-term effects of eicosapentaenoic acid on diabetic peripheral neuropathy and serum lipids in patients with type II diabetes mellitus. J Diabetes Complications. 1996 10:280-7.

Ozgocmen S, Catal SA, Ardicoglu O, Kamanli A. Effect of omega-3 fatty acids in the management of fibromyalgia syndrome. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2000 Jul;38(7):362-3.

Ramsden C, Gagnon C, Graciosa J, Faurot K, David R, Bralley JA, Harden RN. Do Omega-6 and Trans Fatty Acids Play a Role in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome? A Pilot Study.  Pain Med. 2010 Jun 8. [Epub ahead of print]

For those customers whose circumstances prevent them from taking Vegepa – or indeed any of our other products – for a specific condition, we advise that you download our patient pack and present this to your doctor, who may be willing to prescribe omega-3 fish oil for you.

Like many graduates of the McTimoney Chiropractic College, Julien’s first experience of Chiropractic was as a patient. Aged 17, he hit a parked car on a push bike and went through the back windscreen.  A bit of a stiff neck became a serious problem several years later, severely affecting his shoulder and sleep. At the age of 19, he was being advised that he would need to take painkillers for the rest of his life. His mother then suggested a Chiropractor. (“Chiro-what?!”) Three sessions later and the problem was resolved. To date, it still hasn’t returned.  Of course there have been a few injuries since then but Chiropractic is always Julien’s first choice for treatment and is the key to a speedy recovery.

Julien graduated with a B.Sc Hons degree in Applied Biology from Bath University in 1992.  After a few years working in a hard science environment as a microbiologist, he trained as a Chiropractor.  After 4 years of training I graduated and began my career in May 2000 at the Rose & Crown clinic in South Molton.  After ten good years, Julien decided it was time to fly solo and set up his own clinic at 11 South Street.

Whilst holding true to the principals of McTimoney Chiropractic, Julien mostly uses Activator Chiropractic methods these days. Julien is one of only forty Advanced Proficiency rated Activator practitioners in the UK and, to date, the only one in Devon. Julien also integrates Sacral Occipital Technique (SOT), as well as Dry Needling. Once the patient’s problem is diagnosed, Julien uses a variety of skills to create a bespoke treatment which will fit individual healthcare needs. The bulk of Julien’s referrals come from personal recommendation.

E-mail: southstreet123@btconnect.com
Website: www.southstreetchiropractic.com
Telephone: 01769 572912

According to Nutrition Scientist Dr Nina Bailey, “we have a long way to go to educate people as to what constitutes a healthy diet, since most adults clearly believe their children are eating a healthy diet. This contradicts the sales figures of junk foods and processed food, as well as national statistics for rising obesity and childhood learning disorders.”

In a recent survey of 200 parents, it became apparent that TV and internet were a significant part of children’s leisure habits, with 92% of parents admitting that their children watched television on a daily basis, and 47% of children spending time at a computer daily.  Given the link between sedentary lifestyles, poor diets and increasing childhood learning problems and obesity, these findings are a real cause for concern. “Eating junk food leads to overconsumption, and reduced activity decreases energy expenditure. It is a repetitive cycle, and one that children will likely carry with them into adulthood. If parents intervene with their child’s diet, reducing consumption of processed foods, and limiting time spent watching television or surfing the internet, we might see rates of childhood obesity start to decline – and rates of learning problems would likely decrease too,” Dr Bailey commented.

In recent years, many studies have demonstrated the importance of omega-3 fatty acids in children’s diets – particularly so in relation to learning and development. The UK Food Standards agency is reviewing the possibility of introducing an RDA, since these good fats are so essential for our health. Yet, when parents were asked about fish consumption in the recent survey, there was a clear trend in consumption of white fish such as cod, or perhaps canned tuna – both of which do not provide essential brain-boosting omega-3 fats.  At the same time, only 5-8% of parents reported giving their children omega-3 fish oil supplements, suggesting that children in the UK aren’t receiving sufficient amounts of these nutrients.

Omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil are known to have an important role in the brain, as well as heart health, immunity, inflammatory response, and many other physiological functions. Both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are essential for maintaining healthy cell membranes, which helps with the transmission of messages between neurons in the brain – in other words aiding brain function. Simply put, these fats are vital for good health, at any age.

When there’s a shortage in the body of important omega-3 fatty acids, brain cell communication is disrupted which, in the case of the dopamine pathway (the neurotransmitter implicated in ADHD for example, and the basis for which the drug Ritalin has been formulated) this could affect functions such as attention and concentration – both fundamental factors in ADHD and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

The role of the omega-3 EPA in learning, attention and concentration is well documented, with controlled trials reporting improved behaviour at home and in the classroom after supplementation with concentrated omega-3 fish oils. Restoring the levels of fatty acids in the brain promotes efficient cell communication, and neurotransmitters resume healthy levels.

Encouraging children to eat oily fish can be difficult, but with high quality supplements available, purified fish oil offers a convenient and safe solution. With its high EPA content, we recommend Vegepa Chewables – EPA omega 3 fish oil which contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in precisely the right ratio to restore a healthy balance in the body. Vegepa Chewables are naturally flavoured with orange and are free from salicylates (chemicals found in oranges and orange products that can trigger ADHD symptoms).