Fishing for Omega-3 supplements from marine algae
By the editors of Environmental Nutrition, Environmental Nutrition Newsletter
Q. Can marine algae omega-3s provide the same benefits as fish oil ?
Premium Health News Service SOURCE: chicagotribune.com, January 30, 2013;
 
Editorial Commentary By Scott Doughman, PhD  

• There are two interesting points right off the bat. First is the consideration of algae as marine. Marine algae is a correct designation in general and with few exceptions.

• Second, the supplement model is the only method of educating about the science of fish oil and algae oil and fish as food, all are separate. Combined algae DHA supplements with food is needed. Combined EPA supplements with food is needed. There is really no difference between the two. I concluded and have published that after 6 months of any EPA or DHA or EPA+DHA combination with any biologic fatty acid therapy that these are identical in relative omega-3 index and omega-3 physiology outcome. The differences are far more meaningless than the similarities. No one formula is superior, although products may compete for best. DHA inherently is EPA and EPA is inherently DHA as needed once in the body. Don't discount you have a healthy powerful liver for metabolism.

 
This article on the Tribune website is important. The basis of any omega-3 fat causing any change in LDL-C is a shared statistic. Stick the statistic in its place. It has a role. Why does this result happen, the LDL-C increase, a barely significant result and a barely significant point? Why, because consumed fat necessitates liver-VLDL budding, which is a particle that is processed into LDL-C particles: VLDL>>>Pre-LDL>>LDL-C>remnants. The metric for LDL-C has been standardized, just like the Omega-3 Index is becoming, but the LDL-C particle now is by law a disease marker.
 
Since adding omega-3 oils adds to total fat intake on a daily basis, this could add up to 5% more fat consumed per day. This is a metabolic challenge and, perhaps if you also control total fat intake by offsetting 5% of any other fats in the diet, you now have a controlled state. This is basically what Amarin did. That is all. So that means most all other data has the risk of showing omega-3 benefits in preferential lowering of steady state blood fats and increasing steady state waste removal via HDL-C, but a tiny LDL-C change may be seen as (not) a side effect. Not in me. I want my LDL-C to go up if I eat more fat.
 
Why does the doctor NOT want me to have a healthy fat metabolism? Does this not prove part of the high cholesterol problem is caused by the high fat problem in the blood (due to sugar and fat together) as a first indicator? In some people, not in all. But in general, high triglycerides will correlate with higher LDL-C.