Matol Optimum Omega-3: The "Alpha" Omega
by Matol Botanical International Ltd.

Matol Optimum Omega-3 dietary supplement is essential to healthier skin cells, both inside and out. The omega-3s in Optimum Omega-3 are derived from pure distilled deep sea fish oil from tuna, sardines and anchovies that are free of heavy metals and PCBs.

Omega-3 fatty acids have received much attention in the media mainly because studies have shown that these polyunsaturated fats prevent blood clots from forming, which could otherwise lead to heart attacks or strokes, and prevent hardening of the arteries - an often "age-related" phenomenon.

Omega 3 fatty acids, both eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA), are plentiful in cold water fish, like anchovies, mackerel, salmon, albacore tuna, sardines, and lake trout among others, that have high levels of "good" fat. Unfortunately, you would have to eat an unrealistically high amount of fish each week to consume adequate amounts of omega-3s. And to top it all, lately, with considerable evidence that levels of mercury or other water-borne contaminants, such as PCBs that find their way into fish, it has become a safety issue for some people. Government restrictions on fish consumption are common today cautioning no more than two fish meals per week to prevent any negative effects contaminants may cause.

Alternatives to eating fish do exist. omega-3 fatty acids are frequently said to come from vegetable oils, such as canola, soybean, flax seed and olive oil. These alpha-linolenic fatty acids (ALAs) are considerably healthier than others. The problem with getting omega-3s from apha-linolenic acids is that the ALAs must be converted to DHA and EPA. It takes relatively large amounts of ALAs to form omega-3s (DHA and EPAs). And since calories do count, eating large quantities of fat in the form of ALAs is counterproductive to weight conscious people.

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) promote healthy cell membranes, the proper development and functioning of the brain and nervous system, enhancing cellular communication, as well as the production of hormone-like substances that regulate many body functions including blood pressure, blood viscosity, vasoconstriction, immune and inflammatory responses.

Current research suggest that the levels of EFAs and the balance between them may play a critical role not only in growth and development but also in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases including coronary artery disease, hypertension, type II diabetes, arthritis and other immune/inflammatory disorders and cancer.

In 1996, the American Heart Association released its Science Advisory, "Fish Consumption, Fish Oil, Lipids and Coronary Heart Disease." Since then, important new findings have been reported on the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids on cardiovascular disease (CVD). These include evidence from randomized, controlled clinical trials. New information has emerged about how omega-3 fatty acids affect heart function (including antiarrhythmic effects), hemodynamics (cardiac mechanics) and arterial endothelial function. The ways that omega-3 fatty acids reduce CVD risk are still being studied. However, research has shown that they decrease the risk of cardiac arrhythmias, which can lead to sudden cardiac death. and decrease the growth rate of atherosclerotic plaque.

While getting enough omega-6 and 9s in our daily diet is fairly easy, what's more of a challenge is to get adequate amounts of omega-3s. The ideal omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is about 2:1. The typical American diet contains an overabundance of omega-6s that increase this ratio to unhealthy levels. That's why omega-3 dietary supplements are essential to help restore this balance. Furthermore, omega-3 fatty acids produce a health-promoting anti-inflammatory response, while omega-6 fatty acids produce a proinflammatory response that endanger one's cardiovascular health.

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