Human trial reports Vectomega's control of lipids
to improvements in cholesterol levels, according to a pilot
clinical trial, with more trials planned to build up the science
behind the product.
The company only recently introduced the omega-3 source and reported that the complex is 50 times more absorbable across cellular membranes than other DHA/EPA products.
And now EuroPharma has reported the results of a pilot human trial that shows that two tablets per day containing could lead to improvements in the levels of certain blood lipids by more than 15 percent.
Two tablets (600 mg) of Vectomega are equal, say the company, to 16 capsules (7,200 mg) of standard fish oil.
"The results from this latest trial support previous findings and prove that Vectomega has optimal bioavailability and works on a cellular level. My decades of experience in the supplements industry tells me this is destined to hold a prime position in the fight against anti-aging and to support optimal health at all levels," said Terry Lemerond, president of EuroPharma in a statement.
The trial, which is not to be published in a peer-reviewed journal, recruited 40 healthy volunteers in the age range 18 to 75 and provided them with Vectomega supplements. Compliance was reported to be 100 percent
The trial was not placebo-controlled, nor blinded.
EuroPharma report that, after 60 days of supplementation, the Vectomega group had lower levels of triglycerides (17 percent) and higher levels of HDL-cholesterol (13 percent). NutraIngredients-USA has not seen the full data.
The volunteers also self-assessed certain "quality of life" criteria, including long and short-term memory, mental vivacity, and concentration.
Fifty percent of subjects reported improvements in long-term memory, while 76 percent reported improvements in short-term memory.
Sixty-nine percent of subjects reported improvements in mental vivacity, and concentration levels were reported to have improved in 77 percent of sibjects.
No side effects were reported by any of the subjects as a result of taking the supplements.
A spokesperson for EuroPharma told NutraIngredients-USA.com that larger and longer clinical trials are being planned to further investigate the potential benefits of the fish oil extract.
The extract is said to be a natural marine complex made up of five different phospholipids, DHA and EPA, along with proteins and amino acids as they occur in nature.
The patented method uses a cold water and enzyme process to extract oil from Atlantic salmon. As such, marine phospholipids are kept intact in Vectomega and allow for greater absorption of DHA and EPA, says the company. Phospholipids are like "the vehicle" that transport DHA and EPA into cells, explained Lemerdon.
"Additionally, because it is a water and oil soluble powder, Vectomega can be applied to any commercial food or dietary supplement formulation to dramatically increase its market potential," said Lemerdon.
And because of its high rate of absorbtion, Vectomega will be cheaper as an omega-3 ingredient than fish oils currently on the markent, Lemerdon stated recently.
Considerable research continues to focus on cholesterol-lowering foods. Indeed, food industry executives polled by Reuters Business Insight last year predicted that by 2009, cholesterol-lowering foods would be the most profitable health food.
