Originally published July 29 2005
Sale of fish oil supplements is on the rise
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Sales of fish oil supplements have nearly tripled in the last three years, as more and more research shows omega-3 fatty acids in fish oils aid in arthritis, heart health, lupus, cancer, diabetes and even Alzheimer's disease.
The newest blockbuster nutritional supplement in America is as old as the sea -- fish oil.
Sales of the oil, which contains two types of fatty acids known as EPA and DHA, have almost tripled in the last three years to a projected $310 million this year.
And with brands like Bumble Bee ready to enter the market, fish oil capsules could become as common in some supermarkets as canned tuna.
The rise in popularity has been a boost for many nutritional supplement companies, including Boynton Beach-based Vitacost.com.
"We can barely keep it in stock," said Wayne Gorsek, chief executive officer of Vitacost.com, a retailer that sells vitamins and supplements online, through a catalog and by phone.
There are dozens of brands from which to choose, and this summer Leiner Health Products of Carson, Calif., and Bumble Bee Seafoods of San Diego plan to introduce two formulations of a Bumble Bee-branded fish oil supplement.
Luke's Medical Center and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, have linked so-called omega-3 fatty acids with improvements in heart health and arthritis, specifically because they reduce inflammation.
Morley's firm makes a fish oil product bearing the company's name with an orange flavor and a texture like pudding -- designed for those who can't or won't swallow capsules.
Fish oil sales spiked last year after the Food and Drug Administration in September accepted a "qualified health claim" for reduced risk of coronary heart disease for conventional foods that contain the two omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
The study, published July 5 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found that those who ate at least 10.5 ounces of fish a week generally had as much as 33 percent lower levels of the various inflammatory substances, compared with those who did not eat fish.
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