Testing the effectiveness of fish oil
How do we really know that fish oil is working? Aside from any physiological changes, the University of Guelph and NDI have come up with two tests that check omega-3 levels in patients.
The first is called the Omega Score test - and it "correlates the results of the analysis directly to the clinical literature for EFA levels and heart health. Scores for blood LDL or C-reactive protein do not currently correlate to the Omega ScoreTM test and in no way replace the clinically significant risk reduction factors revealed through the Omega ScoreTM test results." The implication is that an "effective" fish oil would show up in these blood tests.
The second test is used to measure DHA levels in mother's breastmilk. The group states that, "Controlled clinical trials have shown that when DHA in a sample of breast milk is equal to or greater than .35%, the result is an improvement in the Mental Development Index (MDI) and the Psychomotor Development Index (PDI). Most North American breast milk falls well below this target of .35% and is at .15% on average."
The university and lab are located in Ontario, Canada. You can visit their consumer diagnostics group here.
The site does not list the costs of these tests, but does mention the possibility of insurance reimbursement for the OmegaScore test. If you are a newcomer to fish oil, I think it would be better simply to start using the oil rather than get tested. Similarly, if you are already experiencing benefits of fish oil, I do not see a reason to get tested.
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