Source Food Technology’s proprietary Omega-3 fish oil for lower cholesterol

23/03/05 Source Food Technology, Inc., a provider of nutritionally-advanced oils and nutraceuticals, has announced that it has licensed proprietary technology from Brandeis University that allows its proprietary Omega-3 fish oil, OmegaSource, to be infused with specially processed phytosterols, a plant ingredient that has been heralded by the American Heart Association for its cholesterol-fighting abilities. In animal studies, this unique combination was shown to reduce cholesterol by over 50%. Additional studies are planned to evaluate the response in humans to better understand the effects on total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides.

In the studies at Brandeis, when groups of gerbils were given either phytosterols or OmegaSource alone, their cholesterol levels decreased by over 30%. However, when a third group was given the new, specially processed formulation their cholesterol values were depressed more than 50%.

This new process and proprietary combination product is the latest in a line of Source Food Technology oils designed to provide food companies with healthier options. Source Food has also worked with Brandeis to introduce Nextra Gold, a no cholesterol, vegetable-based cooking oil with no trans fats that incorporates specially processed phytosterols to fight the absorption of cholesterol from fried foods, and the company’s original product, Nextra, a tallow-based cooking oil with all the cholesterol removed and no artificial trans fats. Source Food Technology also plans to introduce a nutritionally-advanced baking shortening next month.

Both the American Heart Association and the National Institute of Health recommend regular consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids. Evidence from clinical trials has shown that Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils can reduce an individual’s risk of a cardiovascular event, such as death, heart-attack, stroke, as well as other problems related to heart and blood vessel disease. Though the cholesterol-fighting abilities of plant sterols have long been known, the researchers at Brandeis are among the first to develop technologies that allow for their inclusion in oils