American Heart Association Issues First-Ever Statement for Management of Trigylcerides that Includes Intake Recommendations for Omega-3 EPA and DHA

Dartmouth, Nova Scotia (ots/PRNewswire) - The American Heart
Association (AHA) recently issued its first ever statement on
triglyceride management that includes recommendations for Omega-3
EPA/DHA intake. Elevated triglyceride levels have long been
associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). According to the AHA
more than 31% of the United States population has borderline high
triglyceride levels. Furthermore, AHA's 2006 statistical data
estimates that 81,100,000 people in the United States have one or
more forms of cardiovascular disease, claiming 831,272 lives in that
same year.

In conjunction with other important lifestyle changes, the AHA
recommends 0.5 - 1g of Omega-3 EPA and DHA for individuals with
borderline fasting triglyceride levels (150-199mg/dL), 1 - 2g for
individuals with high fasting triglyceride levels (200-499mg/dL), and
2 - 4g for individuals with very high fasting triglyceride levels
(greater than or equal to 500mg/dL). The AHA has also previously
recommended that normal healthy individuals consume a variety of fish
(preferably oily), and a daily intake of 1g of Omega-3 EPA and DHA
for patients with documented coronary heart disease.

The recent statement issued by AHA is a very positive step for
improving consumers' understanding of the role of triglycerides in
CVD management. Although awareness of the health benefits of Omega-3
is very high among consumers, many still do not understand the
different forms of Omega-3 (EPA, DHA and ALA), or the health benefits
of each.

It is important for consumers to understand that fish provides
both EPA and DHA, whereas most algae sources provide only DHA.
Furthermore, while ALA is an essential fatty acid, many of the
reported health benefits associated with Omega-3 have been the result
of supplementation with EPA and DHA. While the body can theoretically
convert ALA into EPA and DHA, the actual conversion rate is very low.
In fact, many studies suggest that the conversion rate can be as low
as 1% or less. As such, fish, fish oil supplements, and food products
fortified with fish oil are the best sources of Omega-3 for
consumers.

About Ocean Nutrition Canada Limited (ONC):

Ocean Nutrition Canada Limited (ONC) is a privately held company,
whose major shareholder is Clearwater Fine Foods Incorporated.
Clearwater Fine Foods Incorporated is a diversified
holding/investment company whose significant holdings include a
controlling interest in Clearwater Seafood's Limited Partnership, the
world's largest integrated shellfish harvester and processor.

ONC is the world's largest supplier of Omega-3 EPA/DHA ingredients
from fish oil, marketed into the dietary supplement and food
manufacturing markets. To date, MEG-3(R) ingredients have been
included in over 96 billion servings of food and supplement products
worldwide. For more information about ONC, please visit
http://www.ocean-nutrition.com, and for information on the health
benefits of Omega-3 EPA/DHA please visit http://www.meg-3.com.

About Omega-3:

Omega-3 is a family of essential fatty acids (EFA), including EPA
(eicosapentaenoic acid), DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), and ALA
(alpha-linolenic acid). Oily fish (such as sardines, anchovies,
mackerel, and salmon) are the major known natural sources of Omega-3
EPA/DHA. ALA is found in plants, such as flax and chia. It is
important to note that EPA and DHA are the primary contributors of
the many health benefits associated with Omega-3. While the body can
convert ALA into EPA/DHA, it does so very inefficiently (typically
less than 1%), making it difficult to derive Omega-3-related health
benefits from plant-sourced ALA. Furthermore, although Omega-3
EPA/DHA is important to overall good health, the human body is not
able to produce sufficient quantities on its own, so supplementation
is required, either by eating oily fish or foods fortified with
Omega-3 EPA/DHA, or by taking fish oil supplements. Learn more about
the health benefits of Omega-3 EPA/DHA at http://www.meg-3.com.

For further information:

Joanna Lane Ocean Nutrition Canada Ltd. Tel:
+1-902-480-3288 Cell: +1-902-488-0141
[email protected] http://www.ocean-nutrition.com

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