It still has the same amount of Omega-3. Same EPA to DHA ratio. And the same price.
Here are some of the upgrades:
- POTENCY: Now concentrated with heat-free Supercritical CO2.
- PURITY: Additional step for cholesterol and impurity reduction.
- PEACE OF MIND: Certified third-party radiation tested.
- OIL SOURCE: Now made from wild, small, algae-eating fish - Sardine, Anchovy, Mackerel and Menhaden.
- FRESHNESS: Soy-free sunflower antioxidants + Rosemary extract. Most fish oils contain soy-derived preservatives. OmegaVia is completely soy-free and GMO-free.
1. SUPERCRITICAL CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2) EXTRACTION
This, in my very biased opinion, is the biggest and best of the improvements. Supercritical CO2 Extraction is a purification and concentration technology. It is fairly new to fish oil products and it is better than molecular distillation. Almost all fish oils these days are molecularly distilled. Molecular distillation is cheap and effective in concentrating fish oils, but it has one major disadvantage - heat. Heat, light and oxygen are harmful to Omega-3 fats because it increases rancidity and aging. When making a Ultra-concentrated fish oil using molecular distillation, there is no choice but to expose the delicate Omega-3s to high heat during the repeated molecular distillation process. The higher the concentration of Omega-3, the more times the oil is subjected to high-temperature distillation. With this CO2 technology, however, we can make highly concentrated and pure fish oils without the heat. While regular fish oils have to be heated to over 350 degrees F to get its high potency, the new OmegaVia is just as potent as the old, but is made at just above room temperature. Compared to CO2 technology, molecular distillation applies up to 350% more heat to the oil. Compared to CO2 technology, molecular distillation is aggressive and has the potential to generate unwanted isomers (residues) due to repeated and prolonged exposure to heat. However, not all molecular distillation produces isomers or residues. If done correctly, we can avoid heat damage with molecular distillation. But we now have a new technology that completely avoids that heat – so why take any chances when we now have a better alternative. With this CO2 technology, low concentration or crude fish oil is mixed with liquid CO2. The Omega-3s dissolve into the liquid CO2 and are easily separated and concentrated from the other fats and cholesterol. The CO2 is recycled, making it environmentally sustainable too. Krill oil is also made in a similar way, but instead of CO2, krill oil is concentrated using acetone (nail polish remover) or isopropanol (rubbing alcohol.) CO2 extraction does not use any of these toxic solvents. Why aren't more fish oils concentrated using this CO2 technology? Cost. It is expensive compared to molecular distillation. Brands like Minami Nutrition, Real Dose and RenewLife offer fish oils made with this technology...so you can compare. OmegaVia's price will remain the same. Molecular distillation was a good technology. This is better. So we traded up.2. CHOLESTEROL REDUCTION USING CO2 CHROMATOGRAPHY
Cholesterol is a concern for many people. In addition to the CO2 Extraction mentioned above, we use an additional step called CO2 Supercritical Chromatography to further concentrate and purify the pre-concentrated oil. This ensures removal of remaining traces of cholesterol (not that the previous formula had any.) This also removes additional contaminants. This additional step is not used by molecular distilled fish oils, even the leading brands. This additional step produces an oil that is remarkably low in environmental contaminants. This type of chromatography can be used to make oil that is 99% EPA or 99% DHA. This technology is used to make OmegaVia EPA 500. The only other brand that uses both CO2 extraction and CO2 chromatography is Minami Nutrition. Compare products and prices here.3. RADIATION TESTING
Ever since the Japanese Fukushima nuclear tragedy, we've been getting questions from many of you about the safety of fish oil. Does fish oil contain harmful levels of radiation? No. Not at all. More here and here. Still, many have expressed concerns. To put this concern to rest, all future OmegaVia products will be tested by a third-party lab for radiation. All OmegaVia IFOS tests will contain these test results.- FDA limit: < (less than) 1200 bq/Kg
- IFOS limit: < 50 bq/Kg
- Actual level in OmegaVia: < 2 bq/Kg
4. FISH OIL MADE FROM SARDINE, ANCHOVY, MACKEREL AND MENHADEN
Most of you are familiar with Sardines, Anchovies and Mackerel. But Menhaden? Yes, Menhaden. It's a small, bait-sized algae-eating fish like the others. It's sustainably harvested off the US east coast. Sardines, Anchovies and Mackerels are wild caught off the coast of Peru and Chile in the icy currents flowing up from the Antarctic. These are short-lived (less time to accumulate pollution) algae-eating fish that produce very clean oil. Why the switch from Pollock and Whiting to these fish? Pollock and Whiting are slightly larger fish and have the potential to contain more environmental toxins. The key word here is potential. Even though the fish meat may have some pollutants, the processing of the oil removes virtually all of it. Sardines, Anchovies etc. are smaller, vegetarian (algae-eating) fish that naturally contain fewer pollutants that we don't have to rely on molecular distillation to remove it. You could almost say these smaller fish come pre-purified.5. 100% SOY-FREE ANTIOXIDANT + ROSEMARY EXTRACT
Over the last couple of years, OmegaVia has been transitioning away from soy-derived ingredients. The natural preservative Vitamin E (tocopherols) used to come from soybeans. Even though soy tocopherols are allergen-free, many of you objected to this due to GMO-concerns and health reasons. So now, the the tocopherols come from non-GMO sunflower. Sunflower tocopherols have a unique 'fingerprint' of 4 natural forms of Vitamin E that are handled better by your body. Each OmegaVia capsule contains 2-3 IU of sunflower Vitamin E. For additional protection against rancidity, OmegaVia now contains Rosemary extract, a powerful yet natural preservative.Do you have any questions about OmegaVia? Please post your questions in the comments section.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
