Do Omega-3 capsules need to be kept cool?
Keep this product cool. During periods of hot weather and/or while shipping to areas experiencing hot weather, the Omega-3 capsules may soften and stick together. While product efficacy is unaffected, consuming capsules that stick together, or which have melted together, may be unpleasant. For this reason, we suggest storing our Omega-3 product in a cool place and ordering enough of our Omega-3 product during cooler months so as to avoid possible heat-related shipping problems during hot weather.
What are EPA and DHA?
EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) are considered the two most important omega-3 fatty acids. They are essential nutrients which means they must be obtained through your diet. EPA & DHA are found in many of the body's organs and tissues and are vital to long-term health.
Why did Mannatech decide to add Vitamin D to its Omega-3 product?
Most importantly, and much like the case with omega-3s, an enormous amount of recent research and data suggests that not only are many people deficient in vitamin D, this deficiency may also be having a significant impact on long-term health. In addition, our omega-3 fish oil product perfectly complements vitamin D because both products are oil-based and can be combined into a single, easy-to-take gel capsule. Finally, vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that can be better absorbed when taken or combined with another fat- or oil-based food or supplement, such as omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil.
What is vitamin D3 and how is it different from other forms of vitamin D?
Vitamin D has two basic forms, D2 (ergocalciferol) & D3 (colecalciferol). Both forms are natural and equally effective when consumed in moderate amounts. Vitamin D3, is naturally produced in your skin during exposure to direct sunlight and is thought to be the more beneficial form of vitamin D when consumed in higher amounts. Some animal products such as fish, eggs and fortified milk provide some vitamin D3 as well. Vitamin D2 is a plant-sourced form of vitamin D and is the form found in Mannatech's PhytoMatrix and PhytoBurst products.
Many doctors and healthcare practitioners recommend large amounts of vitamin D, in some cases thousands of IUs per day. Why is this product 830 IU per serving?
While some experts recommend quantities of vitamin D that exceed the Institute of Medicine's new recommended daily intake (RDI) of 600 IUs for adults up to 70 years of age, no current research indicates a single larger serving size that would be optimal for the population as a whole.
Is Omega-3 with Vitamin D3 suitable for vegetarians?
Currently, Omega-3 supplements that provide higher and balanced amounts of concentrated EPA and DHA are fish derived. Omega-3 with Vitamin D3 is derived from fish oil and lanolin and is contained within a capsule sourced from bovine gelatin. Because of this, we would not recommend for vegetarians.
Does Omega-3 with Vitamin D3 contain vitamin A?
Mannatech's Omega-3 with Vitamin D3 does not contain a measurable amount of vitamin A. The oil in Omega-3 with vitamin D3 is made from whole fish, and the livers of these small cold water fish are very small, so there are only trace amounts of vitamin A in them. Once the oil goes through the molecular distillation, most of the remaining vitamins A is removed.
Why didn't Mannatech use a plant-sourced omega-3, like flaxseed?
Plant-sourced omega-3s provide alpha linolenic acid (ALA), which has a shorter fatty acid chain than EPA and DHA. While ALA is healthy and beneficial, most of the benefits associated with consuming omega-3s are related to increased consumption of the longer-chain fatty acids EPA and DHA.