WorldofOmega.com Blog » Pregnancy/ Lactation

Vitalah Oxylent Becomes the Official Prenatal Multivitamin of the American Pregnancy Association

WorldofOmega — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 16:17:22 +0000

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Official Prenatal Multivitamin of American Pregnancy Association

Vitalah Children’s Oxylent Multivitamins

Vitalah, creators of Oxylent, announces its collaboration with the American Pregnancy Association (APA) with a shared mission of supporting women and their developing babies. As the official prenatal multivitamin of the APA, Prenatal Oxylent is an innovative and great-tasting way for women to receive vital nutrients for preconception, pregnancy and lactation through a high quality vitamin/mineral supplement specially formulated for pregnancy and postpartum. Prenatal Oxylent uses a unique revolutionary effervescent delivery system, which offers exceptional absorption of vital nutrients. Naturally sweetened with stevia, Prenatal Oxylent powder can be added to 6 – 8 oz of water, over ice for a great-tasting, nutritious, hydrating drink in delicious Sparkling Cranberry Raspberry flavor. The product contains no gluten, lactose, caffeine, sugar, artificial flavor or color.

The American Pregnancy Association is a leading non-profit organization in the United States that is committed to promoting reproductive and pregnancy wellness through education, research, advocacy and community awareness. Resources for pregnant and lactating women and their families can be found at www.americanpregnancy.org.

“It is an honor to collaborate with the APA and contribute to their educational initiatives,” announced Lisa Lent, Founder and CEO. “As an innovative company, we understand that women have many choices when it comes to supplementation during the reproductive years. We are pleased to offer a safe and unique, high quality alternative that provides important nutrients in a great tasting effervescent drink form that promotes absorbability.”

According to Brad Imler, Ph.D., President of the American Pregnancy Association, “We welcome Vitalah to our organization because we know that the company is devoted to safety and purity through quality ingredients and third party testing.”

Vitalah also offers effervescent multivitamin products formulated especially for adults and children.

Vitalah was founded by Lisa Lent as an “invitation to health” born from her passion to create a “healthy” travel experience. Her brand, Oxylent, is a premiere, unique blend of high quality, essential nutrients that creates a synergistic environment enabling the body to function at peak levels. Oxylent was named one of the top ten best new products of 2009 by Vitamin Retailer magazine and recipient of the 2010 Best of Supplement Award (BOSA) by Better Nutrition magazine. When you purchase Oxylent, you help support Vitamin Angels—a global organization that provides under-nourished children with nutritional supplements. To learn more, see www.oxylent.com or call 877.699.5368 (877.OXYLENT).

Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Pregnancy

WorldofOmega — Sat, 01 May 2010 02:52:48 +0000

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Nordic Naturals Prenatal DHA
Nordic Naturals Baby’s DHA

At no other time of a woman’s life is she more concerned about good nutrition than during pregnancy. As a practicing obstetrician, one of the commonest questions I am asked is what should a pregnant woman eat to make sure her baby gets off to the best start in life. Scientific research continues to expand our knowledge of nutrition in pregnancy, and perhaps the most important recent development in this field is the role played by omega-3 fatty acids in the development of a healthy baby.

Omega-3 fatty acids are long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are indispensable for human growth and development, yet are not synthesized by humans. These must be obtained from the diet, specifically from either fish or flaxseed oil. However, a “normal” adult diet is severely deficient in these critical nutrients.1 This imbalance is primarily the result of an American diet, which consumes less fish, grass-fed meat, and free-ranging poultry than was consumed decades earlier. This deficiency in omega-3 intake is compounded by the fact that after a woman’s first pregnancy, her maternal stores become depleted, rarely returning to pre-pregnancy levels. Subsequent pregnancies continue this depletion.

This lack of an essential nutrient is important, as Omega-3 fatty acids have been found to be a critical component for both neurological and early visual development of the baby. With approximately 60% of the brain composed of lipids, these types of compounds make up almost 20% of the total brain fatty acids. Recently published research has confirmed that adding these nutrients to the diet of pregnant women can definitely have a positive effect on visual and cognitive function of the child, with effects measurable up to the age of four.

Omega-3 fatty acids may also have positive effects on the pregnancy itself. One of the most feared medical complications of pregnancy is pre-eclampsia, also known as toxemia. Pre-eclampsia, which complicates approximately 5-10% of all pregnancies, is a leading contributor to maternal mortality, preterm delivery, fetal growth retardation, and perinatal mortality. Women with lower storehouses of omega-3 fatty acids have much more risk of developing pre-eclampsia. Whether supplementation can decrease the risk of pre-eclampsia is currently under study.

An even more important benefit is the role of omega-3 fatty acids in preventing pre-term labor and delivery. Women with lower amounts of omega-3 fatty acids have a higher risk of preterm labor, and supplementation with this vital nutrient has been shown to decrease the risk of this often catastrophic pregnancy complication. Omega-3 fatty acids may also lower the risk of post-partum depression, as well as the well-known benefits for preventing heart disease.

Fortunately, there are now easy ways to supplement a pregnant woman’s diet with this essential nutrient. One might think that eating more fish would be a simple, natural way to get more omega-3. However, due to increased mercury pollution caused by coal burning power plants, the levels of mercury in fish are getting dangerously high. The FDA has issued advisories that limit the amount of fish that is safe for a pregnant woman to consume. Specifically, large “predator” type fish such as swordfish, (fresh) tuna, shark, and mackerel are not considered safe for pregnant women. Canned “light” tuna is OK in moderation. Mercury is a potent neural toxin, and may be responsible for cognitive delays and other types of brain damage. Developing babies are the most vulnerable to this type of toxin.

A safer option may be vitamin supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids. In addition to the fish oil capsules sold in health food stores, at least two brands of pre-natal vitamins contain omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3 fatty acids are also available in some types of infant formula. For breast-feeding mothers, supplementation would be recommended so the nutrients can pass to the baby in the breast milk.

Research into the role of this important nutrient is continuing, and all of the benefits may not be known for years, especially given the long time required to study the effects of brain development. However, the data so far seems to be encouraging, indicating a benefit for both mother and baby at this critical time of life. Pregnant moms have always wanted to give their babies every advantage in life, and one way to contribute is with good nutrition during pregnancy. Omega-3 fatty acids can be an important, maybe even a critical, addition to a pregnant woman’s diet.

Editorial provided by Steve Hasley, MD. Dr. Hasley is a practicing obstetrician at West Penn Hospital.

Original Source: http://www.expectantmothersguide.com/library/pittsburgh/omega-3.htm

First Ever International Omega-3 Awareness Day for Educating on Omega-3 Benefits

WorldofOmega — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 03:03:02 +0000

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International Omega-3 Awareness Day

Scientific evidence of the health benefits of omega-3’s are now so firmly established that a team of world-renowned doctors have formed the first ever International Omega-3 Awareness Day on March 3rd, 2010.

As Carol A. Locke, MD who is leading this effort puts it, “What’s so amazing is that people can obtain huge benefits right now from increasing their intake of Omega-3. The only possible side effect is greater health and a longer life. Nothing else in medicine comes close to this.”

William E. Butler, MD, of Harvard Medical School, one of the world’s top pediatric neurosurgeons and another founding member of the Omega-3 Awareness Day team, adds, “There is substantial evidence to suggest that our levels of omega-3 essential fatty acids may be the most potent cardioprotective factors in the human diet. Optimal omega-3 intakes will have a profound effect in safely reducing the risk of cardiac disease and promoting cardiac health.”

William S. Harris, PhD, Professor of Basic Bio-Medical Science and co-founder of the omega-3 index, joined the Omega-3 Awareness Day team, stating, “Americans eat too much bad fat (saturated and trans fat) and too little good fat (omega-3’s from fish oil). Correcting our omega-3 deficiency could be the single most important dietary change we can make.”

John Ratey, MD, neuroscience expert at Harvard and another founding member of this respected team, quotes, “I tell every patient when I first meet them that they should be doing two things to help them whatever their problems are and that is: exercise daily and take omega-3’s. The scientific evidence for both is without question.”

The Omega-3 Day team invites people all over the world both within the healthcare profession and in the public to join in this international effort to save and change lives.

Source: www.Omega3Day.com

Omega-3 DHA Dosage Levels for Foetus, Infant, and Young Children – European Food Safety Authority Response

WorldofOmega — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 01:33:57 +0000

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At the request of the European Commission, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) backed up DHA-related brain and eye health claims for infants.

EFSA’s Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) said DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) levels of 100mg of per day were appropriate for 7-24 month-old infants along with 200mg per day for pregnant and lactating women.

The following are the DHA Claims supported by EFSA’s panel:

“DHA intake can contribute to normal brain development of the foetus, infant and young children”
“DHA intake can contribute to normal development of the eye of the foetus, infant and young children”
“DHA intake can contribute to the visual development of the infant”
The NDA said any more specific brain and eye functions would need to be backed by further science.

“Please note that developmental steps are not directly related to cognitive functions as it may depend on brain domains and areas,” NDA head of unit, Dr Juliane Kleiner wrote in the advice. “Therefore to support a claim for DHA and cognitive function more studies using different parameters would be needed.”

Source: http://ec.europa.eu/food/efsa/comments/efsa_reply_Q-2009-548.pdf