Fatty Acid And Trans Fat Testing Omega Quant


Why measure your Omega-3 Index?

Heart, Brain, Joint Health

Omega-3s are important for the health of your heart, brain and joints.

Know Your Levels

Most have low levels of omega-3s in their blood. The only way to know is by measuring it.

Reduce Risk

Low levels of Omega-3s are related to increased risk for heart attack, depression and possibly dementia.

Dr Harris

Omega Quant Full Fatty Acid Profile

Omega Quant’s Full Fatty Acid Profile, including the Omega-3 Index & Trans Fat Index, is a dried blood spot analysis, which is simple and safe, requiring just one drop of blood. Hassle-free, we send you a testing pack with everything you need, which you send back to us and we ship to Omega Quant Analytics; you will receive your results within 3-5 days.

The Fully Fatty Acid Profile is now available for just £95.00, which includes delivery, shipping and a full report (a sample report can be downloaded by clicking the image below).

The Omega-3 Index is the result of Dr. William Harris’s – the founder of Omega Quant – 30 years of research in fatty acids and cardiovascular disease. The Omega-3 Index is a measure of omega-3 fatty acids, EPA+DHA, in red blood cells, which relates to risk for heart disease. It is measured using a proprietary methodology developed over several years of research and Dr Harris has over 80 published research papers in this field.

Over 1,000,000 people have measured their Omega-3 index with Omega Quant, and their test has been chosen to be used in large NIH-funded population studies.

Full Fatty Acid Profile:

Full Fatty Acid ProfileOmega-3 IndexTrans Fat IndexOmega-6/Omega-3 RatioAA/EPA Ratio

  • Full Fatty Acid Profile
  • Omega-3 Index
  • Trans Fat Index
  • Omega-6/Omega-3 Ratio
  • AA/EPA Ratio 

Download Sample Report

How is the Omega-3 Index different from other fatty acid profile tests?

Only a single drop of blood is required, eliminating the need to have blood draw at a clinic. You can collect your sample and deliver it back to us in the pack we send out and we will do the rest. You will receive your results with a full report in 3-5 working days. This efficient collection service enables us to offer you a high-quality test at an economical price.

The Omega-3 Index gives you an unbiased view of your dietary intake of omega-3s as well as a measure of heart disease risk. The unique analysis method used by Omega Quant has more research behind it than many other commercially available tests, with new studies continuing to be published.

If I take Omega-3 supplements, won’t my index be above 8%?

No. There is no way to predict – for any given person – what his/her Omega-3 Index will be just by knowing how much fish they eat or how many capsules they take. Individual differences in metabolism, absorption, and genetics make it impossible to predict with certainty how a given person will respond to supplements.

What is the meaning of the percentile ranks?

The Omega Quant full fatty acid report includes information on percentile ranks for not only the Omega-3 Index, but also for each of the five major fatty acid groups and two ratios. The purpose of the percentile ranks is to give the client a perspective of where he or she falls within the normal range of the population. For example, an Omega-3 Index of 5.5% would correspond to a percentile rank of 44%. This means that approximately 44% of the population has a lower Omega-3 Index, and 56% a higher Index. Percentiles on the dried blood spot test were determined based on about 27,000 individuals.

What is the purpose of the reference ranges for the Omega-3 Index?

Included with each the five classes of fatty acids are “reference ranges.” The reference range is provided simply to give an idea of how these values compared to a large number of others taken from a relatively healthy population. In the case of the dried blood spot assay, the reference range was taken from approximately 27,000 individuals. No information regarding the state of health of any of these individuals is known. The reference range encompasses 99% of the individuals in their respective populations. Although “average,” these are not necessarily “optimal” levels, i.e., target levels or levels that one should to attempt to achieve. The only results for which we feel justified in providing actual targets or optimal levels are the Omega-3 Index and Trans Fat Index since these have undergone the most research. As the research in this area matures, we may recommend new “target” values for other fatty acids or ratios when we believe that they have been adequately validated.

As noted above, we provide reference ranges for general information only, not to suggest or guide changes in diet. We do not believe that the research has advanced to the point where we can tell people who have a below (or above) “average” level of any given fatty acid class that they should try to change it. There are several reasons for this. First, since most fatty acid levels in the blood are not influenced by diet but are established by internal genetics and metabolism, even attempting to alter a fatty acid level by dietary change would be largely futile (except for the Omega-3 Index and trans fatty acids). Secondly, we don’t have the data at present to show that even if one could change fatty acid levels (again, except for the Omega-3 Index and trans fatty acids), it would benefit them to do so. So until further research convincingly demonstrates that raising or lowering a certain fatty acid or class is beneficial or not, we will take the conservative approach of simply giving each client the numbers, and they can track them as they wish.

Why are trans fats bad for my heart?

Trans fats increase the risk for heart disease through negative effects on cardiovascular risk factors, which leads to an increased risk for heart attacks. Trans fats cause an increase in the “bad” (LDL) cholesterol, a reduction in the “good” (HDL) cholesterol, and worsens the total cholesterol:HDL-cholesterol ratio compared to cis-unsaturated and saturated fats. Inflammatory makers, such as C-reactive protein and interleukin-6, were elevated in obese women with higher vs. lower intakes of trans fats. Endothelial function (blood vessel health) was worsened in clinical trials when subjects consumed trans fats in the place of monounsaturated fats or carbohydrates.

Higher trans fat levels in red blood cells was associated with a 47% increased risk for sudden cardiac death in a case-control study. Some studies also show an increased risk of diabetes in women who consumed more trans fats, but this is not as consistent as the heart disease data. It is estimated that eliminating trans fat from the food supply would avert between 6-19% of heart disease-related deaths per year, totaling up to 228,000 deaths.

Omega Quant overview with Dr Harris, from Omega Quant:

 

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