Coromega – Product Review
June 10, 2009 Written by JP [Font too small?]The health benefits associated with eating fish and taking fish oil supplements continue to build. In fact, the evidence supporting the use of omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish) has even spilled over into the pharmaceutical sector. GlaxoSmithKline, a major player in the prescriptive medication arena, now produces a fish oil product called Lovaza which can only be acquired by way of a physician’s prescription pad. But is it necessary to use a prescribed drug to get a high quality source of these health promoting lipids? I don’t think so.
Today, I’d like to introduce you to a unique fish oil supplement called Coromega. If you’ve all but dismissed fish oil supplements because they upset your stomach or cause you the much dreaded “fishy burbs”, please read on. There is hope for you yet!
What Makes Coromega Special?
There are several key differences that set this product apart from others. The first is the taste and texture. Coromega doesn’t come in the traditional capsule form. Instead, each serving is contained in small squeezable packets. Inside there is a creamy, fruit or chocolate flavored emulsion that can be emptied into a spoon or directly into your mouth. It tastes pretty good to me. The texture is smooth and pleasing. Perhaps most importantly, you simply don’t taste the fish oil at all.
Now that we’ve gotten past the major stumbling block of taste, we can move on to more significant matters such as the bioavailability of the product. A new study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association provides strong evidence that this emulsified fish oil supplement is absorbed and retained better than conventional fish oil soft gels. (1,2)
A group of 10 healthy individuals were given comparable amounts (4 grams) of both forms of fish oil on separate occasions. Blood tests measuring omega-3 fatty acid levels were administered before giving each supplement and subsequent testing was conducted 2, 4, 8, 24 and 48 hours post ingestion.
Before looking at the experiment findings, it’s worth talking a bit about emulsification and how the process is achieved in Coromega. Emulsifying an oil is a method by which you make a fatty substance dispersable in water. Normally, water and oil mix, well, like oil and water – which is to say, not at all. But by adding certain substances to the mix, such as egg yolk, the mixture defies the normal reaction. This is the same process used when making salad dressing that contains both oil and lemon juice or vinegar. Preliminary research suggests that emulsifying fats, renders them more digestible. (3)
The results of the blood work, conducted at the University of Minnesota, show a consistent and impressive pattern of greater absorption and an extended presence of omega-3s in the blood when Coromega was administered:
Total Omega-3 Percent Increase from Baseline |
||||
| Hours Post | 2 | 4 | 8 | 24 |
| Coromega | 2.05 | 12.27 | 27.20 | 30.7 |
| Capsules | 1.46 | 2.44 | 7.57 | 15.9 |
There were no reports of digestive upset or taste repetition in the emulsified fish oil testing. Mild reports of “fishy burps” were present in those using the standard fish oil soft gels.
Coromega Pros and Con
- The Pros: Better absorption and a longer “half life” in the body, easy to incorporate in foods such as smoothies and yogurt, palatable taste, no artificial colors or sweeteners and very portable (because they’re in individually sealed packets).
- The Cons: A small amount of synthetic preservatives (potassium and sodium benzoate) is used to maintain long-term freshness and stability. Some may consider the price a “con” as well. But when you take into account the enhanced activity of this product, the $25 (or less) price tag (for 90 packets) is pretty reasonable. This price is based on deals that are commonly available on the Internet. Retail stores generally charge much more.
The Bottom Line
The best possible endorsement I can give a product is whether or not I would recommend it to someone I love dearly. I ask my wife to take this product every single day. Enough said.
Be well!
JP
Tags: Fish Oil
Posted in Nutritional Supplements, Product Reviews
June 10th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
Wow! Looks like at least twice as effective as regular capsules.
June 10th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
What would be interesting is to see if taking twice as many capsules would bring the omega-3 levels up to the concentration found when taking Coromega.
I hope more research will be forthcoming.
Be well!
JP
June 11th, 2009 at 9:13 am
This looks like an excellent product.
My favourite fish oil product, which also happens to be Norwegian, is Carlsons’ Finest Fish Oil…
http://www.vitacost.com/Carlson-The-Very-Finest-Fish-Oil
It doesn’t taste fishy at all and is molecularly distilled so no impurities or toxins.
I’ve just compared the two products cost wise – I’m always looking for the best value supplements in terms of cost and quality.
Carlsons: 4,000mg EPA, 2,500mg DHA per $1
Cormega: 1,575mg EPA, 1,035mg DHA per $1
(got the cost/details of Cormega here: http://www.vitacost.com/Coromega-Omega-3-Fish-Oil-Supplement )
I wonder how well Carlsons’ is absorbed? I’d guess a bit better than the capsules in the study, but even if it wasn’t it has over twice the EPA/DHA per serving.
I may well cycle between these two products and Cormega does look very high quality and very convenient. $20 for 3 month supply is nothing really.
Cheers,
Chris
June 11th, 2009 at 9:27 am
Just been doing some more reading on this and it seems that liquid may outperform capsules…
“The potential downsides to capped fish oil are:
Much greater surface exposed to oxygen – gelcaps offer little or no protection from oxygen in the air
Taste is muted/prevented. Taste is a reliable indicator of rancidity, especially with a little experience. There is a reason for the retching response to the taste of rancid oils.
Few brands of capped oil are packed in light proof bottles with nitrogen flush – most liquids are.”
June 11th, 2009 at 9:35 am
And some more info…
“Lawson LD, Hughes BG. Murdock Pharmaceuticals, Springville, Utah 84663.
The absorption of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) from fish oil triacylglycerols and fish oil ethyl esters consumed in a high-fat meal (44 g total fat) by male volunteers was measured and compared to values previously reported for consumption in a low-fat meal (8 g total fat). Absorption of EPA, but not of DHA, from fish oil triacylglycerols was significantly improved from 69% to 90% by co-ingestion with the high-fat meal. Absorption of both EPA and DHA from fish oil ethyl esters was increased three-fold, to about 60%, by co-ingestion with the high-fat meal, indicating that absorption of fatty acid ethyl esters is highly dependent on the amount of co-ingested fat.”
Take your fish oil with a fatty meal to increase absorption by a factor of 3. Wow, Going to start taking my fish oil with a handful of nuts or something.
Cheers,
Chris
June 11th, 2009 at 11:40 am
Great information, Chris. Thank you for posting it.
I like the Carlson’s brand. In my experience, the fishy flavor of their oil is less detectable than many other brands. In the past, I would sometimes mix their liquid fish oil into some organic yogurt.
The real question in my mind is this: If we take 2-3 the quantity of a “regular” fish oil, will it boost our omega-3 serum levels to the same extent as the lower dose of Coromega?
At this point, I don’t think we have enough data to answer that. It could be that taking the larger quantity of fish oil would provide a greater rise in blood omega-3s. Or, it could be that serum concentrations don’t respond in an expected fashion based solely on the quantity consumed.
It’s all about how much we absorb, not necessarily how much we consume. But, how much we consume certainly plays some role in the levels of omega-3s present in our body. That’s why your last post is so intriguing. If it’s possible, can you please provide a link for that information?
Be well!
JP
June 11th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Hey JP,
Entirely agree, absorption rate is vital.
I’m only able to get hold of the abstract:
http://www.cababstractsplus.org/abstracts/Abstract.aspx?AcNo=20001422386
That abstract suggests to me one of the simplest best ways to absorb omega-3 would be to eat a food naturally rich in it e.g. oily fish, nuts, eggs etc. Obviously all these foods are rich in fat, which according to that study will drastically improve absorption.
I’d also like to see Coromega vs. Liquid form omega-3…I suspect capsules aren’t as well absorbed as liquid O-3.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Chris
June 11th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Oops, wrong link, this is the correct one…
http://www.cababstractsplus.org/abstracts/Abstract.aspx?AcNo=19891410828
June 11th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Thanks, Chris.
This appears to be a very valuable strategy for getting the most out of fish oil supplementation. Excellent find!
Be well!
JP
June 11th, 2009 at 8:13 pm
My 2 favourite Omega 3 supplements are Life Extension Super Omega 3 and OmegaZone Rx Omega because both of them contain anti-inflammatory sesame lignans who improve natural properties of Omega 3 and this lignans has a so similar action to Omega 3 EPA. Greetings!
June 11th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
Thanks for the input, David!
I’ve tried the Life Extension Foundation product. I also like that is includes a polyphenol rich olive extract – along with the fish oil and sesame lignans.
I haven’t tried the OmegaZone Rx product but I’ll look into it. I appreciate the recommendation.
Be well!
JP
July 24th, 2009 at 7:34 am
Coromega can be bought from Amazon for $18.00 for 90 packets with free shipping- just need to use subscribe and save, which you can cancel or change at anytime
July 24th, 2009 at 10:30 am
Thanks, Sheri. 🙂
Money saving tips are always welcome!
Be well!
JP