Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids that play a vital role in heart, brain, eye, and bone and joint health and in reducing your risk of chronic disease. But your body can’t produce them (or convert enough of them from other fats), so you need to get them in your diet or through supplements.

The ramifications of omega-3 insufficiency include higher rates of chronic disease—particularly heart disease—and billions of dollars in health care costs.

Omega-3 insufficiency is a global health concern.
The issue of low omega-3s EPA & DHA in the diet doesn’t discriminate. It affects most developed nations globally. In fact, regions with low and very low omega-3 levels include North America, Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Africa, Australia and China.

The good news is you can easily do something about it.
Low omega-3 EPA & DHA levels can lead to serious health consequences. The good news is there is a simple nutritional tool called the Omega-3 Index test, which can help you pinpoint what your level is so you can take steps to raise it.

What is the Omega-3 Index?

Raising your Omega-3 Index is easy.
All it takes is increasing your consumption of foods rich in the omega-3s EPA & DHA like salmon or taking a supplement such as krill oil or fish oil. Both are excellent sources of omega-3s EPA and DHA and will cause your omega-3 index to rise. Remember, not all omega-3s are created equal. Only the omega-3s EPA & DHA will raise your omega-3 index.

Even better news.
Our at-home Omega-3 Index test will help you identify, correct and maintain healthy levels of these important nutrients and reduce your risk of chronic disease.

What will the Omega-3 Index test tell you?

It will tell you the percentage of EPA and DHA in your blood cells, which reflects the levels in your heart and other tissues.

Similar to a cholesterol test, an Omega-3 Index test will give you a sense of your cardiovascular risk – a low Omega-3 Index = higher cardiovascular risk.

It will tell you if you need to increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids, whether from fish or omega-3 EPA/DHA supplements.

It’s easy and convenient. And you’ll be helping to advance nutrition research.
When you order the Omega-3 Index test, you can test your omega-3 level (and your Vitamin D level too) in the convenience and privacy of your own home. Just complete the easy-to-do self-test, put it in the mail, and in less than two weeks your results will be available online. And while your personal information will remain confidential, your results will become part of a population-based study that helps build the global body of research on omega-3 insufficiency and move nutrient research into practice.

Know your levels. Join our Omega-3 and Vitamin D nutrient field trial today.

Vitamin D plays a very significant role in disease prevention and maintaining optimal health. Although commonly referred to as a “vitamin” by scientists, vitamin D is actually a steroid hormone that influences as many as 3,000 of the 30,000 genes present in the human body.¹ In fact, there are numerous vitamin D receptors located throughout your body.^2,3

An estimated 89% of U.S. adults overall, and 91% of U.S. children and teens overall, aren’t getting recommended levels⁴ of vitamin D.

Vitamin D Disease Incidence Prevention Chart

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Click to enlarge or print

This chart summarizes 15 peer-reviewed research papers about vitamin D and its role in preventing certain cancers, diabetes, fractures and falls, multiple sclerosis and heart attack. Share it with your healthcare practitioner as you determine where you want your vitamin D level to be.

More than just for bone health.
Most people are familiar with vitamin D’s role, along with calcium and phosphorus, in helping to build bones and keep bones strong and healthy. Research also shows that Vitamin D plays a role in muscle function and the immune system.

Vitamin D Disease Incidence Prevention Chart

×

 

Click to enlarge or print

This chart summarizes 15 peer-reviewed research papers about vitamin D and its role in preventing certain cancers, diabetes, fractures and falls, multiple sclerosis and heart attack. Share it with your healthcare practitioner as you determine where you want your vitamin D level to be.

Maintaining optimal vitamin D levels may also help slash your risk of cancer by as much as 50-60%, according to several recent studies.⁵ Vitamin D’s benefits do not stop there. It can help reduce your risk of other conditions, such as chronic inflammation (a risk factor of many chronic diseases), type 2 diabetes, age-related macular degeneration (the leading cause of blindness), and even Alzheimer’s disease.

What’s more, vitamin D has infection-fighting abilities that may be beneficial in the treatment of the common cold and flus, tuberculosis, and pneumonia. Epileptics may also experience better seizure control when they maintain optimal levels of vitamin D.

Sunshine is the main source of vitamin D, but most of us don’t get enough.
Your body makes vitamin D when your skin is exposed to sunlight. People who live in tropical regions do not have any problems acquiring vitamin D, as they get an abundance of sunshine. However, in most of the continental U.S., people do not have sufficient exposure to the sun. It also doesn’t make any sense to expose your skin to the sun when in temperatures lower than 50°F, as you’re getting very scarce amounts of beneficial UVB rays. People who live in most regions in the U.S. (especially those who experience four seasons) are prone to this problem.

Vitamin D Synthesis Likelihood by Month

These charts display the likelihood of vitamin D synthesis across the U.S. per month:

Take note of the times of the year when UVB rays are very minimal where you live. During these times, taking a high-quality vitamin D3 supplement is highly recommended.

The only way to know if you are getting enough vitamin D is to know your levels.
Some people can get enough vitamin D from the sun, their diet or with supplements. But even if you regularly eat a vitamin D-rich diet or take a supplement, your body might not be absorbing the vitamin D.

Vitamin D levels can be measured – by your doctor or at home – using a simple, reliable blood test.

The good news is there is a simple nutritional tool you can have delivered to your home so you can determine whether your vitamin D intake is getting you to the right vitamin D level for your optimal health. Called the 25-hydroxy vitamin D test, it’s the same test used by doctors’ offices and labs and is the most accurate way to measure how much vitamin D in your body.

What will our vitamin D test tell you?

What your vitamin D level is (using the 25-hydroxy vitamin D test, the most accurate way to measure how much vitamin D is in your body).

How your current vitamin D level impacts your health.

How to raise your vitamin D level into the recommended 40-60 mg/ml range.

Enroll in our Omega-3 Index and Vitamin D nutrient field study so you can measure your vitamin D level with our at-home self-test kit. It’s easy and convenient. And you’ll be helping to advance nutrition research and change how health care is delivered.

Know your levels. Join our Omega-3 and Vitamin D nutrient field trial today.

Use this handy tool to calculate the estimated additional vitamin D intake you need to reach your target vitamin D serum level (a target range of 40-60 ng/ml* is recommended by GrassrootsHealth’s international panel of vitamin D experts).

*Always check with your healthcare practitioner before taking any supplements.

Need help finding an integrative health practitioner who is educated about nutrition? Check out these find-a-practitioner resources.

Vitamin D calculator provided courtesy of GrassrootsHealth, a nonprofit public health research organization.

Don’t know your serum levels?
Join our population-based study and know your levels of vitamin D and omega-3s using GrassrootsHealth’s easy-to-use and reliable at-home nutrient screening test.

Enroll in our study. Order your home test kit today.