AOR Green Lipped FFA is the stable free fatty acid
extract of
Perna canaliculus, the New Zealand green-lipped mussel. This
extract contains an unique profile of fatty acids not found in
significant amounts in standard
Fish Oil supplements. These fatty acids
modulate the body's production of eicosanoids, key local cellular
"hormones" involved in inflammatory responses, acting through inhibition
of 5- and 12-lypoxygenase and other key enzymes. Studies show that
these effects make this mixture more effective nutritional support than
conventional fish oils.*
| NPN
|
Product Code
|
Size
|
Weight Per Capsule
|
| 80012063
|
AOR04228
|
60 Softgels
|
50 mg
|
| Supplement Facts
|
| Serving Size: 1 Softgel
|
|
Amount Per Serving
|
|
|
| Green-lipped mussel fatty acids
|
50mg
|
|
|
| Non-medicinal ingredients: olive oil, d-alpha tocopherol. Capsule: gelatin, sorbitol, glycerin. Source: Perna canaliculus (whole organism).
|
AOR guarantees that
no ingredients not listed on the label have been added to AOR Green Lipped FFA
.
AOR Green Lipped FFA c
ontains no wheat, gluten, corn, nuts, dairy, or eggs.
Note: Store in a dark,
cool place. Characteristic odor and cloudiness which may occur below
room temperature are normal and are not indicative of degradation.
Suggested Use
Take
two softgels twice daily for the first 2 months, followed by one
softgel twice daily for the next 4 months, taken with a fat-containing
meal, or as directed by a qualified health care practitioner.
Main Applications
As reported in literature:
• Support in inflammation.
• Rheumatoid arthritis.
• Osteoarthritis.
• MS.
• Asthma.
• PMS.
Pregnancy / Nursing
Do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding
Cautions
None known.
Omega-3 fatty acids are now well-known inflammation fighters.
Controlled clinical trials clearly show that they fight inflammation,
reducing and in some cases eliminating the need for anti-inflammatory
drugs with their disturbing short- and long-term side effects. Both
Omega-3 fatty acids, and nearly all anti- inflammatory drugs, work
through their effects on a group of local, cellular "hormones" called
eicosanoids.
Eicosanoids are messengers that cells use to communicate with one
another, coordinating their activities. Some ("bad") eicosanoids promote
inflammation, while other ("good") eicosanoids have potent
anti-inflammatory functions. Thus, the body's inflammatory response
rests in large part on the balance of "good" and "bad" eicosanoids
produced by your cells when they hear the immune system's inflammatory
call.
"Bad" eicosanoids are made from an omega-6 fatty acid called
arachidonic acid. Most drug approaches to inflammation, from aspirin and
the older NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, like
ibuprofen) to the new "COX-2 inhibitor" drugs, like celecoxib
[Celebrex®] and rofecoxib [Vioxx®]), work by inhibiting the formation of
the series-2 prostanoid group of "bad" eicosanoids. Prostanoids are
formed from arachidonic acid by an enzyme called cyclooxygenase, or COX.
(AA).
But while these drugs certainly provide symptomatic relief in the
short term, COX-2 inhibitors can actually accelerate the underlying
inflammatory disease in the long term, by diverting arachidonic acid
into another, slower-acting, and ultimately more destructive pathway:
the lipoxygenase (LOX) enzyme pathway, which produces the ravaging
series-4 leukotrienes. Leukotrienes are the eicosanoids released by
immune cells involved in the body's inflammatory responses, and are more
responsible for the long-term consequences of inflammation, which can
result when a deranged immune system attacks the very body that it was
designed to defend.
Therefore, blocking the COX pathway alone results in an imbalance -
an imbalance that ultimately trades short-term gain for long-term pain.
What people suffering with autoimmune disorders most need is a "dual
pathway inhibitor:" a molecule which will shut down COX-2 and LOX alike,
preventing the formation of all "bad" eicosanoids.
Transnational pharmaceutical giants are racing to create such drugs.
But Nature is already waiting for them at the finish line, with two rare
omega-3 fatty acids.
Introducing ETA and SDA
Eicosatetraenoic acid
(ETA) and its precursor stearidonic acid (SDA), are Omega-3 fatty acids
you probably haven't heard much about. Because ETA and SDA are so rare
in food sources, there's been little study of their role in the effects
of diet on chronic disease (unlike eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are commonly found in fatty fish and
in regular fish-oil supplements).
While ETA is very rare in the normal Western diet, it is found in
significant amounts in the fatty acids of the green-lipped mussel (Perna
canaliculus). Many early studies in humans and animals found that crude
extracts of Perna were effective in reducing inflammation, and in
relieving the symptoms of rheumatoid and osteoarthritis - but other
studies found no effect.
The reason, as later studies confirmed, was that the
anti-inflammatory properties of the green-lipped mussel were due to
their content of SDA and ETA. Most green-lipped mussel supplements are
not stable fatty acid extracts, but are crude concentrates or are based
on mucopolysaccharides. When seven commercially-available green mussel
products were put to the test by comparing them with a stable fatty
extract rich in ETA and SDA, the fatty acid extract revealed strong
anti-inflammatory powers, while the other extracts were found to vary
wildly in strength. Great variations were even revealed in different
batches of the same product.
More tellingly, when the inflammation-fighting powers of a stable
ETA- and SDA-rich extract were compared with crude P. canaliculus
extracts whose fatty acid content had been deliberately removed, the
fatty acid extract of the mussel exhibited potent anti-inflammatory
effects, while the ETA-depleted preparation was found to be completely
ineffective.
ETA and SDA Top the Omega-3s
Two direct
comparison studies have been performed in animals to compare the
anti-inflammatory effects of the ETA- and SDA-rich oil of P. canaliculus
against those of salmon, cod liver, flaxseed, and two mixed fish oils.
These studies clearly show that the ETA- and SDA-rich fatty acid extract
of P. canaliculus is far superior to other omega-3 sources at quenching
the fires of inflammation, giving more potent anti-inflammatory
benefits at significantly lower doses.
Using the series of tests discussed above, ETA/SDA supplementation
lowered arthritis scores by 4213% to 7515%, versus 0 to 31% using
conventional omega-3 sources. Likewise, rear paw swelling was reduced by
96-98% by the ETA/SDA-rich oil, while swelling was only lowered by 7 to
38% with common omega-3s! These results are all the more remarkable
because the dose of ETA/SDA-rich P. canaliculus oil was only about 1% of
that used for the standard omega-3 oils.
Another recent study tested the effects of these novel fatty acids in
a rat model of arthritis. After 15 days of administering omega-3 fatty
acid extracts from P. canaliculus, rear paw swelling was significantly
reduced by 34% and fore paw inflammation by 60%. Deterioration in total
body condition was reduced by 52% compared to controls. The extract also
decreased inflammatory response in the spleen, and it had a 35-70%
inhibition of leukotriene metabolites. Serum levels of the inflammatory
biomarker ceruloplasmin were reduced compared to control mice,
indicating a less severe disease state. Interestingly, the fatty acids
had comparable potency to the known anti-inflammatory agent piroxicam.
The fatty acid extract had no adverse side effects. These results
suggest a potential benefit not only in rheumatoid arthritis, but also
in other inflammatory diseases such as psoriasis, asthma and
cardiovascular disease.
A New Human Trial
In a new randomized,
double-blind, controlled trial involving rheumatoid and osteoarthritis
sufferers, significant improvements were reported in morning stiffness
and measures of joint functionality during the double-blinded phase
among rheumatoid arthritis sufferers taking the SDA/ETA-rich oil;
further, night pain was "much improved" in 40% of subjects, and vanished
in an additional 26.7%. Improvements were also seen in some patients'
grip strength and overall visual-scale pain scores, but these results
were not found statistically meaningful. Assessment by doctors and
patients concluded that 73% of the persons with rheumatoid arthritis had
experienced a good response - including 20% who became completely
symptom-free by the end of the double-blind phase. The results were
similar in the osteoarthritis victims.
Similar results have been reported in an unpublished pilot trial and
in case reports. A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial vouches for
the benefits of an SDA- and ETA-rich fatty acid supplement in bronchial
asthma, and testimonial accounts and animal studies suggest benefits in
premenstrual syndrome as well.
How Does It Work?
Why does the SDA- and ETA-rich
oil of Perna canaliculus so remarkably outperform other omega-3s? The
anti-inflammatory powers of all omega-3 fatty acids are grounded in
biochemistry: the omega-3s' ability to bind up key enzymes involved in
making "bad" eicosanoids. And as studies show, ETA, and SDA working
through it, more potently prevent the formation of both types of "bad"
eicosanoids: series-2 prostanoids and series-4 leukotrienes. Mechanisms
are believed to include:
• A stronger ability to tie up delta-5 desaturase, the enzyme that forms arachidonic acid.
• Indirectly increasing the production of the "good" eicosanoids from DGLA.
• ETA's close chemical resemblance to arachidonic acid, leading to stronger tying up of the LOX enzyme.
In addition to these advantages, SDA and ETA share anti-inflammatory
mechanisms that are common to all omega-3 fatty acids. Thus, ETA and SDA
are natural COX-2 inhibitors. Remarkably, omega-3s accomplish this feat
not only because their natural metabolites bind up COX-2, but also by
actually working at the gene level to reduce the production of COX-2
from the DNA code. And SDA/ETA block the formation of inflammatory
cytokines (immune system messenger chemicals) such as tumor necrosis
factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1 (IL-1). Revolutionary new
painkillers - such as etanercept (Enbrel®) are so effective because they
target TNF-alpha.
ETA/SDA-based omega-3 supplements are an orthomolecular revolution,
providing powerful support against inflammation in ways that other
natural supplements can't match. The biochemistry explains the results
seen in animal studies and clinical trials. But only you can experience
them ... for yourself.