The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

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    Seal oil vs fish oil in patients with high triglyceride blood levels

    beating heartResearchers from the University of Wollongong, in Australia, report positive results with seal oil.

    First, the details.

    • 48 volunteers were randomly assigned to take 1 g/day of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids from 1 of 3 oils for 6 weeks.
      • Seal oil capsules (340 mg eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), 230 mg docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), 450 mg DHA)
      • Fish oil capsules (210 mg EPA, 30 mg DPA, 810 mg DHA)
      • Placebo capsules (containing sunola oil)

    And, the results.

    • Triglyceride blood levels remained unchanged in the placebo group.
    • Fish oil and seal oil significantly reduced triglyceride levels by 7% and 14%, respectively.
    • Fish oil and seal oil significantly reduced systolic blood pressure by 8 and 5 mmHg, respectively.
    • Mean arterial pressure was significantly lower after seal oil supplementation vs placebo.

    The authors concluded, “These results indicate that seal oil is as effective as fish oil in lowering plasma triglycerides and blood pressure.”

    For perspective, the researchers were motivated by the fact that Australians consume 6 times more meat than fish.

    11/18/09 20:51 JR

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