Why You Should Take Omega-3's Every Day and Easy Home Testing
On this week’s episode we’re talking all about omega-3 fatty acids. We believe them to be an essential part of everyone’s daily routine because of their tremendous benefits to our health. But as with most supplements, not all omega-3’s are created equal. You have to picky about sourcing, contaminants, and dosage. Thankfully, individuals like Sam Wiley are on a mission to not only provide some of the best quality fish oils around, but to also encourage everyone to know their exact blood levels. With a new omega-index at home testing kit, that’s now easier than ever before.
MEET SAM:
Our guest, Sam Wiley, is the founder of Wiley’s Finest, a company that produces some of the best fish oil products around. He guides us through the ins and outs of omega-3s and how we can figure out what our blood levels are from the comfort of our homes.
SOME POINTS WE DISCUSS:
Why are omega-3s so important? (4:32)
What is the ideal range to be in on the omega-3 index? (7:02)
How can you test your omega-3 levels at home? (11:08)
How do you pick a quality omega-3 supplement? (16:43)
SOME KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:
The omega three index is a better predictor of health and a better predictor of mortality risk than cholesterol. (4:57)
There is a direct correlation between heart disease risk and the omega three index. (6:52)
Most research would suggest that in that 8% to 10% range is where you see the maximum benefit. (13:02)
Learn the difference between the omega 3 content and the EPA DHA level. (18:42)
PRODUCTS + RESOURCES:
Get Social with Sam:
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL SHOW TRANSCRIPT
Brian Strickland 00:36 What's going on everyone, welcome back to the Holistic Navigator Podcast where we believe in the body's capacity for self healing, if it's given the proper nutrients and care it deserves. My name is Brian Strickland. I'm the producer of the show. And as always, I'm joined in the studio today by our host, Mr. Ed Jones. Today, we're talking all about omega three, specifically how to test omega threes at home. Omega three fatty acids are a part of our core 4 program, and we believe that they are absolutely essential in anyone's supplement regimen. But what you may not know is exactly what your blood levels are. Well, that's what we're talking about today with Sam Wiley, the founder of Wiley's Finest omega threes. Sam helps us understand why omega threes are just so vital to our health in the ins and outs of this at home test that you can do on your own. We have a lot to cover in this episode. So I'm going to go ahead and hop off. So here is your host, Mr. Ed Jones.
Ed Jones 01:32 Thank you so much, Brian. And today we have a super informative podcast on the Holistic Navigator. You know, anyone who listens to any of my previous almost 100 podcast knows that I'm very, very much invested in information, our own personal information like blood testing. And in fact, one of my podcasts one of the more popular is was with Dr. Lavalle, on how to interpret blood work. And it's extremely important for people to know their own numbers, because don't expect your traditional healthcare provider to be very knowledgeable about this, it simply isn't happening. They're there for a different role, which I think they're an important role. But if you want to know your nutritional status, the things that you can do to probably live longer and live healthier, it will have to be probably from another type of practitioner or you gather information yourself and kind of become the guiding force. Well, one of the most important tests that I keep seeing popping up across the land of functional holistic nutrition medicine, is the omega three test. And some time ago, one of the companies had reached out with a rep and was allowing us to access a at home omega three test to determine what's called an index. Well, today I have on the hilason navigator, Sam Wiley from he's a founder of Wiley's Finest omega three company, and has a really good history, family owned businesses 1981. He's been involved since 2012. And welcome, Sam to the Holistic Navigator.
Sam Wiley 03:19 Thank you for having me on, it's an honor.
Ed Jones 03:21 Well, I know that just some of the communication I've had through the rep or through the company with you, you are very, very in, I think I invested in the value of knowing our omega three levels. And in fact, just before the show, I mean, I brought up a few things that really are powerful statements that are saying that one of the most informative pieces of numbers that we could have for future health, and reduction of mortality is the omega three index. And looking at it, comparing it to cholesterol cholesterol, is I won't say it's a joke, but it is so much further down the list of important numbers to me. And to those functional medicine people who I trust that omega three just shines completely. And we need to really have this as a part of our I don't say every year but every regular period of time. I think every person should be accessing the omega three index and the fact we can now do it at home and you stand where you can explain how that works. But this talk about that I mean, tell me why and how did you get so interested in the omega three and work so hard to allow people to have it at their own home?
Sam Wiley 04:43 So yeah, that's it's interesting to talk about cholesterol and context with personal you know, personal diagnostics and you know, health information about your own physiology because the omega three index is a better predictor of health and a better predictor of mortality risk than cholesterol. Most Americans are, you know, familiar with their cholesterol numbers, or especially middle aged men who have, you know, met with a general practitioner maybe and, you know, have their blood work done. And this isn't what it looks like your cholesterol is a little high. You know, it's one of the world's largest drugs is the category of statens. But we see that actually, the your cholesterol levels are a much weaker predictor of your mortality risk, then the amount of omega three levels in your red blood cells, and the amount of omega three levels in your red blood cells. It's the amount of omega three fats that make up the cell walls of your of your blood. And so there's a man named William Harris, Bill Harris. He's a 40 year researcher in omega three fatty acids. He is one of the most published authors in the world in peer reviewed medical literature. And he's been obsessed with measuring omega three levels in blood in humans for a long time. And he had a man named a German researcher named Climons Vonshackey invented this omega three index, which is a way to it's a way to express how much omega threes are in your red blood cells versus the other fatty acids that make up your red blood cells. And so you don't want to have too much omega threes in your red blood cells. But you don't want to have too few. And so what what the research shows is, is that there is a direct correlation between heart disease risk, and omega three index. And so the average or typical American omega three level is around four to four and a half percent, it's gone up slightly over the last 20 years in the data, but it's still fairly low. And that data set that they have have hundreds and hundreds of 1000s of people who have had their omega three levels, measured shows, and countless peer reviewed studies that an omega three index at eight to 10% is a is a puts you in a much lower risk category. So it's, it's a very, it's a it's a good predictor of overall heart disease risk.
Ed Jones 07:48 Oh, that's a great explanation. And in fact, we will I want to talk a little bit about my own test, because I did it about three months ago. And I do consume a good variety of nutrients as you probably would assume. And actually, you know, I do kind of write every six months to a year Alright, what are the 72 supplements I take every day. And when I say this, I don't expect anyone to take that many. I'm a guinea pig self appointed, I think to be put together to supplement program that would apply to almost 90 plus percent of our population, I came up with something called the core 4 it is what I've seen after almost 43 years of seeing connections between supplements and health. And I've really distilled it down to basically five products even though we call it the core 4. It's the right multivitamin, correct green drink that does multiple functions, omega three, magnesium and vitamin D. And if you if you go to the Holistic Navigator and type in core four, you can listen to the whys of this, the hows of this and nutritionw.com sponsors the Holistic Navigator, and on there, there's actually auto ships for this. So omega three is one of the key components and I know with you know, most people do know this, but the omega threes research is very clear about it lowering triglyceride levels, increasing HDLs, blood pressure optimization, decreasing risk of abnormal heart rhythms. Even though there's a recent study, we're not going to talk much about that because this this, this podcast will last a long time. There's always headlines that pop up every few years about all this supplement could be causing difficulties and this was about some a-fib in and we look deeply into that study. And one is they're using the synthetic version of omega threes, which I am hugely not a fan of that was the big red flag for me. It also decreases platelet aggregation or basically thick blood and reduces inflammatory markers. So I love the fact that those two gentlemen teamed up to create something of, of actually life saving value. And it's a very reasonable price. And then the information when I did mine, Sam, I was blown away that I just thought I'd get one sheet back that said, okay, your omega three levels this. No, it took, tested my omega six level, the ratios between inflammation omegas, which is omega six to the others to trans fat levels, if we all remember trans fats, it was basically kind of outlawed years ago because it was like an absolute toxin poison for heart disease, brain chemistry and everything else. And then I have this great explanation on this test about from foods to the explanation of what each of these components mean. I mean, I was blown away for I think this test is about 50 or 60 bucks. I've never seen anything like it. So kudos to you, and the fact that you have put this together. So if a person wants to do this, just tell them real quick, the procedures of how they would do this in their own home and what happens?
Sam Wiley 11:16 So the omega three index test kit is a at home blood drive bloodspot kit. So you have a small you have a small package that really has not very many things in it: the Lancet, you know, a wipe, the band aid, a collection card, you know, Lancet makes a very small little pinprick eater finger, very similar to say what you might use for a blood glucose monitor. And few drops of blood on a card, fill out some information online, mail it away with the postage paid envelope. And in one to two weeks, you'll get your results via email, and it's private and confidential. And it will show you what your omega three level is in depending on the and depending on the complexity of the tests, whether you purchase the basic test or the complete profile, it sounds like you've purchased the complete profile, you can get more or less information about not just your main three levels, but also sort of your whole fatty acid profile of your blood cells.
Ed Jones 12:29 Yes, and, you know, nobody like sticking their finger, but I was pretty darn easy. You made the kit was well put together. And let me ask you my own personal question. Since I have an expert on board here, like yourself, you did mention that, of course all things in nature, it has a, an optimal level to be at and sometimes we think more is always better. Okay, mine came back at a level of 11%. Is that too much? I know, we want to shoot for an 8% I think index is that correct?
Sam Wiley 13:02 Most most research would suggest that in that eight to 10% range is where you see the maximum benefit. And that after 10%. It's not, you may not receive any additional marginal benefit, right. So it may be there's there's great debate around what is what is a healthy normal level, the normal range for a healthy adult seems to be somewhere between 8% to maybe as high as 16% omega threes, someone who eats seafood on a daily basis, say three times a day breakfast, lunch and dinner routinely can have an omega three index of 14 or 15-16% so it's not uncommon or unusual among someone who prioritizes omega three consumption to have something in that 11 12% that's pretty good. Right? So, you know, we, for data that we've seen, you know, my mother's had a lot of joint pain in her life. And so for data sets that we've seen, like, I think she measured like a 16% omega three index very, very high. Unusual, right, but she prioritizes things like anti inflammatory that hurt me, you know, curcumin and omega threes and things that are beneficial for joint health. But again, more maybe more important to her than say, Your, your average typical person. So I a lot of I think the highest levels that have been seen or been into the into the 20s and those are like Greenland you know, Inuits who are, you know, consuming, you know, seal fat on a regular basis. So, you know, 11% I would say good job.
Ed Jones 14:56 Oh, good. Thank you. I do a lot of recommending of regular blood testing for people again, like the podcast today with Dr. Lavalle on the Holistic Navigator explains this. And, and they do offer omega three tests, but they're so much more expensive. And they're also not as informative as, as this particular test. Again, you can people can get this a nutritionw.com, the sponsor a by just typing in omega three test now. And again, the blood testing at the lab, you go to your doctor, it I never see it less than 150 bucks. And it's also not as informative. So I'm highly recommending, actually, in this case to do the at home version of this and not the regular lab version. But the two people I've seen back in the days when I only had that test before you came out with it. There was two individuals, one of which had never had taken any supplements of omega three origin. And she had a very high index and she was from Finland, and it was about a 50 year old woman. And when I delved into her diet, as I do with almost everyone, I came to find out that she did eat one to two cans of very high quality sardines every single day. And just like you said previously a rigorous consumption every day of these kind of foods. You don't need a supplement. But how many people are willing to do that. And I'm so kind of negative on the farm raised salmons even though I still eat them when I have to. They simply don't have the health quality that we really would desire in in the wild caught? Well, let's talk about Mr. Wiley. Okay, somebody gets the test. And again, on this test, the other big part is memory. So these people who are like my age, I'm 64, or I think anyone past 45, we know that the brain 90% of the fat in the brain is part of the omega three complex called DHA. And why take a chance? I mean, just let's talk about supplementation, because it's it's so easy. But it's also easy to make a mistake on choosing because all the packages look pretty. They all look professional, but it's the source, the processing, the timing, there's so much that goes in to the end result of a fresh quality product. And while I'm speaking on this the past few podcasts, I've made a huge statement against Amazon. And the reason I say it is not because they're not a credible company. It's really about all companies who sell nutritional supplements online. What do you think happens to these omega threes and many nutrients sitting on a UPS truck was I googled what is the temperature of an average UPS truck in the summer, it's 142 degrees. We know these things are fragile. Oils and fats are more fragile than almost anything other than probiotics. So at nutritionw.com they're the only company I know that offers cold packs for $1 a piece. So when you order things, you can order as many cold packs as you feel the need for and that preserves that product to the best of its ability. So as far as people choosing, and I know I have delved into your company, Wiley's Finest and there's not a better list of parameters and quality expectations that I've ever seen at any company as that there could ever beat yours. So how do people know when they walk into a, I won't say a drugstore, let's go ahead and just write those drugstores off the site, a store that actually does have some focus on nutritional supplementation, and they're looking at a bottle, what's the first step?
Sam Wiley 18:42 The first step would be to try to pick between what's the omega three content versus what's the EPA and DHA omega three level because there are seven different omega three fatty acids that make up something you could call omega threes. The two most important the long chain marine based omega threes are EPA eicosapentaenoic acid, and DHA. The coast that had seen oak acid and those those two are principally what you find in fish not found in land based sources. You get a little bit from an egg on, you know a pasture raised omega three egg might have a higher content, say maybe 50 or 100 milligrams but still fairly small amounts compared to an omega three supplements. So a lot of omega three supplements will say an amount of omega threes or amount of just the fish oil content the weight of the fish oil, but 100% of the official is not 100% of the omega threes and so looking at the nutrition facts panel on the back of the box and see how much EPA and how much DHA there is on the label. International recommendations from scientific bodies and international experts say, you know, between 500-1000 milligram, half a gram to a gram per day is a good target for overall general wellness and the average person. And then for therapeutic indications, it can be a range from a gram to as much as four or five grams depending on the individual, depending on their genetics, their weight, their gender, their age. And the fascinating thing about the omega three index when using an omega three product, is it allows you to get the best value out of the seafood that you're eating, the best value out of the omega three supplements that you're consuming. The vast majority of the food questionnaires that the omega three researchers have done that where they asked you questions about your daily habits. And then they can correlate those questions to the data that they know about your omega three levels, their data shows, most people need to take one omega three supplement a concentrate every day, and eat seafood three times a week to get their their omega three index in the optimal range. Which means that they would need to take more than one concentrated omega three supplement every day if they choose not to eat seafood on a regular basis. So the fascinating thing about all this omega three testing is it takes the guesswork out. You know, traditionally, a dietician has a lot of reference charts and tables based on sound data based on sound science, but it's okay for this age for this, you know, way for this gender, for this condition, this is what I recommend. And omega three index can really take the guesswork out of that process and just say, listen, we can assess where your levels are, we know based on your body weight roughly how much you'll need to take, in addition to get your omega three index into the optimal range. And you know, in 12 weeks of supplementation that we can retest and see where you're at.
Ed Jones 22:14 Well, great information, and I'm happy to hear you say 12 weeks, I was gonna ask that question. And again, my index is 11%. What if people are wondering, okay, what does Ed Jones take? I take actually three capsules of a pretty high dose of omega threes almost every day and I do eat no less than two servings a week. And in some weeks, I four servings. I do tend to live on a mostly keto diet Monday through Friday, Saturday and Sundays I don't. So I am consuming a modest amount of red meat and a little bit of chicken during the week for my protein. And if I can't get quality fish, then I actually don't eat it. Because it's not always super available. In fact, last night, I went out to eat the place that has wonderful wild caught salmon and their truck had not arrived yet. So I did not get the choice of that. But normally I would do three and I will say remembering a gentleman. His name was Steve years ago. He's been I've been kind of counseling him for probably 35 years. And he would eat a can of tuna every day. And his omega three levels were pretty good. He was taking one pill a day I think of good quality omega three. And again, quality is the key to this. And but he had and he had a good omega three. And but I thought you know what, I'm not a fan of tuna, let's test your heavy metals. It was off the chart for mercury. I mean, it couldn't go any higher. And it had to have come from that because he's now been off of tuna. We switched him to cam because he wanted he's a bodybuilder and he wanted he canned something after every workout. And so we switched him to canned salmon, and some canned chicken when he didn't want to eat salmon. And now he's got, you know, very low levels of heavy metals, it did take two years. And he did take a few other nutrients to help get rid of that. So we have to, you know, again, heavy metals in some omega threes, some products are not being tested. And if it comes from the wrong quality of fish or the wrong location on Earth. It's a spooky thing, isn't it? And like what is your company do to guarantee that the quality is is on on board?
Sam Wiley 24:23 Well, first of all, I can say that we've learned that a member of the global organization for EPA, and DHA which is called go head and go head to has done rigorous internal testing in sponsored peer reviewed testing of its members products for a long, long time. And so what their research has shown is for the vast majority of omega three supplements sold around the world quality is high and heavy metal content is you know within the safe range of what what you know in international experts in, you know, regulatory monographs or recommendations would would indicate. So I think we can say that overall, our industry is a very, it's a very safe industry. We do rigorous internal testing, to make sure that we're removing PCBs, so persistent organic pollutants, you know, chlorinated, by phenols, and things like dioxins furans, lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic. So these different common heavy metals that are of concern and, you know, deposit and marine life. And so, there's a variety of processing techniques, things like activated carbon, and molecular distillation, that are used to absorb these minor contaminants onto, you know, onto carbon, or to take them out of the product. And so you get a very clean, fresh, you're fresh and pure oil. And then, you know, regular third party testing, to make sure that your process is working as described. And so, I mean, I think I think I can say, with confidence, when I pick up an omega three supplement around the world, whether it's my product, or whether it's one of my competitors, we're a we're one of the we're one of the industry's everything globally, with the best track record of quality and safety.
Ed Jones 26:32 I love that because, you know, I've called myself the gatekeeper, often, as far as the recommendations that I make for companies, because the public is still not capable of fully looking into the transparency of every single company, people have busy lives, and they, they want to find trustworthy partners on this path to optimal health. And I think when they listen to hopefully, listen to me, they have faith in the fact that my long history and certainly with you, Mr. Wiley, in the fact that you are the gatekeeper. Also, it's obvious that you would never allow any of the obvious or all say this, you wouldn't take shortcuts to produce more profit at the expense of quality. And that transparency is what people are craving today who actually understand the process of, of working toward optimal health. So when I say optimal health, most people today I have regular right, reg regulated, there's their whole life to become normal health. And the norm is disastrous. I mean, we're having, you know, people on so many meds at 35 years old to function to sleep to have less anxiety. And they're using stimulants constantly. And I don't know what's going to happen to all these 25 to 50 year olds, when they get my age, even at 64. Because it's is not creating a resilience and a long term kind of confidence in the body that that I am really scared about. Because once you truly start falling apart, it's much harder to pull it all back together. And it's far easier to keep it together than to rearrange it back. And so making these choices when we still have capacity to be fully functional, is not only important, it's life saving. So I think you certainly will become a partner in people's health and I want them to you know, if they're looking into brands, while he's finest I just, you know, right there at the top of the game and the fact that they now have a personal almost interview with the person who's totally behind the quality of the product. I think it's just people want that they crave it and I love the fact that you're willing to, to come on the holistic navigator and talk about it. Is there any other last tips that we want to leave people with as far as dosing or quality or choices in order to fine tune this conversation?
Sam Wiley 29:11 Absolutely. So well, thanks for that. And I think to focus on you know, what, what are some of the most critical parameters you would look through for an omega three supplement? So if, if most omega three supplements on the market are safe from a contaminants, heavy metals are organic pollutants, perspective, and there's you know, it's a very upstanding industry, where we've really focused on to differentiate and rise above many other products out there on the market is fishy taste in odors. So can we keep a very clean, pure fresh tasting product, low oxidation parameters, low rancidity levels, and what's the critical importance for that? Is because of the product is this Got seen and it tastes fishy, you won't take it on a regular basis. And if you don't take it on a regular basis, it won't impact positively your health, you won't reach that optimal health level. And so in a peer reviewed journal, that was an independent study, US Journal of food composition and analysis, last January, more than 20 mass market and natural product specific brands were surveyed and tested for you know, this is a secret shopper, we didn't know anything about it pulled off the shelf. And our peak, EPA, which is our number one best seller, had the lowest rancidity, the lowest total oxidation or toe talks of all of the products that were tested in it. So whether mass market brands or some of the premium natural channel brands like Carlson, so very, very prestigious honor for us to to have that demonstrated, peer reviewed, independent third party testing and validation that our product is very fresh and very high quality that you when you take it you're you're not going to get those nasty, fishy burps. And then I think the second thing is, is as the world becomes more conscious of its food supply chains, and it becomes more conscious of where things come from, how they're made, who makes them, who grows them, who catches them. What are the working conditions for the people that you know, harvest things are they ethically treated? Are they respectfully, you know, dealt with when they're, you know, in the working conditions, and so on sustainability, whether the fish are going to come back every year, or whether it's a sustainable and respectful ethical work environment for the employees. That's something that's a really big focus, I think you should look at in your sourcing, we're very proud to use a certified sustainable source by the Marine Stewardship Council. And it is wild Alaska Pollock excluse. It's a single species source. There's very few official supplements on the market that are a single species source. And it's all from wild Alaska Pollock, so it's caught in America. It's caught in Alaska by American fishers, it's purified at our family owned and operated plant in Ohio by American workers.
Ed Jones 32:23 Wow, that is super impressive, you have checked every box that I can imagine. And I love the fact that you brought up the rancidity issue. And mean most people who have consumed omega threes have burped and had a pretty nasty taste at times, that doesn't guarantee the fish oil is rancid. But it's a sign that it's probably best to choose another brand the next time. And I there's nothing more harmful to us than rancid oils. In fact, many of our health concerns today is is really focused around really two food components sugar and poor quality oils like canola oil, rancid oils, processed oils, because you know, the brain, every cell of our body, the membranes, utilizes these fats to rebuild themselves each and every day. And if you're building a house with inferior materials, you know that there will be a big price to pay once it's completed. Well, Mr. Wiley, this has been super informative out actually for me also, I've learned several great things and I know people who are listening will be now informed even better to make the kind of wise choices that will pay off in multiple dividends as the years go on. And again, we we need to put together a team of of respected experts for our journey through life and take age gracefully. The correct decisions have to be made, this isn't like you can do the wrong thing. And then whoops, I'm gonna change 10 years down the road can fix it, you kind of lost some time when you make decisions number one based on price alone, and, and none of these products are excessively expensive. That's the things but to go out and just look for bargain, bargain bargain, then have it sent through the mail through extreme heat, you're kind of dooming yourself. So I'm just kind of going off on my little tangent here. But thank you so much, Mr. Walden. And hopefully we'll be talking to you and with updates down the road on any other new testing or anything else it changes in the field of of omega three. Thanks very much. It was a lot of fun. And we will be here as always, and as long as I can keep this thing going. I love doing the holistic navigator and everyone please email with any questions. We're getting more and more of those all the time. We are available. Some of my health coaches for paid coaching for nutritional advice can not we cannot replace a dietitian and we're not doing treating medical conditions but if you feel like you need to have someone to work work better with you to help create a plan please email us and we will make that happen. I read something they just yesterday, Henry David Thoreau, and I loved it. I'd never seen this before. And of course, you know, just think how long ago this was. Nature is doing her best each moment to make us well, she exists for no other end. So do not resist because with the least inclination to be well, we should not be sick. And I really like that because what the least inclination to be well, and that's what we're doing here is trying to inform you of how to take those steps to create optimal health. So until next time, be fearless, be healthy and be brave. This is Ed Jones with the Holistic Navigator.
Brian Strickland 35:49 The information on this podcast and the topics discussed have not been evaluated by the FDA or any one of the medical profession is not aimed to replace any advice you may receive from your medical practitioner. The holistic navigator assumes no responsibility or liability whatsoever on behalf of any purchaser or listener if these materials, the listing navigator is not a doctor or does he claim to be please consult your physician before beginning any health regimen.