ONC, Dr. William Sears Partner With American Airlines

DARTMOUTH, Canada—Ocean Nutrition Canada Ltd. (ONC), supplier of MEG-3® brand omega-3 EPA/DHA food and dietary supplement ingredients from fish oil, and William Sears, M.D., partnered to develop consumer awareness of the health benefits of omega-3 eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)/docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Dr. Sears participated in the consumer awareness campaign with an interview segment with Sky Radio which will play on American Airlines flights for the month of March 2009. The interview will play on approximately 29,000 audio-equipped American Airlines with flights worldwide, reaching approximately 4.2 million travelers.

Dr. Sears, also known as “America’s Pediatrician” is an associate clinical professor of Pediatrics at the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine. Dr. Sears has been practicing pediatrics for more than 35 years and is considered one of the leading experts on pediatrics and nutrition in the United States. Dr. Sears is a proponent of omega-3 EPA/DHA from fish oil and he is personally committed to raising awareness of the global nutritional deficient that exists for omega-3.

The absence of omega-3 EPA/DHA from fish oil, in addition to a rise in omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) (which are found in most types of vegetable oil) in the western diet can be linked to rapid increases in the number of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. There are more than 8,000 clinical studies to support the health benefits of omega-3 EPA/DHA from fish oil. This body of research suggests the combination of omega-3 EPA and DHA reduces the risk of heart disease, and may reduce symptoms of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, Alzheimer’s, depression, postpartum depression and stress. There is also evidence to suggest omega-3 EPA and DHA may improve cognitive function and may play a positive role in the management of obesity.

Research indicates that consumer awareness of the health benefits of omega-3 is very high; however, there still exists a lack of understanding of the three types of omega-3s (EPA, DHA and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and the health benefits associated with each type. Therefore, one of the underlying objectives of the media campaign was to educate consumers that only fish oil provides both EPA and DHA—essential nutrients vital for overall good health. And that ALA, from plant sources, converts very inefficiently (less than 1 percent) to EPA and DHA so that is not enough to provide any of the health benefits associated with omega-3.

“American Airlines has more than 29,000 flights per month so we saw this as an opportunity to reach a wide range of travelers worldwide through their talk station. We’re really pleased to have Dr. Sears work with us on this project,” said Lori Covert, VP of marketing and communications, ONC. “He’s very passionate about omega-3 EPA and DHA’s health benefits for the whole family, and particularly for children. In fact, Dr. Sears is so passionate he’s launched a line of omega-3 products, including GoFish Brainy Kidz Chews and Popumz a line of organic multi-grain crisps made with our MEG-3® fish oil.”

“Omega-3 EPA/DHA from fish oil provides unlimited health benefits for the entire family. It’s really important for consumers to pay attention to the type of omega-3 they’re choosing. Products containing ALA do not provide the health benefits of omega-3 EPA/DHA due to the extremely low conversion rate,” said Dr. Sears. “Consumers should look for the little blue fish, MEG-3® on the package to ensure they’re getting the abundant health benefits of omega-3.”