Background: The health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids from fish are well known, and fish oil supplements are
used widely in a preventive manner to compensate the low intake in the general population. The aim of this openlabel
study was to determine if consumption of a high potency fish oil supplement could improve blood levels of
eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and impact SF-12 mental and physical health scores
in healthy adults.
Methods: A novel virtual clinical research organization was used along with the HS-Omega-3 Index, a measure of
EPA and DHA in red blood cell membranes expressed as a percentage of total fatty acids that has been shown to
correlate with a reduction in cardiovascular and other risk factors. Briefly, adult subjects (mean age 44 years) were
recruited from among U.S. health food store employees and supplemented with 1.1 g/d of omega-3 from fish oil
(756 mg EPA, 228 mg DHA, Minami Nutrition® MorEPA® Platinum) for 120 days (n = 157).
Results: Omega-3 status and mental health scores increased with supplementation (p < 0.001), while physical
health scores remained unchanged.
Conclusions: The use of a virtual, web-based platform shows considerable potential for engaging in clinical
research with normal, healthy subjects. A high potency fish oil supplement may further improve omega-3 status in
a healthy population regularly consuming an omega-3 supplement.