Introduction
Omega-3 fatty acids play an important role in our overall health, supporting the endocrine system, the cardiovascular system, and cellular function. But as essential fats, our bodies cannot make them on their own. We need to obtain these nutrients from the foods we eat, dietary supplements, or medication.
With so many fish oil supplements on the market, it can be difficult to know which one to choose. Even more, according to independent testing conducted by Labdoor in 2022, more than one in 10 fish oil supplements tested from among 60 well-known retail brands turned out to be rancid, and nearly half were just under the recommended maximum limit. The other half were up to 11 times higher than the recommended limits. Does this mean you should abandon fish oil altogether? Not exactly.
As an alternative to fish oil supplements, which are not approved by the FDA, Lovaza® is a prescription fish oil containing a proprietary blend of the active ingredients EPA and DHA (two types of omega-3s). Unlike standard fish oils, Lovaza is regulated by the FDA for purity and backed by peer-reviewed studies.
Read on to find out more about why Lovaza is the highest quality fish oil available, what it does, and how it can benefit your overall health.
Key takeaways:
- Standard fish oils are often rancid and not regulated by the FDA.
- Lovaza is a prescription fish oil and the highest quality product available because it is molecularly distilled, regulated by the FDA, and backed by peer-reviewed studies.
- Taking Lovaza can support your overall health by lowering your cholesterol levels, supporting testosterone production, enhancing cognitive function, and more.
What is Lovaza?
Lovaza is an FDA-approved prescription fish oil designed to lower very high triglyceride (fat) levels in adults when combined with a low fat and low cholesterol diet. The medication contains a combination of omega-3 ethyl esters, specifically eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Ethyl esters refer to the purified forms of omega-3s, which is attained through molecular distillation and a five-step purification process that helps to remove mercury and other environmental toxins from the finished product. Each 1-gram capsule contains 465 mg EPA and 375 mg DHA, which is 90% or more of pure omega-3s.
Who is Lovaza for?
Lovaza is prescribed for the treatment of hypertriglyceridemia, a condition in which a person has a high level of triglycerides in the blood (500 mg/dL or higher). Hypertriglyceridemia is a risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD) and often coincides with other health conditions like high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, liver disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.
In clinical trials, Lovaza reduced triglycerides by 26% to 47% when compared to placebo. The researchers noted that the higher the baseline TG level before therapy began, the greater the percentage reduction achieved after therapeutic drug levels were attained.
Beyond lowering triglycerides in your blood, omega-3 fatty acids can be used off-label to benefit your health in a number of different ways. We’ll dive into these benefits below, but you should always consult your doctor first before trying any medications like Lovaza. This is especially true if you have a hypersensitivity to fish and/or shellfish or if you are taking medication for another health condition.
Additional omega 3 benefits for men
There are a number of purported fish oil benefits for men beyond their ability to lower triglycerides in the blood. Taking prescription-strength fish oil can ensure you are benefitting from the highest quality and highest potency available. Here are some of the reported benefits of omega-3s.
Lowers cholesterol
In addition to lowering triglycerides in the blood, there is evidence that omega-3 fatty acids may also lower LDL (“bad” cholesterol) while improving HDL (“good” cholesterol). In the study mentioned above, Lovaza helped stop the liver from producing a type of fat called very-low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (VLDL-C), which supplies body tissues with triglycerides. This has cardioprotective effects, which is especially important for men, who are twice as likely to have heart attacks than women.
Supports testosterone levels
Using fish oil for testosterone is debatable in the health community. While some animal studies have linked omega-3s to a reduction in testosterone, other human studies have found that they actually increase free testosterone, or bioavailable testosterone.
In this 2020 Danish study, men who took fish oil supplements for 60 or more days had higher free testosterone levels in addition to higher semen volume, and higher total sperm count by improving testicular function. And this study of overweight and obese men found that those who took DHA-enriched fish oil supplements had higher levels of circulating testosterone.
Improves sexual function
Through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to improve erectile dysfunction in some studies. This animal study found that omega-3s improved intracavernosal pressure to protect against corporal fibrosis, which researchers say contributes to 66% to 75% of cases of ED.
Another way that omega-3s might improve sexual function is by lowering anxiety and increasing serotonin and dopamine levels in the body, which play a significant role in the formation of sexual functions.
Aids weight loss
You already know that omega-3s help reduce certain types of fat in the blood. But how does it affect body fat? It appears that fish oil may help you lose weight by increasing your metabolic rate. In this 12-week study, healthy adults taking fish oil increased their metabolic rate by 5.3%. Another small study found that omega-3s helped to reduce body fat mass in subjects due to lipid oxidation.
Enhances cognitive function
Omega-3s have also been found to be incredibly beneficial to brain health, with DHA comprising around 40% of fatty acids in the brain and lipids making up 50-60% of the brain weight. This 2022 review found that omega-3 supplementation was associated with increased learning, memory, cognitive well-being, and blood flow in the brain. In addition to promoting cognition, omega-3s also help to preserve neurons and protect against neurodegeneration.
Promotes longevity
There’s also evidence that links omega-3s, and specifically Lovaza, to longevity. In this study that investigated the efficacy of Lovaza on disease severity and longevity in lupus-prone mice, Lovaza was found to extend lifespan and attenuate kidney disease. This was attributed to Lovaza’s ability to reduce inflammation signaling and modulate oxidative stress.
Lovaza vs fish oil
Since most fish oil supplements on the market are unregulated by the FDA, it can be impossible to know how pure a product is. Lovaza is the highest quality fish oil available with each batch triple screened for purity and potency. Most standard supplements may not even contain a scientifically significant amount of omega-3 DHA or EPA, whereas Lovaza contains 4 grams of omega-3 per dose,which is high enough to meet clinical significance (without the fishy smell or taste thanks to a painstaking distillation process). This clinical significance means that it is approved to treat hypertriglyceridemia, while fish oil supplements are not approved for the treatment of any medical condition.
In this review of prescription omega-3 fatty acid products, researchers pointed out that in comparison to fish oil supplements, prescription fish oil like Lovaza would also have more patient adherence. This is because when dosing with dietary fish-oil supplements, a high number of pills/servings would be required to achieve clinically appropriate doses.
Lovaza side effects
The most commonly reported side effects when taking Lovaza include belching, indigestion, and taste perversion. But these adverse effects occurred in less than 5% of patients. The medication may also have harmful interactions with anticoagulants and should be avoided in patients with hepatic impairment, high LDL-C levels, or shellfish allergies.
Lovaza price
Lovaza has a higher price point than standard fish oil supplements because of the additional steps that must be taken to distill and purify the ingredients. However, having very high triglycerides is also associated with increased health care costs. In fact annual health care costs for patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia were found to be approximately 33% greater than costs for patients with lower triglyceride levels. As researchers have pointed out, the cost of prescription fish oil may be “offset by the potential benefits in terms of reduced CV (cardiovascular) morbidity and mortality.”
Whether you choose to take Lovaza or fish oil to optimize your health, there’s no point in doing so without a plan to improve your lifestyle through healthy nutrition and exercise. Find out more about how to support your health with Maximus.
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