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We’re proud to announce NEW Kosher certification of our fresh/frozen Alaskan sockeye, silver and king salmon portions, by EarthKosher.  (Our organic berries are already certified Kosher by KOAOA.)

One of EarthKosher’s key goals is to make more healthy foods available to the Kosher consumer, by providing certification to companies that meet its halakhic, health, environmental, and social standards.

EarthKosher's Rabbinic Counsultant, Rabbi Zushe Yosef Blech, decides all aspects of traditional Halakhic policy and procedure, and is considered one of the world’s leading experts in modern Kosher food production and technology.

For more information on EarthKosher, click here.

Click here to learn about the Vital Choice Advantage ... the many reasons why William Sears, M.D. — renowned as "America's Baby Doctor"— calls Vital Choice his favorite salmon source.

Vital Choice principals Randy Hartnell and Dave Hamburg are former Alaska fishermen who know their seafood sources personally.  They know who has the highest quality fish, and test it periodically to ensure your safety.

And, as recent studies have shown, Alaskan wild salmon like ours is remarkably free of the mercury and other industrial toxins found at disturbing levels in tests of farmed salmon. 

Our delicate red caviar is known as "ikura" in Japan, and prized by caviar lovers around the world.  Rich in omega-3s, it's cured in a 3 percent brine solution for milder flavor and less salt than traditional salmon caviar.

We love it on crackers spread with a "schmear" of cream cheese or avocado.

Or, roll ikura with cold rice and nori to serve as scrumptious sushi appetizers!

In the last issue of Vital Choices, we looked at the roles of omega-3s and statins in preventing heart attacks and other adverse cardiovascular events. 

Now, the results of a new analysis of existing studies indicates that the ability of dietary  omega-3s to prevent deaths may approach the life-saving powers of statins. 

As the Swiss researchers said, “Mortality data are the most reliable data to assess efficacy of interventions [i.e., drugs, diet, lifestyle changes]. We aimed to assess efficacy and safety of different lipid-lowering interventions based on mortality data.”  (By “lipids” they mean blood fats, including cholesterol and triglycerides.)

The researchers examined 97 clinical trials, and came to this conclusion: “Statins and n-3 fatty acids [omega-3s] are the most favorable lipid-lowering interventions with reduced risks of overall and cardiac mortality.”

Statins still hold a clear edge with regard to preventing first heart attacks—which omega-3s are not shown to do—but omega-3s were not far behind in reducing the risk of death from all causes.

What explains omega-3s’ strong showing?

The surprisingly strong showing for omega-3s came even though they lower total cholesterol level by just two percent, compared with the average 20 percent reduction seen with statins. 

However, if consumed in sufficient amounts, omega-3s raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels, and reduce levels of both inflammation and triglycerides: two significant risk factors.  (Statins also reduce inflammation.)   Omega-3s also reduce the risk of the irregular heart beats (arrhythmias), reduce blood clotting, and, as we reported in the last issue of Vital Choices, they appear to improve the health of coronary arteries.

We also know that omega-3s improve some key factors related to diabetes, and are generally strong anti-aging nutrients, in that inflammation is a driving force underlying many degenerative processes.

None of this means that people with, or at risk of, cardiovascular disease should substitute omega-3s for statins.   Instead, it means that omega-3s and foods containing them present an unsurpassed option for preventive cardiac nutrition.

Sources

·          Studer M, Briel M, Leimenstoll B, Glass TR, Bucher HC. Effect of different antilipidemic agents and diets on mortality: a systematic review. Arch Intern Med. 2005 Apr 11;165(7):725-30. Review. 

·          Nordoy A. Statins and omega-3 fatty acids in the treatment of dyslipidemia and coronary heart disease. Minerva Med. 2002 Oct;93(5):357-63. Review. 

·          Bucher HC, Hengstler P, Schindler C, Meier G. N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in coronary heart disease: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Med. 2002;112:298-304.