Review: Omax3 Website
Those of you who are familiar with mental health research have noticed a long standing interest in supplemental therapies and alternative therapies to traditional treatments like psychotherapy and medication therapy. For example, St. John’s Wort has long been used in Europe and has been studied as a treatment for depression. More recently, the role of essential fatty acids in depression and bipolar disorder has gaining attention.
Omax3.com is a product website of Cenestra Health, a limited liability company (LLC) based in New Haven, Connecticut. My preliminary search found that the company was created by 2 doctors from Yale, although I did not find the identities or the exact credentials of these physicians (if they were physicians - Ph.D. scientists are often referred to as “Dr.” as well). The company website offered no clue. The Omax3.com website suggests that these were clinicians, as the About Us link stated that these clinicians were not satisfied with what was currently available on market in terms of omega 3 products, and set out to create their own.
On the front page, the website has a statement, “Recommended by Doctors, Developed by Physicians & Scientists.” I’d like to see this linked to the doctors’ recommendations and information on the development of the product by physicians and scientists. Otherwise I could not verify the validity of this claim.
One of the product’s distinguishing feature is its pharmaceutical grade containing more than 91% pure omega-3. I don’t know if this would qualify the product as an “ultra-pure” supplement, since purity to me suggests a lack of contamination and not necessarily a high concentration. It certainly would be an “ultra-concentrated” supplement compared with other supplements that contain a smaller amount of omega 3. This is my personal definition and by no means scientific.
The best feature of the website is its Research section. Unlike other product websites, the company has taken the time to include all the research references relating to omega 3 research and health effects of this dietary component. If you go to the bottom of the website and click on [+] References for Overview of the Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids you will expand the list of references used to create the information on the research page. This is something that I rarely see on supplement websites - and it affirms that the authors/owners want to disclose research information as accurately and fully as possible. I’d have liked linked references - for example - assigning a statement to a particular reference like one would expect from a more technical paper, but given the audience of this website to be general consumers, this format may not be consumer friendly. Furthermore, the website provides fair-balance, pointing out that more research is necessary in many areas, and makes an effort to explain some of the clinical studies conducted. My web search found that at least one other independent blogger had found the research section very helpful.
What I’d like to have seen more prominently displayed on the front page or on the order page is a disclaimer stating that supplementation is not a substitute for diagnosis, treatment, or advice from a licensed medical professional. The company website has a legal disclaimer that states to this effect, but I’d suggest the disclaimer to be more readily prominent elsewhere on the website.
In conclusion, Omax3.com provides both consumer friendly information and enough research details to give someone who may be considering omega 3 supplementation the information needed to make an educated decision.
Disclosure: Omax3 sponsored this review through ReviewMe. Neither Jane Chin nor Jane’s Mental Health Source Page is affiliated with the company. My review request will be based on an assessment of the website, including product claims and accuracy of information. Since I have never taken this supplement, I will not be reviewing its efficacy claims from personal experience.
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