Venice-based Omega3 Innovations, purveyor of fresh fish oil, has just released a new product: Omega Cure Extra Strength Vials. It joins the company's Omega Cure Fish Oil, which Omega3 Innovations has been selling at the downtown Sarasota Farmers Market for years. The vials are either flavorless or a citrus blend with rosemary, and can be mixed into coffee, poured into oatmeal, blended into smoothies or even taken as a shot.

Drs. Bo Martinsen and Anne-Marie Chalmers are the cofounders of Omega3 Innovations. According to them, it's the freshness of the company's materials that contributes to the product's effectiveness.

Omega-3 fatty acids are important for the body's metabolism, and can be linked to lower risks of inflammation and improved mental health. The three most common forms of omega-3 fatty acids are a-linolenic acid, found in plant oils, and eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, both found in marine oils. Humans, like other mammals, cannot synthesize omega-3 fatty acids on our own; we get them through our diet.  Omega-3s are naturally found in walnuts, seeds, hemp oil, fish and eggs. However, some studies suggest that, with age, our ability to obtain omega-3 fatty acids through our diet may be impaired. 

Omega3 Innovations' fish oil comes from wild cod, sustainably caught off the northwest coast of Norway. From there, their livers are extracted and individually inspected before processing. The oil is then shipped to Omega3 Innovations' lab in Venice.  Although there are a few stores in New York that are also selling the product, the vast majority of Omega3 Innovations' products are sold in Sarasota through the company's website, or the stand at the downtown market.

The jury is still out on whether nutritional supplements are equivalent to getting omega-3s through diet. Claims that these supplements can aid in cardiovascular health are still disputed, while the overall effectiveness of nutritional supplements, compared to a balanced diet, are still being evaluated.

But Chalmers and Martinensen are convinced of the uniqueness of their product.

"Many of our farmers market customers have been with us for many, many years," says Martinsen. "They know that this is one-of-a-kind fish oil. Sarasota's is the most outstanding."