Get it in you!
Some supplements work okay, but they'd work up to four times better if they used a delivery system used by the pharmaceutical industry. Here it is.
Let's pretend a mega-pharmaceutical company invented a pill that allows a person to build 10 pounds of muscle and lose 10 pounds of fat without exercise. Let's call it Pretendozon. The drug works in test tubes and hasn't killed too many mice, but now Mega-Pharma needs to get it into people in a way to delivers a therapeutic effect.
They face several challenges:
- Bioavailability – This refers to the fraction of the drug that reaches the systemic circulation in an active form. They don't want Pretendozon to be metabolized before the body can put it to work.
- Solubility – Refers to how well a drug dissolves in bodily fluids like water or gastrointestinal fluids. Poor solubility means inconsistent absorption, so Pretendozon might be hit or miss.
- Permeability – Permeability refers to how well Pretendozon passes through biological membranes (such as the intestinal lining) and into the bloodstream. Poor permeability means the drug can dissolve but can't effectively cross the cell membranes. If they can't fix that, then Pretendozon might need to be a daily injection.
- Stability – Stability is how well a drug maintains its chemical structure and efficacy over time. They don't want Pretendozon to degrade when exposed to light, oxygen, humidity, or heat.
There are other issues too, like first-pass metabolism and patient variability. However, Mega-Pharma has a solution to all these potential problems: caprylocaproyl polyoxyl-8 glyceride, or Labrasol.
Unfortunately, Pretendozon is just pretend, but caprylocaproyl polyoxyl-8 glyceride is real and widely used by drug makers. And here's what you don't know: some supplement makers also use it. In fact, if your fish oil doesn't contain caprylocaproyl polyoxyl-8 glyceride, you probably aren't getting the benefits. Biotest's Flameout DHA-Rich Fish Oil (Buy at Amazon) uses it, making it 3-4 times more effective than standard fish oil.
Here's how it works.
Labrasol and Fish Oil
"Caprylocaproyl polyoxyl-8 glyceride" is a mouthful, so let's use the brand name, Labrasol.
Labrasol is a mixture of glycerides derived from caprylic and caproic fatty acids, medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), combined with polyethylene glycol (PEG). This gives it amphiphilic properties, allowing it to solubilize both hydrophilic and lipophilic substances.
To make that easy to understand, let's compare fish oil with and without Labrasol:
1. Bioavailability, Digestive Comfort, and Dosage Efficiency
Omega-3s are hydrophobic – not easily absorbed by the body without being digested by bile salts and lipases. This process results in inefficient absorption and lower bioavailability. Fish oil supps without Labrasol still offer limited benefits, but you'd need to take a dozen or more capsules. Plus, since these large fat droplets aren't broken down or absorbed, "fish burps" are common.
Labrasol-enhanced fish oil like Flameout rapidly emulsifies or micro-emulsifies when entering the stomach, increasing the surface area of the omega-3s, and making them more accessible to digestive enzymes like lipases. Solubilized EPA and DHA facilitate faster and more complete absorption by allowing more efficient transport across the intestinal membranes.
In short, this means far greater bioavailability (3-4X) of DHA and EPA, and fewer capsules or softgels are required. Bonus: Fish burps are eliminated or minimized.
2. Oxidation and Stability
Fish oil is prone to oxidation, which degrades the omega-3s and reduces their potency. Some generic fish oil makers add vitamin E to slow down oxidation, but the oil still degrades over time.
Labrasol-formulated fish oil supplements help prevent oxidation by emulsifying the oil into smaller droplets, which are less prone to oxidative damage. The formation of stable emulsions during storage and after ingestion helps protect the omega-3s from exposure to oxygen and other degrading factors. As a result, these supplements have a longer shelf life.
Pharmaceutical Fish Oil
Labrasol (caprylocaproyl polyoxyl-8 glycerides) helps make Flameout (Buy at Amazon) the most bioavailable and stable fish oil formula on the market. But on top of that, Flameout is one of the only high-DHA fatty acid supplements. DHA, we've learned, is the real powerhouse behind the DHA/EPA duo.
Each three-softgel serving contains 4200 mg of fish oil in the triglyceride form, a whopping dose. And with Labrasol, it's guaranteed to get in you.
Labrasol is also used in D Fix High Absorption Vitamin D (Buy at Amazon) and the T-booster Omega-Man High Absorption Longjack (Buy at Amazon).