Read the Press
Release
White Paper 1: NutraOrigin
Sleep loss has reached epidemic proportions in America over the
past decades. We have a 24/7 work environment where shift work is
common, and shifts in excess of eight hours are the norm. The
results of sleep loss can be catastrophic, leading to workplace
accidents and injuries, traffic accidents and other incidents that
result in injury and/or loss of life. Most recently a lack of sleep
(the young co-pilot had hopped flights from Washington to New
Jersey, sleeping on a chair in the pilot's lounge in the 48 hours
before the flight) contributed to the Continental Air Flight 3407
crash in February of 2009, resulting in the death of 50 passengers
and crew. While this example is extreme, less than optimal sleep is
common in the US and worldwide resulting in widespread negative
consequences for health and quality of life. Sleep deprivation is
associated with physical, physiological, cognitive, and
psychological consequences, as well as increased risk for disease.
Physically, these consequences include muscle fatigue and pain,
reduced response times, and nausea. Physiologically, elevated
inflammation, blood pressure, insulin and glucocorticoid
resistance, and reduced wound healing can result from chronic sleep
loss. Irritability, depression and poor impulse control and well as
impaired reasoning and decision making, reduced accuracy, and
longer reaction times are some of the psychological and cognitive
symptoms associated with a lack of adequate sleep. Finally, chronic
sleep deprivation (due to a lack of adequate sleep on a regular
cumulative basis) is associated with diabetes, obesity,
arthrosclerosis, heart disease, and even cancer.
How can we combat these consequences of sleep loss? The most
obvious and well documented solution: sleep more. Napping has been
found to be the most effective solution to combat sleep loss
symptoms. But this is not always possible, as napping on the job is
generally not acceptable. However, there is some indication that
Omega-3 fatty acids (ω-3) might be able to reduce the effects. We
know that increased intake of ω-3 are associated with improved
neuro-cognitive development and functional retention with age. We
also know that ω-3s are associated with improved sleep quality,
improved mood, and an overall perception of improved quality of
life. We therefore hypothesized that ω-3 would reduce some of the
physiological, performance and mood effects associated with sleep
deprivation.
In
a recent independent study by the neuro-physiological monitoring
specialists, Advanced Brain Monitoring, Inc (Carlsbad, CA), NutraOrigin's Omega-3 Fish Oil formula (1200
EPA/800 DHA) was compared to placebo (olive oil) in a
within-subjects cross over design assessing neuro-physiological
function and performance on repeated neuropsychological tests
throughout a period of 24-48 hours of sleep deprivation. A sample
of thirty subjects were asked to take either the NutraOrigin
Omega-3 Fish oil or placebos for 4-6 weeks before undergoing
laboratory controlled sleep deprivation of 48 hrs, followed by
another period of 4-6 weeks in the opposite condition and a second
48 hr sleep deprivation period and assessment. Subjects took 2
pills with both the morning and evening meal to result in a daily
dose of 4000 mg.
NutraOrigin's formulation was chosen for this study by Advanced
Brain Monitoring, Inc after reviewing a large number of Omega-3
supplement options commercially available. The criteria
used for selection of NutraOrigin's Omega-3 Fish Oil supplement
included: EPA/DHA concentration, molecular distillation, and
product stability. The concentration of EPA/DHA has been
shown in many previous studies to play an important role in
determining outcome effects, particularly neuro-cognitive effects.
Lower concentrations are often ineffective. While lower
concentrations can be compensated for by requiring intake of a
larger number of pills, this is generally considered unpleasant.
The second criterion, molecular distillation, was important for
several reasons. First, molecular distillation reduces heavy metal
contamination, reducing potential mercury poisoning and other
concerns. Second, molecular distillation is associated with fewer
digestive side effects, such as "fish burp" that are associated
with taking fish oil supplements. When the available options were
compared, NutraOrigin's Omega-3 Fish Oil supplement was the clear
choice.
Neuro-cognitive assessments were made using the B-Alert wireless
EEG 8+EKG system to collect performance synchronized EEG and EKG
during a set of four-neuro-cognitive tests. 
The 3-Choice Vigilance Task
(3C-VT) incorporates features of the most common measures
of sustained attention, such as the Continuous Performance Test,
Wilkinson Reaction Time, and the PVT-192, and it was designed to
allow simultaneous monitoring and quantification of the EEG. The
3C-VT requires subjects to discriminate one primary (70%) from two
secondary (30%) geometric shapes presented for 0.2 seconds over a
20-minute test period. A training period is provided prior to the
start to minimize practice effects. The 3C-VT challenges the
ability to sustain attention by increasing the inter-stimulus
interval (ISI) across four, 5-minute quartiles. Subject's
performance during the 3C-VT has proven sensitive to the effects of
full and partial sleep deprivation in healthy subjects and to
excessive daytime sleepiness in patients with Obstructive Sleep
Apnea60-62. The 3CVT is followed by 5-minute Eyes Open (EO) and
Eyes Closed (EC) with paced button press. EO presents a 10 cm
circular image for 200 milliseconds in the center of the computer
monitor, repeating every two seconds. Participants are instructed
to press the space bar each time they see the image. For EC, an
auditory tone every 2 seconds prompts participant to press the
space bar. The final neuro-cognitive test is the Image Recognition
and Memory Test (IR), evaluating attention, distractibility,
encoding and image recognition memory. 
During the training phase, a group of 20 images are
presented twice for encoding. The testing phase presents the 20
training images randomly interspersed with 80 additional images.
Subjects must indicate whether or not the image was in the training
set. Four equivalent image categories were used at random
including: animals, food, sports, and travel. Outcome metrics for
these tests include reaction time, inaccuracy (incorrect and missed
responses), as well as EEG metrics of drowsiness and EKG based
heart rate and heart rate variability. Heart rate variability is
associated with autonomic nervous system activation; with low
frequency power domination being associated with increased
anxiety.
Subjects were also asked to rate their mood and perception of
well-being and sleep quality with a series of subjective scales
including the State-trait anxiety index, the center for
epidemiological studies depression scale, the beck depression
index, and the medical outcome scale- short form 36, and the
Pittsburg sleep quality index.
Performance.
Both reaction time and inaccuracy were improved when subjects were
on the NutraOrigin Fish Oil formula. Repeated ANOVA found a
significant interaction of condition (Omega-3, Placebo) and time
for both reaction time and inaccuracy metrics on the 3CVT task,
F(8,528) = 2.54, p< .02 and F(8,528) = 2.71, p< .01,
respectively and a main effect of condition was found for both
metrics as well. These data are shown in Figure 1, and post-hoc
analysis found NutraOrigin's Omega-3 Fish Oil supplemented subjects
had significantly better reaction times and significantly less
inaccuracy. SIR performances had a similar trend but were not
significant across the two conditions (data not show, p=.07).
Figure 1. Reaction time and inaccuracy scores on the 3CVT task over
time of sleep deprivation.
Significant post hoc comparisons are indicated with (*).
EEG indicators of drowsiness.
EEG based indications of drowsiness were also found to be
significantly different over time through repeated ANOVA, for both
3CVT and SIR. While no condition X time interactions were found, a
main effect for condition was shown for both tasks, Fs(1,508) ≥
4.14, ps < .05, with NutraOrigin's Omega-3 Fish Oil reducing
drowsiness overall, across the period of sleep deprivation (see
Figure 2).
Figure 2. EEG based Drowsiness for 3CVT (left) and SIR (right)
tasks.
Heart Rate Variability.
Low frequency power spectral density in the EKG signal was
analyzed with repeated ANOVA. While no significant effects were
found, a trend toward reduced low frequency power over time in the
NutraOrigin's Omega-3 Fish Oil subjects compared to placebo treated
subjects was shown. Greater low frequency power is associated with
greater anxiety. Figure 3 presents these data.
Figure 3. EKG based Heart Rate Variability, low frequency power
spectral data analysis
for 3CVT (left) and SIR (right) tasks.
Mood/Well Being.
Multiple assessments of mood were assessed, using ANOVA. ANOVA
revealed no significant differences across conditions for the mood
scales. However, a significant difference was shown (see Figure 4)
in the perception of role capability related well-being, both
emotional and physical.
Figure 4. MOS-36 scales for perception of physical and emotional
role capability.
NutraOrigin's Omega-3 Fish Oil supplement effectively facilitated
sleep deprived performance maintenance, reduced overall drowsiness,
and improved perceptions of emotional and physical capability
compared to placebo treated time points. In addition, it appears
that NutraOrigin's Omega-3 Fish Oil was associated with a trend
toward reduced signs of physiological anxiety. These very promising
effects support the hypothesis that Omega-3 reduces the effects of
sleep deprivation.
