Update 2/27/20. “Over 8000, clinical trials support what have been called miraculous benefits.” These were some of the words used in the Omax3 Ultra Pure TV infomercial I saw on TV. Omax3 is a fish oil supplement that's said to be “pharmaceutical grade” and used by “pro athletes and top doctors to achieve amazing results in just 1 week.” Sounds good, so I got curious. So, In this Omax 3 review, I'll show you the research on this supplement and help you decide if it's right for you. Does Omax 3 really work? Let's see. Also, see my review of citrus bergamot for more insights.
What Does Omax3 Mean?
Omax3 is a play on the word Omega3. Fish oils (EPA and DHA) are omega 3 fatty acids. The “O” and “3” in the name are a reference to omega 3. My hunch is that the “max” in the name was chosen to stress to you the supplement provides the maximum benefits of omega 3 fats. Either way, it's a catchy name.
Omax3 Claims
The website for this supplement (OmaxHealth.com) doesn't make specific claims about what this supplement can do. Rather, the website talks about the benefits of getting enough omega 3 fats such as
- Heart health
- Muscle and joint support
- Focus and cognition support
These are things studies tend to show EPA and DHA can help with. So why don't they just come right out and say Omax3 helps your heart etc? Because supplement companies are not allowed to make specific claims. That is the law in the US.
Omax 3 Ingredients
According to the supplement label, here are are the ingredients in 2 soft-gels:
| Amount Per Serving | Percent Daily Value | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 15 | |
| Calories from fat | 15 | |
| Total Fat | 1.5 grams | 2% DV |
| Vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol) | 10 International Units | 33% DV |
| Omega 3 Fats | 1.5 grams | N/A |
| EPA | 1.125 grams | N/A |
| DHA | 275 milligrams | N/A |
Omax3 also contains some vitamin E. Because vitamin E is an antioxidant, it's often added to fish oil supplements to keep it fresher longer. There is 4x as much EPA in this supplement (1.125g) than DHA (275 mg). This is their 4:1 ratio of EPA to DHA which Ill cover below.
Other Ingredients
These additional ingredients are also listed on the label:
- capsule (bovine gelatin and glycerine). The gelatin is kosher certified.
Omax3 Research
Does Omax3 have any clinical research? So I searched ClinicalTrials.gov for “Omax3” and found this clinical trial, which sought to see what happened when lung problems (COPD) were given either Omax3 or a placebo. This study appears to involve Columbia University.
It looks interesting except it can't be located. It appears this investigation started in 2009 and completed in 2013. Yet, no results of the study can be found. Searching clinical databases like Pubmed.gov reveals no Omax3 studies.
Neither the OmaxHealth.com website or TryOmax3.com sites reveal any results from this clinical study either. I then contacted Omax3 customer support, who said they would pass along my request for the research mentioned in the TV commercial. A few days later, I received an email, where I was told that:
“All studies on OMAX3® are proprietary, that is, Data-on-File, Prevention Pharmaceuticals.”
In the letter, I was told that pre-clinical studies conducted at Yale University have shown that the ratio of EPA to DHA (the 4:1 ratio) increased BDNF – Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor. I believe “pre-clinical studies” mean the research is not yet conducted on humans.
Based on this, I can only conclude Omax3 has no clinical studies published in medical journals -yet.
The Omax3 Freezer Test
In the TV commercial, it's stated fish oil supplements which look cloudy or white after being left in the freezer overnight, is a sign the product contains “bad fats and impurities.”
I tested this with a respected brand of fish oil called Nordic Naturals . In the picture, the capsules on the left are indeed white /cloudy after being left in my freezer overnight. The capsules on the right were not frozen.
So, Is The Freezer Test True?
The cloudy look has to do with saturated fats in the fish oil product. When saturated fats are frozen, they pack together tighter than unsaturated fats. This means light doesn't pass through them as easily. So, they look white or cloudy.
Unsaturated fats don't pack as tightly when frozen. As such, more light passes through them and they look clear.
But, the Freezer Test does not tell us anything about impurities or toxins in a fish oil supplement.
Likewise, the Omax3 Freezer Test doesn't tell us about freshness of the fish oil supplement either. Still, for those who want to know if their supplement has saturated fats, it's a pretty easy test to do.
To be fair, I reached out to Nordic Naturals about this and was told the saturated fats are naturally occurring and they don't process the oils to remove them.
Bottom Line: I don't believe the Omax3 Freezer Test.
Who Makes Omax3?
The company is called Omax Health Inc. A former name for the company was Prevention Pharmaceuticals. The company is located at 50 West Bridge Street New Hope, PA 18938, according to the Better Business Bureau.
Another name for the company is Cenestra Health (Cenestra LLC). Cenestra Health is located at 234 Church St Ste 302 New Haven, CT 06510-1804 (Ste 302 is short for suite 302).
Better Bureau Ratings
When this review was updated the BBB gave the following ratings
- Omax Health : “A-“
- Cenestra Health: “A+”
See their BBB files for updates and more information
Contact Omax3
To Contact Omax Health call 800-765-6691 M-F 8AM-7PM
Who Is Dr. Joseph Maroon
Dr. Maroon has appeared on Omax 3 TV commercials and websites. He's is a paid endorser of this supplement and is an accomplished neurosurgeon at the Pittsburgh University Medical Center. His achievements are too numerous to list here but here is the CV page of his personal website.
He is the author of Fish Oil: The Natural Anti-Inflammatory. This book is mentioned in the Omax3 commercial.
According to a bio on ProfnetConnect.com (link no longer works), Dr. Maroon was previously associated with Nordic Naturals another popular brand of fish oil supplements.
Here is video of Dr. Maroon on an Omax3 Infomercial
Who Is Dr. Melina Jampolis
Dr. Jampolis has appeared on Omax 3 infomercials. She is an internist and board-certified physician nutrition specialist. Her website (DrMelina.com) states that she specializes in nutrition for weight loss, disease prevention, and treatment.
She is the diet and fitness expert for CNNHealth.com and is the author of several books including
See her website for a list of her accomplishments and more information.
Here is a video of Dr. Jampollis on an Omax3 Commercial
Buy Omax3
This supplement is popular can likely be purchased at many local stores including Vitamin Shoppe, Walmart, GNC, Target, Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, Costco, Sams Club, and Vitamin World.
Omax3 Cost
Here are prices of the supplement on OmaxHealth.com:
- 1 box (1 month supply) was $47.95 plus shipping and handling
- 3 boxes were $119.95 (free shipping)
- 6 boxes (6 months supply) was $199.95 (free shipping)
Omax3 Guarantee
The company website tells us your first order comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee. This is for unused and unopened products only. When ordering, its suggested you ask if the 60 days begins when you order products or when they arrive. You can contact Customer Support at 800-765- 6691.
Return Omax3
If you bought it from a local store, simply return it there to get a refund. If you purchased Omax3 from the official website, I suggest you call Omax Customer Care at 800-765- 6691 first to find out the best way to return the supplements. You will need to get a Return Authorization Number (RMA) before you send the supplements back.
You will be returning Omax 3 to this address:
Great Lakes Fulfillment
Omax Health
41 Canal Street
Lewiston, ME 04240
Omax3 Questions
Here are several questions about this supplement. If you don't see your question here, leave a comment below and I'll answer you.
Where Do The Omega 3s Come From?
The omega 3 ethyl esters in Omax3 come from wild-caught anchovies and sardines. Many other fish oil supplements contain omega 3 fats from anchovies and sardines too.
Is Omax3 Patented?
Yes. Here is the Omax3 Patent. The Patent also gives details of people who's symptoms improved after using the supplement. From the US patent, I discovered that the inventors are affiliated with Yale University. Might these researchers be those who performed the research mentioned on the Omax3 infomercial? I can't say.
Where is Omax3 Made?
Their customer service department told me that Omax3 is made and packaged in Maine.
What About The Fish Burbs?
In one of the TV infomercials, Dr. Maroon states “the fish burps are related to purity” of the fish oil supplement. He then describes the Freezer Test. But, from what I can tell, the Freezer Test only deals with the saturated fat content. It has nothing to do with purity. While I would agree if you are burping up fish smell, it could mean the fish oil has gone bad, keeping fish oil in the refrigerator (which I do myself) will help the fish oil stay fresh longer.
Gretchen Vannice, MS, RD, is the author of The Omega 3 Handbook. On page 71 of her book, she describes several ways that might help reduce fish burps including:
- Take the fish oil capsules with your biggest meal
- Put them in the refrigerator
- Take an enteric-coated fish oil supplement
She goes on to say that fish burps may also be related to overall digestive health. In other words, it might not be related to the purity of the fish oil supplements supplement.
Is The 4:1 Omega 3 Ratio Best?
Omax3 contains 4x as much EPA as DHA. This gives rise to their 4:1 ratio of EPA to DHA. In one of the Infomercials, Dr. Jampolis states having fish oils in the 4:1 ratio is “key to reducing inflammation.” I have never seen any proof for this.
Does Fish Oil Raise LDL?
In the Omax3 infomercial, Dr. Maroon states that “most fish oils may actually increase your LDL.” According to Dr. Andrew Weil's website, one study has indeed noted fish oils could raise LDL cholesterol by about 5%-10 %.
However, his article goes on to discuss that even if this is true, fish oil reduces the number of LDL particles in the blood. This, he says, is much more important. Basically, he's saying don't worry about fish oils effects on LDL cholesterol.
Is Omax3 Kosher?
Yes, the label does state it's kosher.
Is it Gluten Free?
Yes. The supplement is gluten-free. As a rule, all Fish oil supplements are gluten-free.
Does It Contain ALA?
Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is an omega 3 fatty acid found in in plants like flaxseed. ALA is healthy and a small amount of it can be converted into EPA and DHA (its insignificant). That said, Omax3 does not contain ALA.
How Big Are Omax3 Gelcaps?
In the letter I received, I was told that Omax3 is 20% smaller than the common store-bought capsules. Some fish oil capsules are pretty big so this is good for people -like me who don't like big fish oil capsules.
Is Omax3 NSF Certified?
Yes, this fish oil supplement is NSF certified. This means it is certified by an independent 3rd party (NSF corporation) to not contain anything which cause an athlete to fail a drug test. That's good.
Does Omax3 Lower Heart Attack Risk?
There is no proof Omax 3 reduces the risk of heart attacks or strokes. While fish and fish oil supplements can play a role in prevention, the best way to minimize your risk is eat more fruits and vegetables and get regular exercise (even walking can help).
Can Omax3 Help Arthritis Pain?
Arthritis is one of the health problems Omax3 is marketed for. I have met people who swore to me fish oil supplements helped their arthritis, I think this is complicated. For one thing, I think how well it might work would depend on how bad your arthritis was.
Whether it helps or not, the real question is does Omax3 help arthritis pain better than any other fish oil supplement? If fish oil really works, I think Omax3 could be expected to be similar to other fish oil supplements but not necessarily better.
Does It Contain Any Mercury?
I highly doubt it. Omax Health uses double molecular distillation to filter out mercury, lead, and PCBs. The Omax company website states each batch of supplements has 2 certificates of analysis to ensure its purity.
Any Omega 6 Fats?
Omax3 Ultra Pure has no Omega 6 fatty acids. That's good since most people eat too many omega 6 fats and not enough omega 3 fats.
Omax3 vs. Pure Strength
There are different versions of Omax3. Here is a quick rundown of the omega 3 fats in 2 gel caps of each of version each side-by-side:
| Omax3 Ultra Pure | Omax Pro Strength | Max Recovery Clinical Strength |
| omaga-3 fats 1.5 g | omaga-3 fats 3 g | omaga-3 fats 2 g |
| EPA 1.125 g | EPA 2265 mg | EPA 1510 mg |
| DHA 275 mg | DHA 564 mg | DHA 375 mg |
| Other omega-3 171 mg | Other omega-3 114 mg |
Looking at these, it might appear Omax3 Pro Strength packs the most EPA and DHA. The Max Recovery Clinical Strength looks has an in-between amount of EPA and DHA. I'm not sure what “other omega-3” are in the other supplements.
Omax3 Vs. Omega XL
Omega XL is another popular omega 3 supplements you may have seen in TV commercials featuring Larry King. Omega XL is different from Omax3. Omega XL has less omega 3s than Omax3. The big difference between these supplements is Omega XL contains an extract from the green-lipped mussel. This compound also has some research it might reduce inflammation.
No studies have directly compared Omax3 to Omega XL. This makes it difficult to compare which is best.
See the Omega XL Review.
Omax3 Side Effects
Omax3 is likely safe in healthy people. Generally, fish oil supplements are thought to be safe up to about 3 grams a day. Omax3 isn't providing that much, which, again, makes me think it as safe as other fish oil supplements for healthy people to use.
That said, here are some things to consider when using this supplement. This list is not complete:
- Start with less than recommended for the first week to see if you have any reactions
- Fish oils can have a blood thinner effect. This can be an issue for people taking blood thinner medications.
- Speak to your doctor and pharmacist if you take ANY medications.
- Speak to your doctor if you have heart problems.
- Don't take if you're younger than 18
- Stop taking all supplements not prescribed by your doctor at least 2 weeks before having surgery.
- Speak to your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Speak to your doctor if you are allergic to fish or other seafood.
Does Omax3 Work?
Omax3 packs a good amount of omega 3 fats -especially EPA. It's actually one of the few fish oil supplements that have that level EPA omega 3 fats. While, in theory that may give it an advantage over other supplements, it will take clinical testing to know for sure.