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Marie  Posts:1
 Newbie
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| 08/23/2009 11:17 AM |
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First let me give you some context. I swore off diets ten tears ago, after ten years of very severe eating disorder; it was such a liberation to stop obsessing about food and keep my weight stable that I would never have thought I would consider a diet ever again. I'm moderately overweight (BMI around 26) but I've come to terms with it and I don't particularly want to lose weight. However, I'm in the second half of my thirties with PCOS and trying to concieive, so I'm presently considering a sensible diet that I could envision keeping for the rest of my life. It might give my fertility a boost, help me avoid gestational diabetes which runs in my family in case I'm successful, and in any case help me avoid developing type 2 diabetes which I'm at a higher risk of. Apart from some degree of scepticisn about the ban on starches (I may come back to it in another post) my main concern is the price. I'm not poor, but I have to watch money like many others. Fruits and veggies are expensive, and the Zone seems to require massive amounts of it; so are sources of protein, and on top of that, some posters on the forum seem to frowm on the use of eggs (well, if I have to eat proteins FIVE times a day, a part of it will have to be eggs, there's no turning around). And don't get me started on fish oil; I can't dish 50 dollars a months for just complements. I don't suppose everyone on the Zone is a Rockfeller; how do you manage financially? Any tips? |
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Nicole  Posts:16
 Aspiring
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| 08/23/2009 1:39 PM |
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Hi Marie, I'm new to this as well, so I'm sure others will have much better tips, but for what it's worth, here's how I try to keep the food bill in check! I limit chicken and turkey (I've never been a big fan of beef or most seafood) to dinners only, and I get protein during the day from cottage cheese, tuna and egg whites. They're generally less expensive, especially if you shop around for sales, and you can do a lot with them. I haven't delved into the world of tofu yet, so I can't speak on that....... Fresh fruits and veggies can be expensive, so I try to get as much as I can from a local farm. The one I go to keeps the prices pretty low, and I think the quality is better than what you can find in the supermarket. I don't know if that's an option where you live, but I thought I'd throw it out there! |
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Sue K  Posts:8675
 Zone Expert

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| 08/23/2009 5:31 PM |
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Welcome Marie! Eggs are a fantastic source of protein for the Zone as long as you discard the yolks and stick with just eating the whites. The two main things the Zone focuses on are lowering insulin levels and lowering AA levels (aka lowering inflammation). Egg yolk is a rich source of AA, so by consuming the yolk, you're working against all your efforts to be in the Zone. The more AA you consume, the higher you inflammation levels will be and the more fish oil you'll need to take. Note that to be successful in addressing your PCOS related concerns with the Zone, it will be of the utmost importance to supplement daily with Omega RX, Eico Rx or an equivalent that has attained the IFOS 5 star rating (fish oil sold in stores is not the same thing, and it should not be taken in the higher amounts used in the Zone; you can find all the details in TOXIC FAT). BTW, a member of my extended family has had excellent results re her PCOS with the Zone diet and fish oil. Starches aren't banned; it's just that they should be eaten in very small amounts if you choose to eat them. The reason is that they quickly raise the GL of a meal, taking it right out of the Zone which prevents being able to lower your insulin level. I'm certainly not a wealthy person and I’ve been doing the Zone for almost 15 years now (my whole family eats this way). You'll see that it’s very doable on a budget. Shop sales, warehouses like Sam's and Costco, farmers markets, use frozen veggies and fruit (sale prices in the chain grocery stores are many times $1 or less for a large sized bag of veggies, and I live in CT, one of the most expensive places to be), etc. If you do a search here you'll find forum posts, tips, and even articles on the home page, all about how to do the Zone on a budget. Good luck, and keep us updated! |
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sue
Lost 100 lbs 14 yrs ago, off BP meds, thanks to the Zone diet and Zone fish oil!
To view my before/after pics and meal photos scroll over this picture and click when the link appears.
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Rachael  Posts:86
 Aspiring

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| 08/24/2009 12:48 PM |
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| I'm with Sue on the frozen stuff. I love fresh, but I find myself throwing stuff out because I over-buy and it goes bad. I limit fresh to my favorites and things like lettuce & rocket and try to stock up on frozen for things like berries (frozen is fine for smoothies and mixing with yogurt and things!) and dinner veggies (except for my yummy squash and zucchini I grill from the garden!). Helps with the budget and I don't feel so bad about throwing things away. Also keep an eye out for sales. Cottage cheese and yogurt last longer than you might think and they go on sale about every 2nd or 3rd week around here so I just stock up when they do (making sure I pick the containers with sell-by dates that will last a while). |
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Becky  Posts:142
 Zoner

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| 08/25/2009 12:25 AM |
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A few tips I have for Zoning on a budget is to buy things in bulk. Don't buy a 16 oz. bag of frozen broccoli, buy the 32 oz. size, same for frozen green beans and mixed veggies. Also if you can, join a warehouse club like Sam's or Costco. They have such great deals, and a lot of Zone-favorable products. Large containers of cottage cheese, 6 packs of canned chicken, 12 packs of canned tuna, lots of other healthy bulk items. Even their produce is in bulk. You can buy a huge container of fresh kiwis, where in a regular store you have to buy them by the each, or in a very small package. I love buying their large containers of mushrooms. What I usually end up doing is cutting them all up and freezing them for later. Another tip is to buy dried beans and boil them yourself. They are very cheap, but so healthy. Kidney beans, black beans, navy beans, lentils, and garbanzos/chick peas. They are so much more healthy this way than if you were to buy them canned. Canned beans always have so much added to them most of the time. Corn syrup and who knows what else. Look for sales in the weekly junk mail ads that come in the mail and newspaper. Sometimes you find a real deal. |
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Nevertoolate51  Posts:26
 Aspiring
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| 08/25/2009 7:31 AM |
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| I agree that this diet can be expensive but I buy some of the veggies at Sam's club and if you buy the in season veggies the price is not so bad. Publix supermarkets here in Tampa have great weekly buy one get one free sales; this week is my favorite "morning star" soy burgers. |
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Nevertoolate51  Posts:26
 Aspiring
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| 08/25/2009 7:50 AM |
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I forgot to mention supplements I hurt my back early this year and affected my sciatic nerve (left leg) which physical therapy is no help. I had an MRI and there is inflamation in my spine and my Dr. suggested that I add omega 3 as part of my daily supplements. I been buying "Double Strength Fish Body Oil" from GNC (not cheap)but when I read about the Zone Omega 3 I was impressed. I'm not rich but after having back problems for most of the year I'll get the money somehow. I'll keep you posted. Have a wonderful day! ______________________________________________________________________ When you know better you do better. |
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Sue K  Posts:8675
 Zone Expert

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| 08/25/2009 5:11 PM |
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| Hi Rachel, good to hear from you! |
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sue
Lost 100 lbs 14 yrs ago, off BP meds, thanks to the Zone diet and Zone fish oil!
To view my before/after pics and meal photos scroll over this picture and click when the link appears.
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Kristen  Posts:36
 Aspiring

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| 08/27/2009 8:39 PM |
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A lot of good suggestions already -- one other thing I do is buy things in season and freeze them. We live in a farming area, so summer is not to bad for fresh stuff at reasonable prices. Granted, lots of things don't freeze well, but berries are great. I go to pick-your-own places when I can, which keeps the price down. I also buy meat in bulk when it's on sale and then divide it up into meal-sized portions before I freeze it. Also, check for stuff that has been marked down because it has to be used in the next day or so -- that's fine if you're going to throw it in the freezer anyway. Tofu is another option -- pretty bland, and not everyone is keen on the texture, but I find I can, for example sub in tofu for some of the chicken in a stir-fry or a soup and my family will eat it. I like it myself. |
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Ryan  Posts:6
 Newbie
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| 09/09/2009 4:27 PM |
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All very good tips! You can usually find 1-2 stores that have boneless skinless chicken breast sales for right around 2 dollars/lb. If you do the math, 16 ounces in a pound, so that's 16 blocks of protein for 2 bucks. It works out to 12.5 CENTS per block. Now I know that usually when you find those super deals they keep some chunks of fat on to raise the weight, but it won't alter the price per block by that much. I'll spare everyone my carb research hehe, but I averaged a weeks worth of fruit/veggies from Costco and it came out to like 45-50 cents per block. For Fat I buy a tub of almonds and cashews which run about 9 bucks each but last me a good 6 weeks. So wrapping up, 3 meals and 2 snacks cost me between 7 and 8 bucks a day. I'll take the average, so 7.5/day X 7 days =52.50 X52 =$2,730. I never calculated out a years worth of my fast food adventures when I was in High School, but I'm guessing I save at least 2k a year(I'm 6'7, I ate a lot!) and did my body a huge favor in the process. While budgets are important, it's okay to go a bit overboard for the sake of keeping it interesting. It's the best investment you'll ever make! |
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Cranberrycat  Posts:5313
 Zone Expert

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| 09/09/2009 4:31 PM |
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| Interesting research! |
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Cranberrycat
We don't own the earth; we borrow it from our children.
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ActiveForums 3.6
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Dr. Barry Sears is a leading authority on the dietary control of hormonal response. A former research scientist at the Boston University School of Medicine and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dr. Sears has dedicated his research efforts over the past 30 years to the study of lipids. He holds 13 U.S. Patents in the areas of intravenous drug delivery systems and hormonal regulation for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.
A turning point in his research occurred in 1982. That year, the Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded for discoveries of the role that specialized hormones, known as eicosanoids, play in the development of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, auto-immune diseases, and cancer. Since eicosanoids are only generated from dietary fat, Dr. Sears reasoned that one could apply intravenous drug delivery principles to nutrition in order to control these exceptionally powerful hormonal responses with laser-like precision. In essence, his approach treats food as if it were a drug.
This area of his research led to various patents in the area of hormonal control by essentially using food as an oral drug delivery system to modulate eicosanoids especially for cardiovascular, diabetic, and neurological patients.
The impact of Dr. Sears’ revolutionary work in the dietary control of hormonal response began with the publication of his landmark book, The Zone. Since its publication in June 1995, The Zone has sold more than 2,000,000 hardcover copies, and became a #1 best seller on the New York Times book list. In addition, The Zone has been translated into 22 languages indicating a worldwide response to Dr. Sears’ research. His second book, Mastering the Zone, published in 1997, also became a New York Times bestseller with hardcover sales in excess of 500,000 copies to date. His third book, Zone Perfect Meals in Minutes, published in 1997, quickly became one of the best-selling cookbooks of 1997 and an another New York Times bestseller. The Anti-Aging Zone was published in 1999 and provides the molecular insights into how the Zone Diet can reverse the aging process. The Omega Rx Zone, published in 2002, explores the molecular foundation of chronic disease and how high-dose fish oil can dramatically reverse it. His latest book The Anti-Inflammation Zone discusses how to combat silent inflammation in order to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, dementia, and many other inflammatory conditions—and how to reverse these conditions if they are already present. To date more than 5 million hardcover copies of his Zone books have been sold in the United States.
His research has elevated food from more than simply a source of calories to being recognized as an exceptionally powerful drug. Because of his revolutionary research, Dr. Sears has been a frequent guest on many national programs such as 20/20, Today, Good Morning America, CBS Morning News, CNN, and MSNBC.
Dr. Sears continues his ongoing research as President of Zone Labs, a biotechnology company in Danvers, MA as well as the President of the non-profit Inflammation Research Foundation in Marblehead, MA. In addition to continuing research on the hormonal effects of food, Dr. Sears has expanded his research in developing innovative dietary approaches to treating cancer and neurological conditions, as well as his on-going work in treating cardiovascular diease and type 2 diabetes.
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I have been taking the Fish Oil for over 3 years now. I am 44 playing hockey and working out. The Fish oil helps with the pain that I get from playing hockey. It greatly enhances my performance on the ice and while working out. I have noticed a big difference in my energy, attentiveness and memory. If I miss a day for whatever reason, I notice a huge difference and it feels like something is missing. Anyway that is my short little story and it comes from the heart.
– Carter B.
I am a nutritionist and Ph.D. doctor of health and nutrition. For Dr. Sears to figure out balancing fat, carbs and protein, is really beyond brilliant. It is a milestone in diet history. I go over people's diet/emotional journals. Mostly all the time, we discover that the fatigue, irritability, unstable emotions were due to the imbalance in their diet. Using the Zone to balance them out, helps control weight, roller coaster emotions and gives them energy. Dr. Sears is so right when he says food is medicine. He has figured out the most powerful drug combination going, called The Zone.
Best and healthy wishes,
– Elaine W., Ph.D., N.C., M.A.
I have a very exhausting job as a flight attendant. I read the "Omega Rx Zone" about 4 years ago and started taking the fish oil. I am 47 and have been flying for 22 years. I am very active, I run and lift weights. But combining lack of regular sleep, a physically demanding job, and irregular eating patterns this job takes a toll on the body. Since taking the fish oil, I have noticed that I do not get exhausted. I get tired, but not exhausted. I stopped taking it for a couple of months and then started taking another company's fish oil. I started getting exhausted again. I came back to Zone Labs and will continue with the fish oil for the rest of my life. I believe in the product and it makes a huge difference in my life. It makes a difference with my running as well. I also bring the bars and shakes with me on the road. It is almost impossible to eat the way I should at work. I haven't found the right secret. At least I have my Zone fish oil, bars, and shakes.
– Kathryn S.
I have been in the Zone, for about 1 month now. I wanted to share with you how wonderful I think this program is. I have been a personal trainer for almost 10 years and actively compete in numerous athletic activities. The Zone program has helped me to achieve a better awareness of my nutritional needs and the results I have seen are amazing! I have lost nearly 13 lbs since I have been in the Zone. I feel more mentally alert, more focused at work, have greater intensity during my training, have made significant strength gains, and just feel better over all. With that said, I would like to thank you for helping me in my quest for "super-health"!
Thank you!
– Rob Y.
I read 'The Zone' and as exactly as I could followed the advice for diet. I noted weight loss progress. Over six months, I lost 33 pounds. One year has passed since then. I have maintained the new weight, guided always by Zone concepts. The Zone is powerful - I have found it fantastic and I am very grateful to Dr Sears.
– Lyn S.
Before I stumbled across the Zone I was weighing close to two hundred pounds and I was depressed. I used to be a gymnast as a young man. I would think, "look at me now," when I looked in a mirror. The day I found 'The Zone' book, I was intrigued and as I read it the science made sense and so, I began to follow the "treatment". I began to lose weight and I was feeling way more energetic. I am forty two years old, I am very active and my weight is down to 162 lbs, 38 pounds lost on the Zone. I cycle, walk, jog, swim and I can now perform some of the more simple gymnastic skills I did twenty years ago...I literally feel like I have turned back the clock.
Thank you!
– Jack J.
I have been on the Zone diet for 7 years. I did not go on the diet to lose weight necessarily; but fairly quickly I lost 25 pounds, going from 190 to 165; from a 36-inch waist to a 32-inch waist. I primarily did the Zone to live healthier. My health is excellent now. I just turned 62 years old. My Zone is my eating lifestyle now; I seldom stray; and I do not miss anything. It is The Good Life.
– Curtis Y.
My wife's doctor told her to read "Enter the Zone" and to do the diet, so I told her I would do it with her. After only one week on the plan we went on a strenuous hike (the first of the year), and when we stopped at our favorite coffee shop on the way home I was able to get out of the car and stand upright and walk into the place without pain or stiffness. The Zone had eliminated all the inflammation that had always forced me to stumble all humped over into the coffee shop any time we skied or hiked all day.
Thank you, Doctor Sears.
– Larry C.
I used to have a lot of knee pain when I walked or ran. I have been taking Omega Rx for almost a year now, and rarely have any pain. I believe it is the anti-inflammation action of the oil. I feel smarter as well. Thanks for developing such a superior oil!
– Joe W.
Prior to following the Zone Diet, my body fat was around 15% and my weight around 153 pounds. No matter what I did, my weight and body fat did not change much. I regularly cycled 20-30 hours per week logging well over 400 miles. That had little impact on body fat or weight. Diet also seemed to have little impact on body fat or weight. Within a couple of months of following the zone diet, my weight dropped rather quickly to 142 pounds and body fat to about 8%. I still regularly cycle up to 20 hours per week (during the summer). I have also started strength training. I eat about 16 blocks per day. I take 3.6 grams of fish oil per day, along with Vitamin E, Alpha Lipoic Acid, CoQ10, and B & C vitamins. I also take GLA, which in my opinion, has significantly reduced fatigue and improved recovery times after exercise.
– Jeremy S.
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All polyphenols have antioxidant properties than can be measured by their Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity (ORAC), but not all polyphenols have anti-inflammatory properties. The polyphenols in Dr. Sears’ Zone Polyphenol Plus have been carefully chosen to have both.
Polyphenols are the phytochemicals that not only give fruits and vegetables their color, but also help regulate inflammation. In addition, polyphenols also activate the key enzyme (AMP kinase) that helps restore cellular ATP levels. Polyphenols also help regulate the activation of inducible inflammatory proteins (such as COX-2 and inflammatory cytokines).
There are more than 4,000 known polyphenols, and the richest sources are fruits and vegetables. In general, the more color a fruit or vegetable has, the richer the polyphenol content.
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Zone Labs’ Ultra Refined Omega-3 Concentrates are three times fresher and contain less than 1/10th the mercury than what is allowed by the Norwegian Medicinal Standard and European Pharmacopoeia Standard
Zone Labs adheres to the International Fish Oil Standard (IFOS), an independent third party validated laboratory quality standard that is more rigid than any other global standard for purity.
- No company in the worlds runs more tests with IFOS than Zone Labs
- Zone Labs receives a 5 out of 5 star IFOS rating for every batch it tests
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| Standard |
IFOS Standard for a 5-Star Ranking |
Council for Responsible Nutrition |
European Pharmacopeia |
Norwegian Medicinal Standards |
| Peroxide |
< 3.75 meg/kg |
5 meg/kg |
10 meg/kg |
10 meg/kg |
| Totox Levels |
< 20 meg/kg |
26 meg/kg |
NA |
NA |
| Lead |
< 10 ppb |
10 ppb |
100 ppb |
100 ppb |
| Mercury |
< 10 ppb |
10 ppb |
100 ppb |
100 ppb |
| Dioxans and Furans |
< 1 ppt |
2 ppt |
2 ppt |
2 ppt |
| PCBs |
< 45 ppb |
90 ppb |
NA |
NA |
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"IFOS – THE TOP GLOBAL PURITY STANDARD FOR OMEGA-3 FROM FISH"
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Zone Labs products show no detectable lead or mercury when tested down to 10ppb, which is 10 times below the Norwegian Medicinal Standard and European Pharmacopoeia Standard limits.
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Zone Labs products are three times fresher than the minimum allowed by the Norwegian Medicinal Standard and European Pharmacopoeia Standards (based on average peroxide values).
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Zone Labs starts with only wild, small fish from pristine Chilean waters and ends with proprietary validation and testing processes to achieve an IFOS certified 5 star rating.
8-Step Manufacturing Process - Quality Assured
Testing to specification all raw materials, bulk products, packaging material and finished products – always using stringent internal standards and in-process testing.
- Extraction of fish oil
- Winterization – remove limited amounts of saturated fats
- Absorption – remove heavy metals
- Preliminary Molecular Distillation – refining “touch up” to reduce contaminants
- Oil conversion to ethyl esters
- Ethyl ester thermal fractionation – remove additional saturated fats
- True Molecular Distillation – final refining to remove pcb’s and long-chain monoenes
- Rigid Processes – proprietary validation, inspection and encapsulation methods. Independent lab verification of IFOS requirements and certified 5 star rating
No farmed fish. No large fish. Pristine waters.
Zone Labs starts with wild sardines & anchovies fished from cold, pristine waters off of South America where there are less environmental impurities.
A recommended serving of Zone Labs Ultra-Refined Concentrates delivers 8 times more omega-3’s than a typical retail fish oil supplement.
Most fish oil supplements have 30% or less of the healthy omega-3s EPA and DHA, with the remaining 70% of the capsule containing unbeneficial, lesser refined fatty acids that contribute to their bad taste and gastric side effects.
Getting a clinically valid dose of omega-3’s is easy with Zone Labs’ Ultra-Refined Omega-3 Concentrates.
Typical Retail Dose = 300mg omega-3
Standard Zone Dose = 2400mg omega-3
A serving of canned tuna has 12 times less omega-3’s than
Zone Labs Ultra-Refined Omega-3 Concentrates
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Commonly consumed fish and shellfish in the United States
Mercury Source: Food and Drug Administration, FDA 1900-2004, “National Marine Fisheries Service Survey of Trace Elements in the Fishery Resource". Omega-3 Level Source: American Heart Association Website.
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Mercury level
in parts per million (ppm) |
Omega-3 fatty acids
(milligrams per 3-oz. serving) |
| Zone Omega-3 Products |
< 0.01 |
2400 (standard 4 capsule serving |
| Salmon (fresh, frozen) |
0.014 |
1200 |
| Flounder or sole |
0.050 |
480 |
| Pollock |
0.041 |
450 |
| Crab |
0.060 |
400 |
| Scallops |
0.050 |
290 |
| Shrimp |
ND* |
290 |
| Catfish |
0.050 |
270 |
| Clams |
ND* |
250 |
| Cod |
0.095 |
210 |
| Canned Tuna (light) |
0.120 |
200 |
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Zone Labs’ leading product. OmegaRx delivers all of the benefits of Zone Labs’ ultra-refined omega-3 concentrates.
Advantages
- Delivers clinically proven health benefits from the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA*
- Promotes a healthy heart, healthy brain, healthy immune system, healthy circulatory system, healthy joints, healthy moods, healthy triglyceride levels and a healthy pregnancy*
- Combats silent inflammation
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