Issaquah, WA—A questionnaire sent to physicians, nurses, and ancillary healthcare professionals across the U.S. shows that they are becoming increasingly open to using omega-3s and other dietary supplements, in their practices.

Part of a larger education program called “How To Speak Krill,”  designed to provide practitioners with the tools to help patients make decisions regarding omega 3s,  the survey was commissioned by Aker BioMarine Antarctic US and fielded by Holistic Primary Care. Of the 362 who responded to the survey, 35% were conventionally trained MDs and DOs. Medical specialists, nurses, naturopathic physicians, nutrition counselors and chiropractors were also among the respondents.

The survey’s results showed that 95% of practitioners recommend some form of dietary supplement as a part of their routine practices. Willingness to recommend omega-3s was also very high, at 88%, and only 2% reporting that they never recommend omega-3s. When asked for the reasoning for recommending omega-3s, heart health was the most popular reason among the respondents, but other health benefits such as inflammation reduction, cognitive/mood effects and joint health were mentioned. When choosing which omega-3 supplements to recommend, 74% considered fatty acid composition to be the most important factor in selection. Other criteria such as being organic, non-GMO, and sustainable also were important to the practictioners.

Erik Goldman, editor of Holistic Health Care, believes that the survey’s results reinforce that "omega-3s represent one of the most trusted and widely used categories of supplements among healthcare professionals.” Another interesting fact that he mentioned is that 30% of the respondents said they recommend omega-3s more than they did a year ago, during which several negative studies on marine oils have been published.

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, September 2014