Upon discussing the new concentrate kosher fish oil with Jacob Friedman from Maxi Health Research, we learned that although the older version of their kosher fish oil named Omega 3 2000 is currently not available on the kosher vitamin market, they will be having it available at a later time for those who wish to stay with the older version.

A KosherVitamins representative had the privilege of  interviewing a Maxi Health Research spoksman , thus gaining deeper insight on the benefits of the new kosher fish oil version vs. the older version. This is the information according to Maxi Health Research:

“First of all, the tablets are enteric-coated. Enteric coated fish oil is the best way to supplement Omega-3 intake, in order to ensure the following key benefits not found in uncoated fish oil supplements:

Those who experience nausea or reflux from other fish oils will find Maxi Omega-3 Concentrate Enteric Coated Fish Oil much easier to digest.  This unique coating withstands stomach acids and breaks down in the duodenum (upper portion of small intestine) and maximizes the body’s absorption of Omega-3 essential fatty acids, which means the active ingredients bypass the stomach and are digested  in the small intestine, which minimizes the annoying fishy aftertaste.

Maxi Health Maxi Omega 3 Concentrate Kosher Fish Oil is available in two package sizes 90 capsuls and 180.

For the past 150 years, changes in the diet of people in the Western world have led to an increasing deficiency of Omega-3. This shortage, according to a growing number of researchers, is a decisive reason for the large incidence of what is defined as Western diseases, such as: cardiovascular disease, strokes, adult diabetes, intestinal diseases, e.g. Crohn’s disease, various types of depression, hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder in children, autoimmune diseases including arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, asthma, allergies and Alzheimers. Starting out our children on fish oil during young age wil surely help them develop more healthy bodies.

Nothing can be further than the truth if one is saying that they can’t eat anything because of their kosher diet. In today’s food industry everything and anything can be found in a kosher format.

Since vitamins are diet enhancers, meant to supplement the nutritional deficiencies in processed food; it is considered food and require kosher certification. Many of the vitamins on the market come in gelatin capsules, commonly derived from non-kosher sources and are off limits to the kosher consumer. Besides the issue of gelatin in the gel cap, vitamins may also contain many non-kosher ingredients.

As more kosher consumers become informed of the need for kosher certification on vitamins, companies are responding to the need for kosher vitamins.

THE PIONEERS IN KOSHER VITAMINS

The phonomonem of kosher vitamins on store shelves in the USA came about through the insight  of a family-run “Mom and Pop” pharmacy in mid-town Manhattan.  Abraham Freeda, a druggist who founded Freeda Vitamins in 1928, led the way for the kosher vitamin industry as one of its first producers and sellers, “My parents, being very innovative, decided to formulate their own nutrients,” says Phillip Zimmerman, Ph.D., current chief chemist at Freeda Vitamins. “They bought a tablet machine and started manufacturing vitamins.” The  Freeda vitamins are certified kosher by the OU.

Over seven decades later, Freeda Vitamins are sold throughout the United States and also are distributed worldwide. Freeda prides itself on being the first kosher vitamin company and the only vitamin company in the world that provides an extra tablet in every bottle, in order to cover the possibility of a machine miscount.

By the 1970’s,  America was in the midst of an explosion of research into the impact of nutrition on personal health. “You are what you eat” became the common catch phrase and health food stores sprouted up in towns and cities across the country.

In 1974,  Jack Friedman, Ph.D., founder of Maxi-Health Research Inc, opened up a small health food store in Brooklyn with the goal of developing kosher vitamin products for the kosher community. Dr. Friedman worked together with physicians to create kosher vitamin and herb formulas that would address particular ailments. Over three decades later, the company currently provides over two hundred  nutritional supplements. “Maxi-Health keeps updated on the latest in nutritional research and continues to get the highest quality products out there for the Jewish community,” says Dr. Friedman. “One can get Co Enzyme Q from China for a tenth the price of the Japanese product, which is of much higher quality, but we aren’t interested in poor quality.”

Ninety-five percent of the Maxi-Health line is under OU Kosher certification. 

Dr. Friedman, who holds a doctorate in nutrition, receives many phone calls daily from  consumers around the world seeking advice on how to treat various health conditions. “More than half of the problems, start with poor nutrition and lack of knowledge,” says Dr. Friedman.  “People don’t realize that one cup of soda has seven teaspoons of sugar and how unhealthy hydrogenated fat is. They don’t even realize that they are eating poorly. Today’s foods are depleted of nutrients, hence, the need for supplements.”

He cautions that many are unaware that many vitamins on the market are not kosher. “There are not only non-kosher nutrients, but also non-kosher bindings and fillers,” he says. “We were the first to come out with the maxi-caps, a kosher capsule.” He reports that both doctors and chiropractors recommend Maxi-Health products to their patients.

Another kosher vitamin pioneer concerned about the dearth of available kosher nutritional supplements on the market, Hyman Landau, president of Lantev Distributing Corporation, which distributes Landau Natural Foods and Vitamins, opened up a health food store in the Borough Park section of Brooklyn in 1981.“Customers were requesting certain items that were not available in kosher form,” says Landau. He decided to develop items on his own private label. Lantev distributes to New York City’s five boroughs, the country’s smaller kosher communities, as well as internationally “The vitamins were very well received, especially the chew-ables for children.”

Solgar’s Director of Research and Development,  Dr. Richard Passwater, commented: “Solgar has been innovating and producing only the finest quality nutritional supplements since 1947.  Our ongoing mission is to provide consumers with top quality, innovative, science-based nutritional supplements to enhance their total health and well-being.  With this in mind, Bioriginal’s new chewable softgels were an ideal choice. A patent-pending breakthrough in marine Omega 3 supplements, not only does it eliminate undesirable fishy taste, but they also have great natural flavors that both Moms and children love.”

Bioriginal launched its innovative flavored chewable softgel range with an innovative range of Omega products offering specific, targeted benefits for a range of consumer conditions including skin function and cognition. BioPureDHA™, Bioriginal’s own exceptionally pure and rich source of DHA, comes in a range of appealing fruity flavors with more in the pipeline. Another trademarked GRAS ingredient offered by Bioriginal is BioAsteri™, borage known for its high levels of GLA and anti-inflammatory properties and will be supplied in a tangy orange flavor.

Delivering innovative and high-quality products since 1947, Solgar exclusively distributes its nutritional supplements in the natural health products channel worldwide. Its commitment to excellence focuses on four key areas: research, manufacturing, education and service. The company began distributing Bioriginal’s flavored chewable softgels throughout the world in October 2007.

The interest in fish oils began in 1969, when two Danish physicians noticed that the Eskimo population of Greenland had a considerably lower death rate from heart disease than the rest of the Danish population. The research duo concluded that the lower death rate was linked to the high amounts of fish oils in their diet. Fish oil then gained popularity as a, heart healthy supplement containing beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.

Since then scientists have learned that omega-3 fish oils are not just for the heart. Research has shown that fish oil also has a positive effect on numerous other conditions including arthritis, diabetes, neurological and mental disorders, skin conditions.