Europe Advances Ahiflower® Oil Science & Accessibility
German researchers discover novel oxylipin effects, Turkey approves Ahiflower in supplements
A new Ahiflower® human clinical trial has published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition. Led by researchers in Germany at the University of Kiel, the randomized crossover trial studied the effects of dietary Ahiflower (Buglossoides arvensis) oil in circulating omega-3 levels and was the first to measure omega-3 oxylipin changes in humans and in cultured hepatic cells. Ahiflower oil is a plant-based, omega-rich and sustainable alternative to fish oil.
The Kiel study, led by Dr Ulrike Seidel, is the first to examine Ahiflower oil and omega-3 SDA’s impacts on cellular and circulating oxylipins together in humans. Study details follow.
Simultaneously, the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture authorized adding Buglossoides arvensis to its federal positive plants list, after a rigorous regulatory review process. This clears the way for Ahiflower oil’s use in supplements and functional foods in Turkey. Natures Crops International (NCI), exclusive global suppliers of Ahiflower oil, and Phytonet, NCI’s exclusive Eastern European and Turkish distribution partner for Ahiflower products, celebrated the milestone.
Andrew Hebard, Founder & CEO at Natures Crops International, expressed his enthusiasm: “Receiving authorization for Ahiflower oil in Turkey represents a significant achievement for NCI and Phytonet. It underscores our commitment to advancing natural health products that not only benefit human health but also protect the environment.” Hebard continued, “We greatly appreciate the Phytonet team and the Turkish authorities who made this possible. The opportunities this new market presents and the positive impacts Ahiflower will have on the health of Turkish consumer is significant. Being able to introduce a deeply researched and science based, plant derived alternative to fish oil into this important market is very exciting. The global supply of fish oil has become of increasing concerning to brands and their customers. We believe Ahiflower can be part of the solution to sustainable supplies and pricing.”
Cem Aydogan, Founder and CEO at Phytonet, commented on the expansion, "The entrance to the Turkish market plays an important role in our strategic growth. It allows us to tap into new opportunities and introduce our advanced, plant-based products to a market that is increasingly aware of and seeking sustainable health solutions."
Meanwhile, the Kiel team’s newly published study found that in healthy young males taking Ahiflower oil for only 20 days, plasma EPA levels tripled. (Plasma ALA and SDA levels more than doubled.) The authors observed, “The present human intervention study clearly reveals the ability of dietary ALA and SDA-rich Ahiflower oil to improve EPA status in vivo.”
Further, consuming Ahiflower oil significantly raised a range of EPA oxylipins while slightly but significantly reducing some ARA (arachidonic acid) oxylipins and tended to lower ARA levels slightly. This new evidence is consistent with Ahiflower oil’s recognized ability to exert an overall anti-inflammatory phenotype in mammals and humans via IL-10 upregulation and by providing a wider array of anti-inflammatory oxylipin precursors. Ahiflower acts differently than EPA/DHA sources but achieves comparable physiological effects — like significantly boosting EPA oxylipins — as fish oil.
Plasma DHA levels were unaffected. However, the authors noted, “Diets rich in DHA and ahiflower oil exhibit similar DHA turnover rates in the liver, adipose, and brain tissues... Thus…measuring DHA levels may not provide as accurate an assessment of the potency of precursors for DHA synthesis as determining the synthesis/turnover rate from these precursors.” This evidence is entirely consistent with other Ahiflower oil studies, in which the mammal body is efficiently forming and deploying DHA, as and where needed in cell membranes and tissues, rather than accumulating DHA in circulating blood.
The Kiel authors summarized, “Plant-derived ahiflower oil efficiently increases plasma EPA and corresponding eicosanoids and causes a distinct shift in the entire oxylipin pattern… The present study provides substantial evidence that SDA is a more powerful modulator of EPA and DHA oxylipin levels than ALA… In conclusion, ALA and SDA-rich ahiflower oil could serve as an alternative plant-derived source to increase EPA levels in normal weight, healthy humans, while changes in DHA levels are not expected.”
In view of the omega-3 supplement industry’s recent supply chain challenges and overall quest to improve omega-3 status, the authors have shown how incorporating dietary Ahiflower oil into diets can help. They stated, “The consumption of ahiflower oil improves the circulating levels of EPA and EPA-derived oxylipins in humans.”
The Ahiflower crop is regeneratively grown by independently qualified farmers in the UK to ensure purity and traceability. NCI’s B-Corp certification affirms Ahiflower oil’s eco-friendly status — unique so far among omega-3 ingredient suppliers. The oil is uniquely rich in omega-3 stearidonic acid (SDA) and omega-6 gamma linolenic acid (GLA), supporting heart, brain, skin, and immune health.