03:43 PM Mountain Standard Time on Tuesday, January 31, 2006

By Brandy Aguilar / 3TV Producer

Several studies show that getting fish into your diet is essential, but sometimes eating the required amount of Omega-3s can be hard.

Now, you can get your Omega-3s without having to change your diet.

Omega-3 Brain Booster is a new fish oil powder produced by Wudel Inc. in Mesa. What's so great about this new product is that it doesn't taste like fish and you can add it to your everyday foods.

"We design this for mothers to be able to cook it into their foods, for kids' food, put in brownies, pancakes and not know it's ever there," said Johny Wudel with Wudel Inc.

"One of the concerns of fish, why people don't eat it, is because of the concerns for mercury and the contamination," Wudel said. "But with our product and the process it goes through, there's no risk of mercury. In fact, the official ingredient has reached the U.S. Pharmacopeia verification, which is the most rigorous in the whole world."

So what are the Omega 3s? They consist of ALA, EPA and DHA.

"The EPA and DHA, which are the fish oils, are really almost like the cement or foundation in the brain when function is being managed and the ALA is kind of like rust proofing. It protects the brain," said registered dietitian Monika Woolsey. "So once you eat fish or once you get DHA or EPA, the flax and soy help to prevent the brain from breaking down."

Woolsey said using a product like Omega-3 Brain Booster might be a good alternative to those who don't want to eat fish or take fish oil capsules.

"There's a lot of information coming out right now about Omega-3s being important for preventing dementia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and all of the nervous system diseases," Woolsey said.

In the end, Wudel said not only are you adding the fish oil powder into foods you already eat, the best part is not being able to taste it.