Roots in Norway’s North and a Career Built on Marine Oils
Per Benjaminsen, 49, lives in Ballstad and helped bring Ballstad Omega-3 to life. Raised on Andøya—an island north of Lofoten—he grew up in a fishing family that co-owned a major cod liver oil facility. After earning a master’s in Fisheries and Biotechnology from the University of Tromsø, he co-founded one of Northern Norway’s first omega-3 refining companies. With roughly 25 years in the field, his north star has been consistent: make omega-3 products to the world’s highest quality standards.
Why He Takes Omega-3 Every Day
Benjaminsen says he takes at least 2 grams of Ballstad Omega-3 daily—twice the commonly suggested 1-gram serving. Living with diabetes for nearly three decades, he focuses on steady blood sugar and robust circulation. In Norway, he notes, physicians often recommend a minimum of 2 grams of omega-3 for people with diabetes to help maintain healthy blood flow.
How Omega-3 Fits His Life in the Water
A devoted year-round surfer logging more than 100 days a year, Benjaminsen often faces near-freezing seas in winter. Good circulation, he says, is non-negotiable. He also points to research linking omega-3s with joint comfort—another reason he keeps them in his routine to help stave off stiffness.
First Encounters: From Cod Liver Oil to Cutting-Edge Refining
Like many Norwegian children, he grew up taking cod liver oil for vitamins A and D—and omega-3s. His deeper education came later at university and as a founder supplying premium omega-3 oils to global brands. Over the past 25 years, he’s watched a tidal wave of research—tens of thousands of papers—document the health roles of EPA and DHA.
A View on Changing Fats and Modern Diets
Benjaminsen argues that our bodies evolved for higher omega-3 intake and that industrial fat processing—especially hydrogenation beginning in the late 1800s—shifted fat patterns away from that history. In his view, rapid dietary change outpaced human adaptation, leaving many people short on the omega-3s their physiology expects.
Who He Believes Benefits—and How Often
In Benjaminsen’s experience, omega-3s matter at every age, particularly for anyone not eating seafood at least three times weekly. He emphasizes that the essential long-chain omega-3s—EPA and DHA—are found in marine sources. As a general daily target, he cites 1 gram as a minimum, with 2 grams preferred. If a day is missed, he suggests making it up later, noting the body stores omega-3s in cell membranes; some people even opt for once-weekly dosing.
Explaining Omega-3 to Parents
For the parent of a four-year-old, he highlights DHA’s role in brain development. He notes that a substantial share of the fat in the brain’s “thinking centers” is DHA and points to numerous studies connecting adequate DHA with healthy neural development. In Norway, he adds, physicians routinely recommend omega-3 during pregnancy and for children.
What Sets Ballstad Omega-3 Apart
Benjaminsen describes Ballstad Omega-3 as a product built around uncompromising standards for concentration, purity, and freshness. The facility’s strict, oxygen-limiting protocols are designed to minimize oxidation—a key step in preventing rancidity that can spoil taste and diminish benefits. Sourced from Norway’s cold, clean waters and processed to protect delicate fatty acids, Ballstad’s oils, he says, are crafted to meet the highest bar he knows how to set.
