Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oil V Freshly Ground Flaxseed ...f Posted: 08-05-06 14:12pm
I've been reading various articles on the
net comparing fish oil to flaxseed. With
the intention of taking either for their
heart benefits.
I've read that the best type of fish oil
is pharmaceutical grade fish oil, which is
highly refined and is much more effective
than other fish oils such as cod liver
oil.
I've also read that freshly ground
flaxseed is better than flaxseed oil, as
freshly ground flaxseed has the additional
benefit of fibre, lignans and protein.
I've read that there are three primary
omega-3's: ala, epa, and dha. Flax
contains ala, an omega-3 essential fatty
acid that cannot be manufactured by the
body. As a result, we must get it through
our diet. Fish contains the pre-formed
omega-3 long chain fatty acids epa and
dha. However, because our bodies
naturally convert ala into epa and dha,
these omega-3 fatty acids found in fish
are not considered essential (although
they are still very important). Ala
conversion rates can vary from person to
person, and more research is needed in
this area.
So i'm left wondering if it is better to
take freshly ground flaxseed, or
pharmaceutical grade fish oil?
Any opinions...?
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stevenajones1122
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 13 Location: Kelowna
Flax Vs Fish Posted: 01-31-07 22:52pm
Pharmaceutical grade fish oil is a
superior source of epa and dha. Your
body has to convert ala in flax into epa
and dha, and it's a poor conversion
process, you only get 5-10% maximum,
assuming you are digesting correctly and
you have no major health issues. Age,
alcohol, drugs, diabetes and a long list
of health issues can intefer with the
conversion process. Your body has to
manufacture 2 enzymes, delta 5 and delta-6
desaturase to convert ala to epa/dha. So
2 tablespoons of flax oil = approx 1
teaspoon fish oil.
Ground flax has the benefit of fibre and
lignans too, but as far as omega 3 goes -
fish oil - including cod liver oil (rich
in vitamin a & d) is the greatest.
To answer your question epa/dha are efa's
- essential.
You could always use both! Supplement
with fish oil and use flax oil on salads
and pasta etc! Or ground flax on cereal
in the morning.
I personally use ascenta nutrasea or
carlson's cod liver oil in the winter for
extra vitamin d. Both availbale at my
health food store
edit
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Brett445
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 05 Feb 2007 Posts: 12 Location: Australia and Thailand
Fish Oil Is Superior But Be Careful Posted: 02-05-07 05:05am
Buzzer,
steven is right - epa and dha are
scientifically classified as essential to
human health because your body can’t
synthesize them.
And yes, if you take flaxseed, the
conversion rate of ala to epa and dha is
very inefficient (around 10 %) this is due
to the high consumption of
