Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below
.jpg "Research Chemical Sciences")
.png "Research Chemical Sciences")
Fish Oil vs. Flaxseed
- Thread starter iggy
- Start date
I think both have there places.
Flax seed gives fiber but fish oil is easier. I think you wont seemuch of a diff between the two if you were to take one at a time.
Flax seed gives fiber but fish oil is easier. I think you wont seemuch of a diff between the two if you were to take one at a time.
cobracock1979
Member
why not both???
I was always under the impression that flax was estrogenic. I just found out that flax oil has nearly double the EFAs of fishoil.
I currently use fish oil only, but I think I might start consuming equal amounts of both.
I currently use fish oil only, but I think I might start consuming equal amounts of both.
cobracock1979
Member
Flax is only estrogenic in the sense that many foods are slightly estrogenic - ots nothin to worry about. Flax is a superfood
2evil
New member
I take 4 tbsp of ground flax per day - EFAs and a great source of fiber. I also take 6 grams of fish oil. Is it doing me any good? All know is that my lipid profile is generally perfect which was not the case prior to supplementation.
To really do it right I think I should probably have actual flax oil in the mix or increase my flax seed intake, however.
To really do it right I think I should probably have actual flax oil in the mix or increase my flax seed intake, however.
booby
New member
Is fish oil “better” than flax seed oil?
In one respect, fish oil is definitely “better” than flax seed oil. Fish oil contains two omega-3s that are especially important: EPA and DHA. The body uses EPA to create many hormone-like substances that reduce inflammation and other “excited” states in the body, such as raised blood pressure. Also, eight percent of the brain is composed of EPA and DHA, and one wants to be sure this 8% stays healthy!
Taking fish oil can guarantee that the body gets enough of these two vital omega-3s.
However, Dr. Udo Erasmus, author of Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill, claims that the process manufacturers use to produce most vegetable cooking oils—a process often used to remove contaminants from fish oils as well—is itself destructive to the quality of the oil. According to Erasmus, oils that have undergone this refining, bleaching and deodorizing process “contain 0.5 to 1.0% damaged, highly toxic molecules.” On the other hand, Erasmus manufactures and sells a competing product, so such statements may be convenient marketing claims rather than independently verified scientific fact.
If you want to avoid oils that have been exposed to this refining, bleaching, and deodorizing process, look for either cold-pressed or unrefined on a product’s label. Both terms mean that a mechanical process was used to extract the oil rather than chemicals.
Benefits of flax oil
Flax seed oil contains an omega-3 called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is one of two fatty acids that the body needs and cannot make for itself. Several other sources of ALA do exist, most notably walnuts and hemp seed. Omega-3s are needed by every cell in the body. Among other things, an ample supply helps ensure that cell membranes stay flexible so that cells can get nutrients easily.
The body can use ALA to make all the other omega-3 fatty acids that it needs, including both EPA and DHA. Thus, if you get enough ALA, you don’t need to eat any other sources of omega-3s.
Another advantage of getting one’s omega-3s from the ALA in flax oil is that the body does not create more EPA and DHA than it needs. Therefore, ingesting too much EPA/DHA is not an issue.
The human body uses a variety of omega-3s, not just EPA and DHA. To make the full range of these omega-3s, the body needs ALA from flax oil (or walnuts or other sources) in addition to EPA and DHA. Thus, one needs to consume some ALA even if fish and/or fish oil are plentiful in one’s diet.
Is flax oil “better” than fish oil?
Since one needs ALA anyway, and the body can make all the other omega-3s it needs from ALA, does that mean flax seed oil is a better source than fish oil for one’s omega-3s? Not necessarily.
The body uses various enzymes to convert ALA to other omega-3s, and the process is not very efficient, especially as one gets older. Estimates of the rate of conversion range from 5% to 25%. In order to make sufficient amounts of EPA and DHA, one needs to consume 5 or 6 times more ALA than if one relies on fish oil alone. Also, women convert ALA to the other omega-3s more efficiently than men, largely so they can meet the nutritional demands of their infants during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Another consideration is that ALA competes metabolically with the other essential fatty acid that the body cannot make for itself. Linoleic acid (LA) plays the same role for omega-6 fatty acids that ALA does for omega-3s: The body uses LA to make all the other omega-6s that it needs. (To understand the difference between an omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid, see our article Chemical and Physical Structure of Fatty Acids.)
By competes, we mean that when LA is oversupplied in the diet, the body makes more of the LA-derived fatty acids than it needs, and not enough of the ALA-derived ones. The “LA side” of these substances help us react to dangers and stress and are therefore crucial to our health and survival, but when they are oversupplied, the result is chronic high blood pressure, cellular inflammation, and other conditions leading to today’s panoply of degenerative diseases.
Unfortunately, the recent emphasis on vegetable oils has led to a 10:1 ratio between LA and ALA in the American diet. While there is no consensus yet on what an optimal ratio would be, estimates range from 4:1 to 2:1. Consuming smaller amounts of the omega-6 LA helps the body maintain a healthy balance between the “stimulating” LA substances and the “calming” ALA substances. One excellent method of improving this ratio is switching to monounsaturated oils like olive oil. While canola oil does contain some ALA, it also contains a higher level of LA, so is not a recommended method of improving one’s LA-to-ALA ratio.
In one respect, fish oil is definitely “better” than flax seed oil. Fish oil contains two omega-3s that are especially important: EPA and DHA. The body uses EPA to create many hormone-like substances that reduce inflammation and other “excited” states in the body, such as raised blood pressure. Also, eight percent of the brain is composed of EPA and DHA, and one wants to be sure this 8% stays healthy!
Taking fish oil can guarantee that the body gets enough of these two vital omega-3s.
However, Dr. Udo Erasmus, author of Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill, claims that the process manufacturers use to produce most vegetable cooking oils—a process often used to remove contaminants from fish oils as well—is itself destructive to the quality of the oil. According to Erasmus, oils that have undergone this refining, bleaching and deodorizing process “contain 0.5 to 1.0% damaged, highly toxic molecules.” On the other hand, Erasmus manufactures and sells a competing product, so such statements may be convenient marketing claims rather than independently verified scientific fact.
If you want to avoid oils that have been exposed to this refining, bleaching, and deodorizing process, look for either cold-pressed or unrefined on a product’s label. Both terms mean that a mechanical process was used to extract the oil rather than chemicals.
Benefits of flax oil
Flax seed oil contains an omega-3 called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is one of two fatty acids that the body needs and cannot make for itself. Several other sources of ALA do exist, most notably walnuts and hemp seed. Omega-3s are needed by every cell in the body. Among other things, an ample supply helps ensure that cell membranes stay flexible so that cells can get nutrients easily.
The body can use ALA to make all the other omega-3 fatty acids that it needs, including both EPA and DHA. Thus, if you get enough ALA, you don’t need to eat any other sources of omega-3s.
Another advantage of getting one’s omega-3s from the ALA in flax oil is that the body does not create more EPA and DHA than it needs. Therefore, ingesting too much EPA/DHA is not an issue.
The human body uses a variety of omega-3s, not just EPA and DHA. To make the full range of these omega-3s, the body needs ALA from flax oil (or walnuts or other sources) in addition to EPA and DHA. Thus, one needs to consume some ALA even if fish and/or fish oil are plentiful in one’s diet.
Is flax oil “better” than fish oil?
Since one needs ALA anyway, and the body can make all the other omega-3s it needs from ALA, does that mean flax seed oil is a better source than fish oil for one’s omega-3s? Not necessarily.
The body uses various enzymes to convert ALA to other omega-3s, and the process is not very efficient, especially as one gets older. Estimates of the rate of conversion range from 5% to 25%. In order to make sufficient amounts of EPA and DHA, one needs to consume 5 or 6 times more ALA than if one relies on fish oil alone. Also, women convert ALA to the other omega-3s more efficiently than men, largely so they can meet the nutritional demands of their infants during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Another consideration is that ALA competes metabolically with the other essential fatty acid that the body cannot make for itself. Linoleic acid (LA) plays the same role for omega-6 fatty acids that ALA does for omega-3s: The body uses LA to make all the other omega-6s that it needs. (To understand the difference between an omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid, see our article Chemical and Physical Structure of Fatty Acids.)
By competes, we mean that when LA is oversupplied in the diet, the body makes more of the LA-derived fatty acids than it needs, and not enough of the ALA-derived ones. The “LA side” of these substances help us react to dangers and stress and are therefore crucial to our health and survival, but when they are oversupplied, the result is chronic high blood pressure, cellular inflammation, and other conditions leading to today’s panoply of degenerative diseases.
Unfortunately, the recent emphasis on vegetable oils has led to a 10:1 ratio between LA and ALA in the American diet. While there is no consensus yet on what an optimal ratio would be, estimates range from 4:1 to 2:1. Consuming smaller amounts of the omega-6 LA helps the body maintain a healthy balance between the “stimulating” LA substances and the “calming” ALA substances. One excellent method of improving this ratio is switching to monounsaturated oils like olive oil. While canola oil does contain some ALA, it also contains a higher level of LA, so is not a recommended method of improving one’s LA-to-ALA ratio.
