SirWanksalot
New member
Selected questions and answer sesion with Dr. Barry sears from this link. http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/community/DailyNews/chat_omegazone050802.html
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Tom S. asks:
Flaxseed oil has higher milligram quantities of Omega-3, Omega-6 and Omega-9 than fish oil. So why are fish oil capsules better than flaxseed oil?
Dr. Barry Sears
Flaxseed oil contains short-chain Omega-3 fatty acids and the human body can convert these short-chain Omega-3 fatty acids with great difficulty into much lower levels of longer-chain Omega-3 fatty acids. The conversion rate is between one and five percent. It is only the long-chain Omega-3 fats that have the health benefits.
This is not to say that flaxseed oil is bad. It is just not very good compared to fish oil because of the very inefficient conversion of the fats found in flaxseed oil to the long-chain Omega-3 fats
found in fish oil.
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Diana asks:
How much fish oil do you recommend per day? Is it better to do capsule form or liquid.
Dr. Barry Sears
I would recommend that 2 1/2 grams of Omega-3 fats per day is a good maintenance level.
If you want optimal cardiovascular health, you will need about 5 grams per day. If you want to treat inflammatory pain, you'll need nearly 10 grams per day.
And to treat an existing neurological condition (such as Multiple Sclerosis, Attention Deficit Disorder, Depression and Dementia) you'll need approx. 15 grams per day.
These are all obviously much higher dosages than Americans are consuming. At the same time, we also have to be controlling the levels of insulin to maximize the impact of the fish oil.
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Moderator
Can you elaborate on the "other" research that's out there on fish oil?
Dr. Barry Sears
Fish oil research for years has confirmed the importance of Omega-3 fats in the prevention and treatment of heart disease. However, when we get into inflammatory conditions and neurological conditions, the amounts required become far greater.
In terms of heart disease, we know that one gram a day of pharmaceutical grade Omega-3 fatty acids reduces sudden death by nearly 50 percent.
We also know that 10 grams a day of long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids has a dramatic effect in the treatment of bipolar depression. And we know that 18 grams a day of pharmaceutical grade Omega-3 fats can reduce the wasting condition in cancer patients.
To put these levels in perspective, a tablespoon of cod liver oil would provide about 2 1/2 grams a day of Omega-3 fats and current intake of these fats by Americans is only 125 milligrams per day.
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Tom S. asks:
Flaxseed oil has higher milligram quantities of Omega-3, Omega-6 and Omega-9 than fish oil. So why are fish oil capsules better than flaxseed oil?
Dr. Barry Sears
Flaxseed oil contains short-chain Omega-3 fatty acids and the human body can convert these short-chain Omega-3 fatty acids with great difficulty into much lower levels of longer-chain Omega-3 fatty acids. The conversion rate is between one and five percent. It is only the long-chain Omega-3 fats that have the health benefits.
This is not to say that flaxseed oil is bad. It is just not very good compared to fish oil because of the very inefficient conversion of the fats found in flaxseed oil to the long-chain Omega-3 fats
found in fish oil.
--------------
Diana asks:
How much fish oil do you recommend per day? Is it better to do capsule form or liquid.
Dr. Barry Sears
I would recommend that 2 1/2 grams of Omega-3 fats per day is a good maintenance level.
If you want optimal cardiovascular health, you will need about 5 grams per day. If you want to treat inflammatory pain, you'll need nearly 10 grams per day.
And to treat an existing neurological condition (such as Multiple Sclerosis, Attention Deficit Disorder, Depression and Dementia) you'll need approx. 15 grams per day.
These are all obviously much higher dosages than Americans are consuming. At the same time, we also have to be controlling the levels of insulin to maximize the impact of the fish oil.
--------------
Moderator
Can you elaborate on the "other" research that's out there on fish oil?
Dr. Barry Sears
Fish oil research for years has confirmed the importance of Omega-3 fats in the prevention and treatment of heart disease. However, when we get into inflammatory conditions and neurological conditions, the amounts required become far greater.
In terms of heart disease, we know that one gram a day of pharmaceutical grade Omega-3 fatty acids reduces sudden death by nearly 50 percent.
We also know that 10 grams a day of long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids has a dramatic effect in the treatment of bipolar depression. And we know that 18 grams a day of pharmaceutical grade Omega-3 fats can reduce the wasting condition in cancer patients.
To put these levels in perspective, a tablespoon of cod liver oil would provide about 2 1/2 grams a day of Omega-3 fats and current intake of these fats by Americans is only 125 milligrams per day.
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