A common question that I receive is what is the difference between fish oil and flaxseed oil? First here are some basics. The "money" fatty acids in fish oil are EPA/DHA; these are long chain omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids. Flaxseed oil contains the short chain n-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). While these three fatty acids may seem similar because they are all n-3 fatty acids but in fact they function very differently physiologically.
One cannot apply findings such as weight loss, triglyceride lowering, protection from sudden death, improvements in joint function seen with fish oil supplementation to flaxseed or ALA supplementation (or just increased intake). People will argue (especially those that sell flaxseed oil and flaxseed oil supplements) that ALA can be converted to EPA and then DHA via elongation and desaturation (basically makes the fatty acid longer and adding more double bonds). However this conversion is EXTREMELY poor, especially in men (estimated by some to be as low as 1-2%). The bad news is that the conversion gets even worse the older you get.
Flaxseed Oil Hair
ALA does have unique and beneficial effects as well so consuming both EPA/DHA and ALA is recommended. Three good sources of ALA are walnuts, flaxseed/flaxseed oil, and canola oil. Flaxseed oil does not have a pleasant taste so a great option is garlic-chili infused flaxseed oil. It is awesome on salads. You also do not want to heat or cook with flaxseed oil because it is very prone to oxidation. I commonly get emails from people that state that they don't supplement with fish oil but instead supplement with flaxseed oil capsules. As you know from my previous entry exchanging fish oil for flax is not an equal trade. It is also very important to realize that these people are wasting a tremendous amount of money. When supplementing your diet with fats capsules are by far the most expensive way to go (because you have to pay for the capsules and the fatty acids). ALA is also readily oxidized (e.g. burned, turned into, etc) to energy. Studies have shown that up to 35% of ALA is immediately oxidized for energy - that's expensive energy! Adding flaxseed oil and ALA to your diet is a wise choice just don't use the capsules as it is NOT a very cost effective approach.
Fish Oil vs Flaxseed Oil - Which is Better?
Fish Oil vs Flaxseed Oil - Which is Better?
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REVIEW: Flaxseed oil for beard growth Video Clips. Duration : 4.18 Mins.
These are supplements that I took for about 4 months. I bought them at Walmart you can purchase flaxseed oil supplements anywhere. Thanks for watching XO Natalie www.twitter.com/natm839
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