Fish or flax oil?

[lilbg]

Which is better?  I used to take codliver oil a long time ago and started recently taking flax but I honestly dont know the reasons behind taking this except the Omega-3 is supposed to help with the joints?  thanks for any input

[Princess L]

http://www.oilofpisces.com/

[lilbg]

Dang... and I just bought some Flax oil last night at walmart.  It said Omega 3 Flax Oil.  Guess I will use it up and switch to the fish oil.

[DK II]

Dang... and I just bought some Flax oil last night at walmart.  It said Omega 3 Flax Oil.  Guess I will use it up and switch to the fish oil.

Well, Flax oil has one big advantage to fish oil. It contains alpha linolic acid, which is very good.

Problem is, most flaxseed oils have poor quality, and these virgine oils tend to lose flavor and effiency from right after they came into the bottle. Is the flaxseed oil bottle is 6 months old, you're screwed.

Better grind flaxseed up yourself and mix it with yoghurt and supplement with fish oil.

[Princess L]

Which is better? 

This a favorite question of mine. I have spent a lot of time researching. Despite all that has been written and said, I believe that fish oil gives the most bang for the buck. Essential fatty acid's fall into the group known as long chain omega 3's. These long chain omega 3 fats are EPA and DHA. Fish oil contains these two acids-in that specific form. EPA and DHA are the only form of essential long chain omega 3 acids that the body can use.

Flax, borage, etc, do not contain EPA and DHA. Instead they contain both omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. Our normal diet already gives us an over abundance of omega 6 fats versus omega 3 fats.

The problem with flax is that it contains short chain omega 3 as well as omega 6 fatty acids. Since the body can only utilize long chain omega 3's in the form of EPA and DHA, multiple conversions have to be undertaken by the bodies metabolic pathways to convert this short chain 3 into a usable form of long chain omega 6. The conversion is not very efficient, our bodies convert only a very small fraction of short chain omega 3 into long chain omega 6.

Well, Flax oil has one big advantage to fish oil. It contains alpha linolic acid, which is very good.

Once ingested, the body converts ALA to EPA and DHA.

[Bluto]

so PL, what's your take on SEALOIL!

[DK II]

This a favorite question of mine. I have spent a lot of time researching. Despite all that has been written and said, I believe that fish oil gives the most bang for the buck. Essential fatty acid's fall into the group known as long chain omega 3's. These long chain omega 3 fats are EPA and DHA. Fish oil contains these two acids-in that specific form. EPA and DHA are the only form of essential long chain omega 3 acids that the body can use.

Flax, borage, etc, do not contain EPA and DHA. Instead they contain both omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. Our normal diet already gives us an over abundance of omega 6 fats versus omega 3 fats.

The problem with flax is that it contains short chain omega 3 as well as omega 6 fatty acids. Since the body can only utilize long chain omega 3's in the form of EPA and DHA, multiple conversions have to be undertaken by the bodies metabolic pathways to convert this short chain 3 into a usable form of long chain omega 6. The conversion is not very efficient, our bodies convert only a very small fraction of short chain omega 3 into long chain omega 6.


Once ingested, the body converts ALA to EPA and DHA.

Ok, you're right.

I mixed it up with CLA. Sorry.

[Princess L]

so PL, what's your take on SEALOIL!

   hmmm...not sure  I've not looked into it.  This is interesting however... http://geo.international.gc.ca/can-am/washington/shared_env/seal_oil_conference-en.asp

I'm not crazy about seal hunting practices  , although I'm not really educated in that area.

Looks like there's lots of potential...

[lilbg]

Thanks for all the info! 

[Tapeworm]

Dang!  Princess L rocks!

[MidniteRambo]

I take minimum 6g of fish oil per day, more if I notice my fat intake dropping too much below 20%.

forget flax

[Cooker]

I have read studies that suggest the EPA is much more important than the DHA so when picking a fish oil supplement it is beneficial to select one with a high EPA/DHA ratio.

[Princess L]

I have read studies that suggest the EPA is much more important than the DHA so when picking a fish oil supplement it is beneficial to select one with a high EPA/DHA ratio.

Depends.  DHA for the brain stuff.  EPA for everything else.

[elspecimino]

Fish Oil.