Flax Seed Vs Fish Oil

"Yukon" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

What is the difference between flax seed oil and fish oil supplements? Which
one should I be taking or is it okay to take both? I currently have been
taking 1000mg of flax seed a day. Is it better to take the supplements in
capsules or the oil form?
Thanks
Donna

I would guess safety wise there are no POP* contamination issues with
flax seed
oil**. Whilst depending on the location of fishing, POP* contamination
(PCB, DDT)
may be an issue with fish oil (esp. cod liver oil).

EFA content is higher in flax seed oil, or so I am told by the
manufacturers label!

I did (think) I observed improved memory in my one participant
experiment using fish oil and have not replicated this using flax seed
oil! If anyone has references for fish oil vs. flax seed oil on
memory, feel
free to post 'em . I do remember one based in UK young offenders
institutes.

Thanks,

Neil

* persistant organic pollutants

** there might be pesticide concerns, I dont know how flax seed is
farmed, mine is organic!

"Yukon" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

What is the difference between flax seed oil and fish oil supplements? Which
one should I be taking or is it okay to take both? I currently have been
taking 1000mg of flax seed a day. Is it better to take the supplements in
capsules or the oil form?
Thanks
Donna

Basicly healthy individuals can get their omega-3 acids from either
source. But if you have any serious health condition or you are old,
you can not count that the enzymatic process which is required to
transform some of the alpha-linolenic acid of flax to EPA and DHA
works properly. So, for young people that are basicly healthy flax
seed is OK.

For males I would suggest taking fish oils because their is some
evidence that taking alpha-linolec acid can increes your prostate
cancer risk (look below).

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15051847

It is very important that the flax seed oil is fresh and kept in cool
because it becomes rancid very quickly. It might also be a good idea
to add some vitamin E from a capsule to it when you open a new bottle.
It prevents some of the oxidation.

Jan

"Yukon" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

What is the difference between flax seed oil and fish oil supplements? Which
one should I be taking or is it okay to take both? I currently have been
taking 1000mg of flax seed a day. Is it better to take the supplements in
capsules or the oil form?
Thanks
Donna

Basicly healthy individuals can get their omega-3 acids from either
source. But if you have any serious health condition or you are old,
you can not count that the enzymatic process which is required to
transform some of the alpha-linolenic acid of flax to EPA and DHA
works properly. So, for young people that are basicly healthy flax
seed is OK.

For males I would suggest taking fish oils because their is some
evidence that taking alpha-linolec acid can increes your prostate
cancer risk (look below).

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15051847

It is very important that the flax seed oil is fresh and kept in cool
because it becomes rancid very quickly. It might also be a good idea
to add some vitamin E from a capsule to it when you open a new bottle.
It prevents some of the oxidation.

Jan

Quoted message said:

But if you have any serious health condition or you are old,
you can not count that the enzymatic process which is required to
transform some of the alpha-linolenic acid of flax to EPA and DHA
works properly.

hi. have you got a reference for that? thanks

[email hidden] (Jerr9872) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

But if you have any serious health condition or you are old,
you can not count that the enzymatic process which is required to
transform some of the alpha-linolenic acid of flax to EPA and DHA
works properly.

hi. have you got a reference for that? thanks

Below is a page about the fatty acid elongation. There is also a very
good list of references mentioned.

http://www.gsdl.com/assessments/fattyacids/appguide/index3.html

The problem of possibly low delta-6-desaturase activity applies also
to the conversion of gammalinolenic acid (GLA) from linoleic acid
(omega-6). So, direct sources of GLA, like evening primrose oil, can
also have therapeutic effects in some health conditions.

Jan

"Jan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

For males I would suggest taking fish oils

I agree. See
http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?objectid=17D4C06F-508B-D3DD-1703236F9E03A009