Fish Oil vs. Flaxseed - Who Wins?

Tweet

Have you ever asked yourself this questions: Should I take flaxseed oil in addition to or in place of fish oil?

To answer this you should probably know a little about the two fatty acids that the body cannot biosynthesize, and are therefore considered essential: linoleic acid (an n-6) and alpha linolenic acid (an n-3).

These two fatty acids must be obtained from the diet because the body lacks the delta-15 and the delta-12 desaturases, which are needed to create double bonds and elongate fatty acid chains beyond 9 carbons to create these essential compounds.

Still with me?

Good.

As nutritionist and strength coach Alan Aragon has noted on several occasions:

“……based on estimates from archaeological and modern-day hunter-gatherer population research, human beings originally thrived on a diet whose ratio of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids was approximately 1:1, and unlikely to be greater than 4:1. It also contained far less trans fatty acids and than the present diet. Today, consumption of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids is roughly 25:1. A major cause for this is the predominance of n-6 oils (corn oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, refined packaged grain products) and a relative minority in n-3 sources (fatty marine fish, flaxseed oil, walnuts, and small amounts of canola oil).”

That being said, there is often a stigma associated with flaxseed products in general. It’s often been noted that ingesting flaxseed to increase levels of EPA/DHA (the omega-3’s) is pointless due to the poor conversion rate of ALA into the said omega-3’s.

However, in his book Girth Control, Aragon showcased a study in which a team recently observed 3g ALA/day (from 5.2g flaxseed oil) raise plasma EPA levels by 60% at the end of a 12-week trial.*

Flaxseed oil WILL convert to long chain omega 3s however not everyone can do it effectively as certain individuals lack delta-15 and the delta-12 desaturases, specific enzymes to aid in conversion.

I do however recommend adding ground flaxseed to your yogurt or protein shakes as a serving of about 1 tablespoon elicits roughly 3-5 grams of fiber (depending on the brand), and the lignans found in flaxseeds also serve as an antioxidant.

If you are going to choose one, go with fish oil, however I would include both as mentioned above about including ground flaxseed with yogurt or in a shake.

Other sources of omega 3 fats are: fatty fish (such as salmon, anchovies, sardines, mackeral), nuts (particularly walnuts), krill oil.

Tyron
www.MakersBody.com

* The reference study is found in Alan Aragon's book "Girth Control" found Click here.

p.s. Claim your 2 weeks FREE to Get Results Boot Camp and start transforming your body into the way you want to look.

Get Results Boot Camp is Your 'Look Better Naked' Solution

To claim your 2 weeks FREE contact Tyron at 604.626.2342 or email him at TyronPiteau@gmail.com

Become a Fan

Tweet This