Flax vs. Fish Oil

[ekcrow]

Why do so many people prefer Flax seed over Fish Oil? Does it really matter?

Thanks
God bless

[dbx]

Why do so many people prefer Flax seed over Fish Oil? Does it really matter?

Thanks
God bless

I disagree! I think most prefer fish oil to flax, and I'm one of them. Now, if you're Canadian, I'll concede your premise .

[rpaul11]

I prefer fish over flax myself.

But I do consume a tablespoon of ground flax seeds a few times a week.

[GeHfN VAlLiS]

Why do so many people prefer Flax seed over Fish Oil? Does it really matter?

Flax oil usually tastes better and is somewhat more stable than fish oil. However, the body has to process flax oil, it's bioavailablity is not the best. In contrast fish oil can be used immediately with no intermediate steps needing to be taken.

Usually it is ground flax seed that is used and the omega content is merely a side benefit to the fiber and lignan content.

[Minotaur]

I use both. I take 6g of fish oil caps/day (3 in am and 3 in pm) and 2-3 tbsp. ground flax seeds in my morning shake. I grind them in an electric coffee grinder along with 1/4 c. of oats. Makes a fine powder I add to my shake.

[ASWEDE]

fish oil here

[MtnBikeMike]

Another fish oil thread.......LOL.......as far as I am concerned fish oil is a miracle drug.

[chodan9]

I use fish oil as a supplent

I use ground flax seed as one of the ingredients for my morning preworkout energy bars

[rockeo]

I like omega 3 fish oil ( the non fish burbs kind ) - but i am trying out Flax presently, but both are good imho, Flax has omega 3 plus 6 & 9 so to each his own !

[Marius_Ursus]

Fish oil has different OMEGA-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA) from flax seed oil (LNA). They're both good for you.

I take fish oil in capsule form and get my flax seed fats from cold-milled flax seeds. If you take flax seed oil instead of eating milled flax seeds, you're missing out on protein, fiber, and lignans.

[jellodirt]

Why do so many people prefer Flax seed over Fish Oil? Does it really matter?

Thanks
God bless

I use Hemp Oil. The EFA's are more evenly distributed and it doesn't go rancid as easily as the other oils.

[Marius_Ursus]

I use Hemp Oil. The EFA's are more evenly distributed and it doesn't go rancid as easily as the other oils.

I love hemp seeds a lot, but I feel the same way about hemp oil that I do about flax seed oil.

[OutOfStep]

I use Hemp Oil. The EFA's are more evenly distributed and it doesn't go rancid as easily as the other oils.

I use hemp seed oil too. The 3:1 ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 is preferable to the ratio found in flax. I've also found I can get it much cheaper than flax, probably due to the stigma associated with hemp.

[chodan9]

I love hemp seeds a lot, but I feel the same way about hemp oil that I do about flax seed oil.

I used to grow hemp and use hemp oil

... well..... it was in the hemp family.....

[Marius_Ursus]

I used to grow hemp and use hemp oil

... well..... it was in the hemp family.....

Oh...I hear hemp family oil makes a good substitute for vegetable oil in brownies.

[chodan9]

Oh...I hear hemp family oil makes a good substitute for vegetable oil in brownies.

the only problem would be the more you eat the more you want to eat (munchies)

[Karl_Hungus]

Flax oil usually tastes better and is somewhat more stable than fish oil. However, the body has to process flax oil, it's bioavailablity is not the best. In contrast fish oil can be used immediately with no intermediate steps needing to be taken.

Usually it is ground flax seed that is used and the omega content is merely a side benefit to the fiber and lignan content.

Yup, exactly right. The other downside to flax oil is that some evidence shows that alpha linolenic acid has a positive association with prostate cancer.

[LyingSac]

i use both,and i don't squeak as much when i walk........

[PopeGregorius]

I love hemp seeds a lot, but I feel the same way about hemp oil that I do about flax seed oil.

Hemp sprouts are popular.

Oh...I hear hemp family oil makes a good substitute for vegetable oil in brownies.

Hemp cakes - will never catch on.

[Marius_Ursus]

Hemp sprouts are popular.

Are they peppery? I've had hemp protein that was peppery and couldn't figure out if it was the hemp or one of the other ingredients that spiced it up.

[Marius_Ursus]

Hemp sprouts are popular.

Hemp cakes - will never catch on.

This coming from a place they sell vegamite?

[LyingSac]

This coming from a place they sell vegamite?

""where women goooo,and men plunder""

[Minotaur]

"Where women glow and men blunder".

Just sayin'.

[Old-Time-Lifter]

Started taking fish oil and tri-flex and I can see the difference in my shoulder for sure!

Close to a miracle drug I'd say.........

[ekcrow]

SNL gold!

[ekcrow]

Excellent 80's reference.

[jellodirt]

Started taking fish oil and tri-flex and I can see the difference in my shoulder for sure!

Close to a miracle drug I'd say.........

I have arthritis in my shoulders and one of my hands and I've found apple cider vinigar to work the best. When it flares up I take about a 1oz shot a day and it clears up completely (takes about a week or so), even the swelling goes away in my hand. That is the closest thing to a miracle drug, and the fastest working (and cheapest) thing I've found. It tastes horrible though and after about a week it's tough to get down.

[Keltron]

what I'm wondering is how many "servings" of fish [certain ones I'm assuming] one would have to eat per week to forgo taking fish oil in supplement form.

[Marius_Ursus]

what I'm wondering is how many "servings" of fish [certain ones I'm assuming] one would have to eat per week to forgo taking fish oil in supplement form.

I think the medical community says to get the "right amount", you're supposed to eat 3 servings of cold-water/fatty/oily fish (tuna, salmon, sardines) week.

As an aside, my favorite part of the salmon is near the belly down by the tail. That's where the most fats are.

[ianfkirby]

what I'm wondering is how many "servings" of fish [certain ones I'm assuming] one would have to eat per week to forgo taking fish oil in supplement form.

Digging this back up, because I love fish and could probably go this route, however I think you'd have to eat it multiple times a day to make up for the concentrated EFA's in the fish oil.

Fish Species and Description (listed, DHA per 100 g, EPA per 100 g,DHA+EPA per 100 g, DHA+EPA per 85 g (3 oz.)
Fish, salmon, Atlantic, farmed, cooked, dry heat 1.457, 0.69, 2.147, 1.825
Fish, salmon, Atlantic, wild, cooked, dry heat 1.429, 0.411, 1.84, 1.564

Here's a link to an extensive list of Omega 3 containing foods


The worst part of eating this much fish would be the significant mercury levels you'd be exposed to, which is a primary reason it is not recommended to consume these fish (salmon, tuna) no more than twice a week, however this is warning for pregnant women and children, FYI.

http://www.healthcastle.com/salmon-s...-mercury.shtml


Read this from Lyle McDonald: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nut...d-mercury.html

list of fish with their mercury concentration (in parts per million for a 3 oz serving) appears in Table 1 below.

Table 1: Mercury Content (parts per million) [B}]per 3 oz. serving [/b] (I usually have like 7 oz of salmon per serv yikes!-IK)
Fish Mercury Content
Salmon (fresh) 0.01
Tilapia 0.01
Sardine 0.02
Crab- I love crab legs ****! 0.06
Canned tuna (light) 0.12
Tuna (canned Albacore) 0.35
Tuna (fresh) 0.38

Source: Levenson CW and Axelrad D. Too much of a good thing? Update on fish consumption and mercury exposure. Nutrition Rev (2006) 64: 139-145.

Lower numbers are better, indicating less mercury per 3 oz serving of fish. On a daily basis, males should stay at the 0.19 level or less; fish higher than this level can be eaten up to twice per week. Females should stay at a level of 0.14 or less for daily consumption and can go up to 0.38 twice per week. Orange roughy, a staple of some dieting bodybuilders, is far in excess of acceptable mercury levels for regular consumption.

Go to the link to see a more complete listing, I just highlighted the selections I view as probably most common among our specific population.

-IK