Flaxseed Benefits - Whole Flaxseed, Ground Flaxseed and Fish Oil

Question:

Flaxseed Benefits. I currently purchase whole flaxseed, grind it up and put it in almost every meal. Should I take fish oil supplements also in order to get the necessary omega 3.

Is one better than the other? Should I continue to eat the ground flaxseed and also get the fish oil supplements?

By Baseball mom Answer:

Flaxseed Benefits. Baseball Mom, there are several things to take in consideration:

1-When you grind the flaxseeds it gets in contact with oxygen. Unless you eat it right away, the oxygen attacks the ALA available and you end up taking something that won’t benefit you for the omega 3. So, if you are going to take it, you better grind it yourself.

2- The ALA in the flaxseeds have to be converted by the body into EPA and DHA, in order to be active as Omega 3. This conversion is very inefficient, maybe 10% of the flaxseeds.

3- The minimum omega 3 I recommend is 3 grams/ day. The ideal should be around 6-9 grams, depending on the purpose. For example, if you have high triglycerides probably you will need more that if you are young and want to maintain your body in good shape.

4-Remember that the omega 3 available to your cells depends on the omega 6 you have in your body since they fight for the same enzymes. If you eat a lot of things cooked in vegetable oils, grains and sugars, you will have less enzymes available to use your omega 3. You should limit the omega 6 in order to get enough omega 3.

Flaxseeds has Alpha Linolenic Acid, ALA, which is a precursor of EPA and DHA, the ultimate acids our body use. In order to do that, the body employs enzymes that convert ALA to EPA and DHA. Some people lack these enzymes and do not make the conversion.

Besides, even normal people only get about 10% rate of conversion from ALA to EPA and DHA. In other words, even if you make the conversion from ALA it may be difficult to get proper dosage of EPA and DHA to get most of the benefits of omega 3. On top of all that, studies link flaxseeds to increase rates of prostate cancer.

More info at Benefits of Fish Oil Supplements Best wishes,

Alfredo E.

Would you seriously like to slow down the ageing process... whilst at thesame time enjoying vibrant health? The technology to achieve this is nowavailable to us all... and, it's relatively inexpensive, and simple. If youwould like to learn more about this we recommend that you take a 10 minute tour.Please clickhere for more information.

Related Pages:

• Flax Seed Side Effects and Benefits
  
• Omega 3 Supplements vs Fish vs Flaxseeds
  
• Flaxseed Benefits: Whole Flaxseed, Ground Flaxseed and Fish Oil
  
• Flaxseeds: Confused About Fish OIl Or Flax Seed
  
• Flaxseed Oil Capsules vs Omega 3 6