Omega-3 fatty acids are “essential” nutrients for prevention and treatment of a wide variety of conditions, from attention deficit disorder to poor night vision, heart disease and arthritis to depression and Alzheimer's.
Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are vital to optimal human health and can only be obtained by ingestion either from the diet or from supplements. There are two families of essential fatty acids, the omega-6 family obtained readily from grass-fed ruminants (beef, lamb etc), free range poultry, eggs, whole grains, most vegetable oils and evening primrose seed oil supplements. The Omega-3 family of essential fatty acids are found primarily in oily fish and fish and flax seed oil supplements, though it is also found in very small amounts in grass-fed ruminants, walnuts and canola oil.
Fish oil or Flax seed oil — which source is healthier?
The answer is not so much which is healthier, but which is more beneficial for your needs. Whilst flax seeds do have various health benefits, and they do contain significant amounts of the omega-3 fat alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the fact is that flax seed oil is a very poor supplemental form when compared to fish oil, if it's the health benefits of omega-3 you're looking for.
The long and the short of omega-3 fatty acids
The head of the omega-3 family is a short-chain fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), used primarily as a source of energy and some is also used by the body to produce EPA and DHA. Other more medicinally beneficial family members include the long-chain fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), antiinflammatory and heart friendly, and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for healthy brain, nerve and eye function. Almost all of the touted medicinal benefits of omega-3 are attributed to the EPA and DHA long-chain fatty acids.
Fish eat large volumes of microalgae rich in these long-chain fatty acids, so fish oil becomes a concentrated source giving direct EPA and DHA benefit. Flax seed oil contains only ALA, that once ingested must run the gauntlet of the omega-3 metabolic cascade.
So, you might say, flax is still good because the body can make EPA and DHA from the ALA. Whilst that's true, humans are very inefficient at doing so. Even in an optimally healthy individual, less than 4% of the ALA ever becomes EPA and unknown, but by comparison very small, amounts ever become DHA. This metabolic process can be further reduced or inhibited by many different factors, including age, genetic factors, certain medications, smoking, enzyme deficiencies and dietary deficiencies including zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6.
Even with all these factors declaring fish oil the very best omega-3 supplementation currently available, some will argue that fish are contaminated so flax seed oil remains the safest choice. Again, it is true that much of the planets fish supply is contaminated with heavy metals and pollutants, that's why the quality of the fish oil supplement you buy is so important. Choose a brand you can trust, one that offers you an advanced absorbent technology processed or molecularly distilled fish oil made from the body of small, wild, deep, clean water fish. Many nutritional researchers have now declared that high quality fish oil supplements are by far the safest way to obtain your daily allowance of omega-3 long-chain fatty acids, especially for the young, the elderly and for pregnant or breast feeding women.
Whilst freshly ground flax seeds are a healthy addition to the diet, in flax seed oil the most beneficial ingredients — the lignans, protein and fibre, have been removed. There are concerns about the freshness or rancidity of some flax seed oil products and recent research now suggests that increased intakes of ALA may be implicated in increasing the risk of advanced prostate cancer. In contrast, EPA and DHA (and high lignan) containing products may help reduce the risk of total and advanced prostate cancer1.
Reduce inflammation, nourish your heart and feed your brain with fish oil
Many experts now agree that concentrated fish oil supplements, of the highest quality, are by far the best option for getting your daily serving of essential, health promoting omega-3 EPA and DHA.
1. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 80, No. 1, 204-216, July 2004
(Originally published in Health & Herbal News Magazine Volume 17, Issue 2)