Are you looking to add more beneficial omega-3 essential fatty acids to your diet? As you probably know, these compounds are important, and can protect your heart from disease and lower inflammation.
They can also keep your brain functioning at optimum levels and may prevent certain cancers as well. However, you may be wondering in what form to take these important essential fatty acids.
After all, you can choose between flaxseed oil and fish oil, and you may not know which one is best. To help you answer this question, let’s examine both in more detail below.
The form in which omega-3 fatty acids are found in these different oils varies and the flaxseed oil v fish oil debate is an interesting one. In flaxseed oil, the omega-3 fatty acids are in the form of alpha-linolenic acids or ALA. To use this compound for fullest effect, your body converts as much as it needs into eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
In contrast, fish oil’s omega-3 fatty acids are in the form of DHA and EPA already, so no conversion is necessary.
If this was the only consideration, then fish oil would be the clear choice. However, fish oil is produced from fish caught in the ocean, and these waters are nearly universally contaminated to some extent.
In fact, the FDA recommends that you limit your fish consumption, as they can contain harmful pollutants which you then ingest into your body. Mercury is the biggest offender, and this toxic substance can wreak havoc in many important biological processes essential for good health.
So, while fish oil is better absorbed by your body, the toxins it could contain are absorbed also. You can take measures to protect yourself from these contaminants, such as buying oil made from fish caught in the cleanest waters available.
Also, it is important to purchase a product which has been filtered. However, these measures aren’t perfect, and a great alternative is to get your daily recommended portion of omega-3 fatty acids from flaxseed oil.
This excellent plant-based product contains no mercury or other harmful products, especially when you select one which made from organic plant sources. It also contains ALA (another essential fatty acid that is not found in fish), is much cheaper, and is a sustainable crop.
Not only does flaxseed oil contain these essential fatty acids needed to keep a healthy cardiovascular system and lower cholesterol levels, it also has a number of other health promoting compounds and nutrients.
For more information about flaxseed oil and flaxseed, what it is good for, and why it is such an amazing, natural health product, check out this site – flaxseedoilbenefits.org
