Fish Oil and Omega 3 Health Benefits

Getting To Know The Better Omega 3 Oils

The 1980s saw the astronomical rise in the popularity of flaxseed oil – then touted as the safest, most effective source of omega 3 fatty acids. But have you ever wondered just how much of these claims are actually true?

Want to know the real score? Well, you might feel deceived but most of the things you hear about flaxseed oil are not backed up by scientific evidence. At best, all the information that you see circulating around is just plain, sly marketing tactic. They are devised with one aim in mind, and that is to make a profit.

Flaxseed oil manufacturers are a clever lot. They have expertly hidden the negative health aspects of their product and nearly succeeded in doing so. As a result, they have created multiple misconceptions that only get repeated by well meaning health writers and supplement retailers.

Okay, let’s try to shed some light into these half-truths about flaxseed oil.

First, manufacturers claim that flaxseed oil is an abundant plant source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a precursor of EPA and DHA. Well, it’s true. However, what the manufacturers failed to say is that the ALA needs to undergo a very complex conversion process in the body to be able to produce EPA and DHA. And just so you know, it is EPA and DHA that has some very important roles to play in keeping your body healthy.

And here’s some more - I will bet my bottom dollar that manufacturers and retailers of flaxseed oil don’t tell you that only about 0.05% of this ALA can even be converted into EPA and DHA. And that’s if your digestive tract is in perfect condition. However, most Americans don’t have it. Given this reality, how can flaxseed oil even make a tiny positive effect in keeping you healthy?

So, is there a better choice? Listen to what the scientists have to say.

In one study, flaxseed oil (promoted as an anti-inflammatory supplement) was shown to be far less effective in treating inflammation than omega 3 fish oils. Worse, it was even shown to increase the severity of inflammation!

A second study found that while omega 3 fish oils decreased the risk of prostate cancer, flaxseed oil actually increased the risk of such. And a third study pointed out that lignans, found abundantly in flaxseed oil, increased the risk of uterine fibroids. You can find all the details of these studies in the prestigious American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

On the other hand, most of the “studies” on flaxseed oil are merely anecdotal or have only been small test tube and animal studies. There have been no long-term, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, peer-reviewed human studies that found any nutritional benefits for flaxseed oil.

So, if I were you, I wouldn’t take any chances with flaxseed oil. Go for a high quality fish oil supplement with all 8 omega 3s instead. For best results, choose one that uses wild salmon from the cold, clean waters of the North Atlantic. Try Salmon Oil Plus, the only fish oil supplement I recommend. It’s clearly the only choice for me and my family. Make it yours, too!

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