Comparison Of Fish Oil With Flaxseed Oil![]() AS OF APRIL 18, 2018 WE ARE NO LONGER RECOMMENDING FISH OIL AS A LARGE NIH STUDY HAS SHOWN THEM TO BE OF ABSOLUTELY NO BENEFIT AT ALL.
YOU MAY HAVE A LOOK AT THE NOTES BELOW WHICH WERE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS PRIOR TO APRIL. Fish oils and fatty fish — such as salmon, tuna and sardines — are excellent food sources of omega-3 fats essential to brain and eye health. Fish fat contains the "long chain" omega-3s (EPA and DHA), which are the omega-3 fats the body needs for vital functions, including eyesight. In contrast, the "short chain" ALA omega-3 fat found in plant foods such as flaxseeds must be converted to EPA and DHA in the body for beneficial eye effects. When you eat plant foods, your body converts only about 5 percent of dietary ALA into essential EPA and DHA. Also, most peoples diets are too high in omega-6 fatty acids — an imbalance that further reduces the amount of ALA from plant foods that gets converted to EPA and DHA. This imbalance also blunts the benefits of EPA and DHA omega-3s obtained directly from fish and fish oil. A more enjoyable way to obtain fish oil benefits is by eating grilled cold-water fish at least three times a week. Good sources of EPA and DHA omega-3s are salmon, sablefish, tuna and halibut. Because fish oil contains natural EPA and DHA omega-3s (that don't have to be converted from ALA), many nutrition experts recommend fish oil over flaxseed oil. As with any nutritional supplement, it's a good idea to consult with your family physician or eye doctorbefore taking significant quantities of flaxseed oil or fish oil for dry eyes. This is particularly true if you take any prescription or non-prescription medicines, as adverse drug interactions can occur. Be especially careful if you take blood thinners (even aspirin), as both flaxseed oil and fish oil can increase the risk of bleeding and reduce blood clotting when used along with these medications. Long-term use of fish oil may cause a vitamin E deficiency in some individuals. Therefore, it's a good idea to look for fish oil supplements that also contain vitamin E, or take a multiple vitamin that contains this vitamin if you take fish oil supplements for dry eyes The nutritional value of flaxseed oil is easily destroyed by light, heat and oxygen. When purchasing liquid flaxseed oil, look for a cold-pressed variety and keep it refrigerated. As an alternative to flaxseed oil, you can get the same omega-3s by grinding whole flax seeds in a coffee grinder and sprinkling the ground seeds over a salad, adding them to a smoothie or mixing them in fruit juice. If you choose this option, be sure to use the seeds immediately after grinding them to get the full omega-3 benefits |
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