Which is a better source of your important omega 3 fatty acids? I am asked this question almost everyday. Let’s explore the main differences between them.
Obviously, fish oil is from an animal source, and flax seed oil is from a vegetable source so if you are a vegetarian I guess the decision is easy. But, for those of us that are not strict vegetarians what do we do?
The beneficial components of all omega 3’s are EPA and DHA. Fish oil has both of these components in it naturally occurring. That means that our bodies have to do nothing to make it into a bioavailable nutrient. It is in its usable state naturally and this is a good thing. Flax on the other hand does not have any EPA or DHA in it naturally. Instead, flax must be converted into these fatty acids within our bodies. The studies that I have read do suggest that that conversion does taker place, but my question is in what quantities EPA and DHA are we actually ultimately getting through this biological conversion. I personally don’t see how that can be fully calculated with any accuracy.
I like the fact that when you pick up a bottle of fish oil liquid or soft gels you can look on the label and see exactly how much of these nutrients are contained within. You cannot do the same with flax because it does not contain any EPA and DHA. Therefore unless you are a strict vegetarian I favor fish oil over flax oil for your omega 3 source.
