What kind of omega 3 is in flaxseed

But you'd need to eat more than a pound of farmed catfish to get that much fish oil. Or 12 ounces of light tuna canned in water. There's also mercury contamination to think about. Mercury accumulates in the food chain, so some of the heaviest concentrations are found in long-lived predatory species that are also some of the most desirable from the standpoint of fish-oil consumption. The health benefits of fish oil are believed to derive principally from two omega-3 fats, eicosapentaenoic acid EPA and docosahexaenoic acid DHA.

Flaxseed oil contains a third, plant-based omega-3, alpha-linolenic acid ALA. Other foods especially walnuts and oils canola and soybean, for example contain ALA. But at about 7 grams per tablespoon, flaxseed oil is by far the richest source.

That's still more than the mg of EPA and DHA in many 1-gram fish oil capsules, but far less than what the 7 grams listed on the label might imply. Flaxseed oil will give your diet a nice little omega-3 boost in the form of alpha-linolenic acid.

You might try adding flaxseed oil to your salad dressing. But flaxseed oils a backup, not a substitute, for the omega-3s in fish and fish oil because of the conversion factor. If you're in need of omega-3s but are concerned about mercury, salmon, pollock, and catfish are all low in mercury. And canned light tuna tends to be lower in mercury than albacore "white" tuna. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content.

Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician. A Parkview dietitian offers tools for identifying true and false hunger and how to begin nourishing your body. Return to Parkview Dashboard Blog.

Can flaxseed offer enough omega-3s for your heart? What are omega-3 fatty acids? What are the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids? What is flaxseed? How can flaxseed be added to your diet?

How much flaxseed should you eat? Helpful resources Healthline: What are omega-3 fatty acids? Related Blog Posts. Like any oil, flaxseed oil may turn rancid if it is not refrigerated. Flaxseed oil requires special packaging because it is easily destroyed by heat, light, and oxygen.

The highest quality flaxseed products are made using fresh pressed seeds, bottled in dark containers, and processed at low temperatures in the absence of light, extreme heat, or oxygen. Be sure to buy flaxseed oil supplements made by reputable companies who certify their products are free of heavy metals, such as lead and mercury. The dose depends on how much fatty acids you get in your diet and which condition you are taking flaxseed oil for.

There is no recommended dose for flaxseed oil. The best dose for you depends on a number of factors and should be determined in consultation with your doctor. Flaxseed oil is often used in a liquid form, which contains approximately 7 grams of ALA per 15 mL 1 tbsp , and contains about calories. Because of the potential for side effects and interactions with medications, you should take dietary supplements only under the supervision of a knowledgeable health care provider.

Flaxseed may slow down the absorption of oral medications or other nutrients if taken at the same time. Try to avoid taking flaxseed at the same time as medications and other supplements. Although studies have found that eating fish which contains the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA regularly may reduce the risk of macular degeneration, a recent study including 2 large groups of men and women found that diets rich in ALA may substantially increase the risk of this eye disease.

More research is needed. Fish and fish oil may protect against prostate cancer. But ALA may be associated with increased risk of prostate cancer in men. If you are being treated with any of the following medications, you should not use flaxseed oil alpha-linolenic acid or ALA or other omega-3 fatty acids without talking to your doctor first.

Blood-thinning medications anticoagulants : Omega-3 fatty acids may strengthen the effects of blood-thinning medications, including aspirin, warfarin Coumadin , and clopedigrel Plavix. While the combination of aspirin and omega-3 fatty acids may help treat heart disease, they should not be taken together without the supervision of a doctor. Blood sugar-lowering medications: Taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements may increase fasting blood sugar levels, which may increase your need for the medications.

Use omega-3 fatty acid supplements with caution if you take medicines to lower your blood sugar, such as:. Cyclosporine: Taking omega-3 fatty acids during cyclosporine Sandimmune therapy may reduce the toxic side effects associated with this medication in transplant patients, such as high blood pressure and kidney damage.

Etretinate and topical steroids: Adding omega-3 fatty acids specifically EPA to the drug therapy etretinate Tegison and topical corticosteroids may improve symptoms of psoriasis. Cholesterol-lowering medications: Increasing the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in your diet may help a group of cholesterol lowering medications known as statins work more effectively.

These statins include:. More research is needed to see whether omega-3 fatty acids would have the same effects in people. Flaxseed - a miraculous defense against some critical maladies. Pak J Pharm Sci. Angerer P, von Schacky C.

Curr Opin Lipidol. Effects of omega-3 fatty acids on serum markers of cardiovascular disease risk: A systematic review. Flaxseed oil and fish-oil capsule consumption alters human red blood cell n-3 fatty acid composition: a multiple-dosing trial comparing 2 sources of n-3 fatty acid.

Am J Clin Nutr. Flaxseed oil supplementation increases plasma F1-phytoprostanes in healthy men. J Nutr. Experimental and clinical research findings on the cardiovascular benefits of consuming flaxseed. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab.

Bays HE. Safety considerations with omega-3 Fatty Acid therapy. Am J Cardiol. Polyunsaturated fatty acids and inflammatory bowel disease.

Boelsma E, Hendriks HF. Roza L. Nutritional skin care: health effects of micronutrients and fatty acids. An adaptogenic role for omega-3 fatty acids in stress; a randomised placebo controlled double blind intervention study pilot ISRCTN Nutr J. Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Evaluation of the antihyperlipidemic properties of dietary supplements. Prospective study of dietary fat and the risk of age-related macular degeneration.

Intervention with flaxseed and borage oil supplements modulates skin condition in women. Br J Nutr. Comparison of omega-3 fatty acids and sulfasalazine in ulcerative colitis. Fish oil, but not flaxseed oil, decreases inflammation and prevents pressure overload-induced cardiac dysfunction. Cardiovasc Res. Fatty fish consumption and ischemic heart disease mortality in older adults: The cardiovascular heart study. Presented at the American Heart Association's 41st annual conference on cardiovascular disease epidemiology and prevention.

A placebo controlled trial of omega-3 fatty acid ethyl eicosapentaenoic acid supplementation for residual symptoms and cognitive impairment in schizophrenia.