Re: Differences in omega-3? » tensor

Posted by Larry Hoover on November 10, 2003, at 6:28:38

In reply to Differences in omega-3?, posted by tensor on November 10, 2003, at 4:08:21

> Hi all,
>
> i bought a bottle of capsules today containing omega-3, -6 and -9 extracted from lin oil. Is there a difference between this and those found in fish oil?
>
> Thanks,
> /tensor
Yes, there is a substantial difference. They are not equivalent, from a health perspective. If you're looking to get the effects of taking fish oil, you're not going to get the same effect from flax oil. I'm not saying there is no benefit from flax oil, but it's not fish oil.
The omega-3 fatty acid in flax oil is alpha-linolenic acid (ALNA), which is 18 carbons long, and three times desaturated. To form docosahexaenoic acid (the longer of the two omega-3 that people take fish oil to obtain) from that requires five different enzymatic processes; two elongations (two carbons at a time), and three desaturations, to obtain the twenty-two carbon, six times desaturated DHA. The process of conversion of ALNA to DHA is very inefficient, and may be close to zero in males.
For more details, see an earlier post of mine:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030828/msgs/256147.html
Lar

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Differences in omega-3? tensor 11/10/03
Re: Differences in omega-3? » tensor Larry Hoover 11/10/03
Thanks for your info (nm) » Larry Hoover tensor 11/10/03
what is your background? Jai 11/21/03
Re: what is your background? » Jai Larry Hoover 11/21/03
Oh, Lar, what a complicated life we lead Jai 11/21/03
Re: Oh, Lar, what a complicated life we lead » Jai Larry Hoover 11/22/03
thank you, Lar Jai 11/22/03
Redirected to Social: thank you, Lar » Jai Larry Hoover 11/22/03

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