A 43-year-old member asked:
What's the difference between the omega 3 fatty acids found in flax seed oil and fish oil?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in
Dr. Steven Charlapanswered
Holistic Medicine 39 years experience
Different fats: The fatty acid most commonly found in flax-seed oil is α-linolenic acid (ala, 18 carbons and 3 double bonds). In fish oil, they are eicosapentaenoic acid (epa, 20 carbons and 5 double bonds), docosahexaenoic acid (dha, 22 carbons and 6 double bonds). Ala converts to epa and dha, but in limited amounts. Best to get your epa and dha from actual wild salmon and your ala from flax.
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5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Jan 14, 2019
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