Is there any significant difference? Should one be used over the other? Both together? Thank you.
Flaxseed oil provides ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) while fish oil provides EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), which are more researched. The problem with ALA is that it must be converted by our body into EPA and DHA, and this conversion doesn’t always work, since the enzymes that are needed are sometimes very limited.So overall, I think fish oil is a better source of Omega 3.
ala is converted into epa and epa is converted into dha. theres a theory that taking preformed dha will mean the body downregulates the conversion of epa to dha and then the unconverted epa begins to build up in the tissues and can cause health problems. possibly taking preformed dha with a low ala diet can counter this.
also, although some studies indicate humans have a low conversion rate of ala to dha theres a lot of other factors contributing to that. taking a lot of omega 6 will reduce conversion of ala to dha. taking preformed dha will probably also reduce the conversion. b1, b3, magnesium and zinc are also important cofactors in the conversion of ala to dha so these need to be present in the diet for reliable conversion.
ultimately, like a lot of things, a healthy diet with a good omega 3:6 ratio and youre good. boring answer but whatever.
Not even close. The ala from flax/plant omega 3s is poorly converted into EPA/DHA, which fish oil straight up provides, ready to use.
Also,
Flaxseed is the richest dietary source of lignans, a type of phytoestrogen.