We all agree that an about equal ratio of n-6:n-3 is necessary and both in combination are essential to health. But is there any health reason to take EXTRA n-3 (or n-6 for that matter) such as flax? When factor in how easily oxidized polys are… why not stick to fish?
Sorry if this has been answered somewhere in the past.
-Zulu
I agree Zulu-I stick to fish and fish oil.
I don’t think that Flax is all that great in comparison to Fish Oil. It seems more natural to me as well. I don’t think our ancestors consumed large amounts of Flax seed, do you? Yet, fish was consumed almost daily as it was plentiful and relatively easy to catch compared to wild game.
Furthermore, I would like to add that there were two Harvard studies of American men done in 1993. The men with the highest dietary consumption of ALA (the fatty acid in Flax seed) had a 3.43-fold higher risk of advanced prostate cancer than those with the lowest consumption!
Since then, two studies from other parts of the world linked high dietary ALA with prostate cancer, and two others found a link between blood ALA levels and prostate cancer.
These studies may prove to be inaccurate over time, who knows? But, I like my health food supplements to come without baggage!
Sheesh, why didn’t you guys jump into my “fish oil alone for a good o-3:o-6 ratio?” thread?