Flaxseed Oil or Fish Oil

[Zen]

A headline on Slate.Com caught my eye. It wasFlaxseed or Steroids?Why did Marion Jones and Barry Bonds think they were taking flaxseed oil?

Even though I personally find it hard to believe that either of these athletes ever thought they were taking flaxseed oil the reasoning behind it is sound and potentially useful. Sounds like it could help after a crash or even a cold.

[Tuckervill]

There's a big push by folks like Dr. Oz and lots of others to make sure you get enough Omega-3s in the diet. I buy Eggland's Best eggs with omega-3s and I take flaxseed oil capsules, because I don't like fish, either.

You can use actual flaxseed (sprinkle on your cereal or in soups, etc.) but it goes bad really quickly and I wouldn't be able to find it in my town regularly enough.

I'm a believer in omega-3s. I could understand why an athlete might trust their coach and take what is given. I think now, though, any athlete who just takes what is given is just being stupid. Go buy your own flaxseed oil and supplements for heaven's sake!

Karen

[Thorn]

If you use flax seed, you must grind it first. The whole seeds just slip through the system. But, both flax seed oil and ground flax go bad quickly. Shelf life is quoted as just a couple months, at most, with a steady degrade. Keep them all in the fridge. I'm a believer. My morning yogurt gets ground flax seed along with walnuts, dried cherries or blueberries and oats. Since that switch, I feel much better. Of course, it replaced a donut so do I really know it is that good for me?

As for athletes not knowing. Maybe I'm naive, but I can believe it. Suppose your full-time job was working out. How tired would you be during hard periods? Would you take the time to research, buy your own? Or would you trust your coach to do the shopping and just take what they gave you? Coaches become family. You are trusting them to train you into a fantastic athlete, why would you draw the line on "vitamins and supplements"?

OK, with the news of the last couple of years, everyone should be paranoid, but, still, isn't it human nature to trust?

[Resi]

Krill oil is also very good. Check out www.mercola.com

[Zen]

If you use flax seed, you must grind it first. The whole seeds just slip through the system. But, both flax seed oil and ground flax go bad quickly. Shelf life is quoted as just a couple months, at most, with a steady degrade. Keep them all in the fridge. I'm a believer. My morning yogurt gets ground flax seed along with walnuts, dried cherries or blueberries and oats. Since that switch, I feel much better. Of course, it replaced a donut so do I really know it is that good for me?

As for athletes not knowing. Maybe I'm naive, but I can believe it. Suppose your full-time job was working out. How tired would you be during hard periods? Would you take the time to research, buy your own? Or would you trust your coach to do the shopping and just take what they gave you? Coaches become family. You are trusting them to train you into a fantastic athlete, why would you draw the line on "vitamins and supplements"?

OK, with the news of the last couple of years, everyone should be paranoid, but, still, isn't it human nature to trust?

It depends on the human. It depends on education. Given the culture and atmosphere of elite level sports it would take someone who just fell of the turnip truck not to suspect something when their muscles suddenly become huge and performance not just improves but leaps to incredible levels.

The more important point of my post thats getting lost in this tangent are the properties of medium chain triglycerides as anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories. I knew these things were good but I didn't know they had that property. It's just the headline that caught my eye.

[redrhodie]

I'm getting sake maki for lunch. Omega 3s!

[OakLeaf]

the properties of medium chain triglycerides as anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories. I knew these things were good but I didn't know they had that property.

My sister the acupuncture doctor prescribed me Udo's Choice omega 3/6/9 blend for tendinitis, and it really helped. My neighbor takes flaxseed oil for arthritis in her hands with good results, too. Udo's Choice is vegetarian, tastes pretty good really, and every store I know that stocks it keeps it in the fridge, which says to me that it comes in on a reefer truck.

Plus, if I put some on my breakfast cereal, it gives me some healthy fats first thing in the morning besides my usual carb attack. In cold weather I'll often mix PB into hot cereal, but in summer it's cold cereal, soymilk and fresh fruit, which really spikes my blood sugar if I don't add the oil supplement.

[kelownagirl]

So how much omega 3 do you take? I get lost standing in front of the vast array that is available out there.

My current softgels say:

fish oil concentrate
(anchovy, sardine) 1065 mg
omega 3 fatty acid 630mg
EPA 400 mg
DHA 200 mg

I don't really know what all that means or how much to take. I take one a day but it says to take 3 a day...