Flaxseed, an herb, and flaxseed oil contain both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, two essential polyunsaturated fatty acids not manufactured by your body. Essential fatty acids must come from foods or supplements. Omega-3 fatty acids have a number of potential health benefits, including a possible reduction in heart disease, lipid levels and atherosclerosis, a buildup of plaque that reduces blood flow inside blood vessels.The omega-3 fatty acids in flaxseed may not equal the benefits from fish oil, the University of Maryland Medical Center website reports.
Alpha-Linolenic Acid
The omega-3 fatty acid in oil, called alpha-linolenic acid, or simply ALA, is one of the oils found in flaxseed. Alpha-linolenic acid comprises 57 percent of the fatty acids in flaxseed, Jane Edwards, Ph.D., of North Dakota State University explains. The other oils in flaxseed include 16 percent omega-6 fatty acid, 18 percent monounsaturated fatty acids and 9 percent saturated fatty acids. The whole flaxseed plant contains 41 percent fat, 20 percent protein and 21 percent dietary fiber, Dr. Edwards says. Flaxseed oil contains around 7 g of ALA per 15 milliliter tsp., the UMMC website reports.
Docosahexaenoic Acid
Alpha-linolenic acid is a precursor to two long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid, also called DHA, and eicosapentaenoic acid, called EPA. These omega-3 fatty acids are also found in fish and fish oil. While ALA can break down into these two compounds, its conversion is inefficient, so larger amounts of flaxseed must be taken to achieve the same effects found in lesser amounts of fish oil, the UMMC website explains. A dose of 7.2 g of flaxseed is equivalent to 1 g of fish oil, the site adds. Women break down ALA into DHA more efficiently than men, with healthy young women converting approximately 9 percent of ALA to DHA and healthy young men converting between 0 and 4 percent of ALA to DHA, the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University reports.
Eicosapentaenoic Acid
Like DHA, ALA converts inefficiently to EPA in your body. In healthy young women, 21 percent of ALA converts to EPA, while healthy young men convert only 8 percent of dietary ALA to EPA, the Linus Pauling Institute explains.
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