When the body develops an infection, it enlists white blood cells to treat the foreign invaders; this action results in the familiar symptoms of fever and swelling that subside once the infection heals. However, when inflammation continues indefinitely, the inflammatory molecules damage healthy tissue. Research links numerous chronic diseases with inflammation, including diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. Flaxseed oil contains alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 essential fatty acid shown to clear inflammation; however, research remains contradictory as to whether or not flaxseed oil works as well as fish oil to reduce inflammation.
Inflammatory Markers
A July 2006 article published in the "Journal of the American College of Cardiology" directly implicates chronic inflammation with cardiovascular disease. High levels of the inflammatory markers C-reactive protein, interleukin-6 and interleukin-18, and tumor necrosis factor show a relationship with an increased risk of cardiovascular events such as heart disease and heart attack.
Alpha-Linolenic Acid
Flaxseed oil contains alpha-linolenic acid, a plant-derived essential omega-3 fatty acid. The body converts alpha-linolenic acid to the more potent omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, the body's ability to synthesize EPA and DHA from alpha-linolenic acid remains inefficient, which can limit the capacity of flaxseed oil to clear inflammation.
C-Reactive Protein
Flaxseed oil demonstrates the ability to lower inflammatory markers, according to recent research. An April 2003 study conducted by researchers from the General Hospital of Nikea, Greece recruited 76 subjects with high triglyceride levels and elevated inflammatory markers and supplemented them with 15 g of flaxseed oil for three months. At the end of the study period the group that took the flaxseed oil recorded significantly lower levels of C-reactive protein and interleukin-6. The results of this study were published in the journal "Atherosclerosis."
EPA, DHA and ALA Differences
Studies deliver mixed messages as to whether or not flaxseed oil clears inflammation as efficiently as EPA and DHA. Since the richest sources of EPA and DHA occur in fish oils, vegetarians and non-fish eaters may be at a disadvantage. A February 2009 animal study conducted by University of Maryland Baltimore researchers and published in the journal "Cardiovascular Research" found that alpha-linolenic acid did not reduce inflammation. Meanwhile, a human study conducted by U.K. researchers and published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found that non-fish eaters were able to derive 57 to 80 of EPA and DHA from alpha-linolenic acid sources such as flaxseed oil.
References
- Oregon State University: Linus Pauling Institute: Micronutrient Center; Nutrition and Inflammation; Victoria J. Drake, Ph.D. et al.; August 2010
- Journal of the American College of Cardiology: The Effects of Diet on Inflammation; Dario Giugliano, M.D., Ph.D. et al.; July 2006
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Flaxseed Oil; David Zieve, M.D., M.H.A. et al; May 2010
- Atherosclerosis: Dietary Alpha-Linolenic Acid Decreases C-Reactive Protein, Serum Amyloid A and Interleukin-6 in Dyslipidaemic Patients; L.S. Rallidis et al.; April 2003
- Cardiovascular Research: Fish Oil, but not Flaxseed Oil, Decreases Inflammation and Prevents Pressure Overload-Induced Cardiac Dysfunction; M.K. Duda et al.; February 2009
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Dietary Intake and Status of N-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in a Population of Fish-Eating and Non-Fish-Eating Meat-Eaters, Vegetarians, and Vegans and the Product-Precursor Ratio of '-Linolenic Acid to Long-Chain N-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids: Results from the EPIC-Norfolk Cohort; A.A. Welch et al.; November 2010
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