More on Flax (and alpha linolenic acid)
July 31, 2007
Yesterday I wrote about the differences between fish oil and flaxseed oil (or more specifically the difference between EPA/DHA and ALA). I wanted to add one more note about alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). I commonly get emails from people that state that they don’t supplement with fish oil but instead supplement with flaxseed oil capsules. As you know from my previous entry exchanging fish oil for flax is not an equal trade. It is also very important to realized that these people are wasting a tremendous amount of money. When supplementing your diet with fats capsules are by far the most expensive way to go (because you have to pay for the capsules and the fatty acids). ALA is also readily oxidized (e.g. burned, turned into, etc) to energy. Studies have shown that up to 35% of ALA is immediately oxidized for energy - that’s expensive energy! Adding flaxseed oil and ALA to your diet is a wise choice just don’t use the capsules as it is NOT a very cost effective approach.
If you are looking for the most cost effective supplement approach available check out Your Naked Nutrition Guide as I have a whole chapter on exactly what supplements you need depending on your goals.
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Fish Oil vs. Flaxseed Oil
July 30, 2007
Last week the question came up about the difference between fish oil and flaxseed oil. First here are some basics. The “money” fatty acids in fish oil are EPA/DHA; these are long chain omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids. Flaxseed oil contains the short chain n-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). While these three fatty acids may seem similar because they are all n-3 fatty acids but in fact they function very differently physiologically.
One cannot apply findings such as weight loss, triglyceride lowering, protection from sudden death, improvements in joint function seen with fish oil supplementation to flaxseed or ALA supplementation (or just increased intake). Many will argue (especially those that sell flaxseed oil and flaxseed oil supplements) that ALA can be converted to EPA and then DHA via elongation and desaturation. However this conversion is EXTREMELY poor, especially in men (estimated by some to be as low as 1-2%). The bad news is that the conversion gets even worse the older you get.
ALA does have unique and beneficial effects as well so consuming both EPA/DHA and ALA is recommended. Three good sources of ALA are walnuts, flaxseed/flaxseed oil, and canola oil. Flaxseed oil does not have a pleasant taste so a great option is garlic-chili infused flaxseed oil. It is awesome on salads. You also do not want to heat or cook with flaxseed oil because it is very prone to oxidation.
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The Best Salsa
July 26, 2007
Men’s Fitness magazine rated Emeril’s Original recipe Salsa as their number one choice. I’ve never tried this salsa so I can’t add my person opinion here. I do know that Emeril’s line of foods is notorious for having lots of added sugar (usually in the form of high fructose corn syrup). I hope they didn’t add any sugar here.
Men’s Health magazine rated Walnut Acres Midnight Sun as their number one salsa choice. Again, I haven’t tried this salsa but MH is usually pretty good with these types of recommendations.
I recommend Green Mountain Gringo salsa. The reason I haven’t tried any of the other salsas mentioned is because I’m hooked on Green Mountain Gringo. This salsa is made by a small company in
If you have a favorite salsa, then post your comments below or shoot me an email. I’d love to hear from you.
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