| Flaxseed oil capsules aren't a substitute
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2005-08-02
Richard Harkness - KNIGHT RIDDER NEWS SERVICE
How much and what type of omega-3 fatty acid is correct
QUESTION: I was
told that flaxseed oil capsules were just as good as fish oil
capsules because both contain the same omega-3 fatty acids. I take
fish oil capsules to lower my triglycerides, but get a fishy
aftertaste with them. Will switching to flaxseed oil capsules work
OK?
ANSWER: The
quick answer is no. Only fish oil appears to substantially lower
blood levels of triglycerides.
What you were told is a common
misconception. It's true that flaxseed oil and fish oil both contain
omega-3 fatty acids, but there's an important difference between the
two.
Fish oil
contains the preformed omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. Flaxseed oil,
on the other hand, contains the omega-3 fatty acid called
alpha-linolenic acid or ALA for short, which is the precursor of the
omega-3 fatty acids present in fish oil.
The body can
convert the ALA in flaxseed oil to EPA and DHA, but converted amounts
seem to be minimal.
Though flaxseed
oil is thought to be heart-healthy in its own right, you can't count
on it as a substitute for fish oil.
There are two
ways to increase your intake of fish oil omega-3 fatty acids: Eat
fish or take a fish oil supplement.
Your fish menu
could include cold-water fish such as salmon, tuna, mullet, herring,
mackerel, sardine and lake trout.
Research
suggests that fish oil cuts the risk of heart disease and is
heart-protective in those who already have heart disease.
Fish oil's
heart-healthy benefits appear to include lowering the heart rate,
fighting inflammation, reducing blood clot formation and inhibiting
plaque buildup in arteries.
Fish oil at a
daily dose of 3 to 12 grams lowers triglyceride concentrations by 20
percent to 50 percent. Acids present in fish oil should hit pharmacy
shelves soon. Called Omicor, it will be marketed for treating high
triglycerides. The manufacturer also wants it approved for preventing
recurrent heart attacks.
Omicor presents
doctors with a new option for treating patients who have both high
LDL-cholesterol and high triglycerides.
These
individuals often require two drugs, generally a statin drug
(Lipitor, Mevacor, Zocor, Lescol, Pravachol, Crestor) combined with a
triglycerides-lowering drug (Lopid, TriCor, niacin).
But such drug
combinations can boost the risk of a serious muscle-kidney disorder
called rhabdomyolysis. Omicor appears not to carry this risk.
A caution: Fish
oil in daily doses over 3 grams thins the blood. Combining it with
blood-thinning drugs could increase the risk of excessive bleeding.
These include aspirin, NSAIDs (e.g., ibuprofen, naproxen),
clopidogrel (Plavix), dalteparin (Fragmin), enoxaparin (Lovenox), and
warfarin (Coumadin). Blood-thinning supplements include garlic,
ginkgo, phosphatidylserine, and high-dose vitamin E.
Richard Harkness
is a consultant pharmacist and specialist in natural therapies.
E-mail: rharkn@aol.com.
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