Question: What's your opinion on the best source for EFAs?
What's your opinion on the best source for EFAs? Wouldn't plant based oil (flax) be better than the fish oils?
Hal - About.com User
Answer: In my opinion, the best source of omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs)would be oily cold water ocean fish. Fish oil contains docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) which are the forms of omega-3 EFAs that our body uses.
Flax, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, soy and canola oil are all good sources of linolenic acid. Linolenic acid is an omega-3 essential fatty acid that our bodies will convert to DHA and EPA.
Of the plant sources, flax is the best because it contains the highest ratio of omega-3 EFAs to omega-6 EFAs. Canola is the best oil for cooking and still contains a significant amount of omega-3 EFAs.
Many people prefer to avoid fish due to the potential for mercury. This is especially true for pregnant women. In cases like this, I would suggest a high quality EPA-DHA product like Coromega which you can take as a supplement.
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