Flaxseed oil or Fish oil: Which is better?

Well, who doesn't want a healthy body and a fit mind, but achieving that may seem like a daunting task. No matter how health conscious you are, striking the perfect balance between health and a hectic lifestyle is no less than a challenge and that’s where small changes matter a lot!

Well, if you too can relate to this, then switching your cooking basics can actually help in attaining the pink of health. However, deciding what’s good for your health and well being can be a bit tricky. Of late there has been a fad around the use of fish oil and flaxseed oil as they help in boosting physical as well as mental health. Apart from that, these natural oils have worked wonders in reducing the risk of coronary diseases, blood pressure and what not!

But deciding what’s better can be a bit confusing as both the oils are a great source of omega 3 fatty acids that not only boost your immunity, but at the same time helps in improving overall health. Here’s a low down on these health enriching oils that will help in deciding what’s good for your health?

Flax seeds have turned out to be a fad among health enthusiasts for its umpteen health benefits and the same concentration of nutrients are found in the flaxseed oil, which has contributed to its increasing popularity.

Flaxseed oil is extracted by crushing and pressing the flax seeds by using the cold pressed method. This oil is also known as linseeds oil. Both flaxseeds and its oil are rich in omega-3 fatty acid known as alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). What makes this oil different from other oil variants is that while extracted, it is not heated, thus the nutrients are well preserved. Moreover, the flaxseeds oil has a low smoking point, which makes it great for low heat cooking and needs to be refrigerated to reduce its risk of turning rancid.

Flax seeds oil helps in reducing the bad cholesterol level and the risk of diabetes. Apart from being a great source of antioxidants, the oil has laxative properties and can also reduce inflammation and help with weight loss.

Fish oil has been a popular dietary supplement, but you would be amazed to know that this oil has 3 times more omega 3 fatty acid composition as compared to the flaxseeds oil.

Fish oil is derived from the tissues of cold water fatty sea fishes like salmon, sardines, tuna to name a few. But what makes this oil a powerhouse of health-enriching fatty acids is the presence of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), these are two types of omega 3 fatty acids that help in boosting immunity as well as remarkably improving your heart health by reducing the triglyceride level. Apart from that, fish oil also helps in improving cognitive skills and brain power along with reducing the risk of strokes and blood pressure related ailments.

Weight loss

Much like flaxseeds, its oil has good laxative effects that help in flushing out toxins from the body easily. Apart from that, flax oil has a good amount of fiber, which helps in improving digestion and lubricates the colon. The regular elimination of toxins from the body helps in improving metabolism and leads to weight loss.

On the other hand, studies have observed that fish oil helps in improving metabolism and fat oxidation, which further helps in burning calories. Fish oil also makes you feel satiated, which helps in weight loss.

Both fish and flaxseed oil are great for heart health, but fish oil remarkably improves cardiovascular health as it contains a combination of two different types of omega 3 fatty acids like EPA and DHA whereas flaxseed oil has just one type of omega 3 fatty acid, ALA. This further helps in reducing the bad cholesterol level by reducing the triglycerides, which also helps in reducing the blood sugar level in the body.

Omega 3 fatty acids help in improving mental health and cognitive skills. In this context also fish oil is a better option and this is due to the presence of DHA, which helps in improving cognitive skills and responses. Moreover, the presence of EPA helps in relieving stress and relaxing the nerves, which improves certain brain functions.

Whereas flaxseeds oil is also a good source of omega 3 fatty acids, but when compared to fish oil it has less brain boosting properties. However, the antiinflammatory properties of flaxseeds oil may help in improving the mood conditions in Biploar disorders and ADHD.