# Should I be taking flaxseed oil pills?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-be-taking-flaxseed-oil-pills/576197
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [March 28, 2011, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-be-taking-flaxseed-oil-pills/576197 "2011-03-28T00:47:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2011, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-be-taking-flaxseed-oil-pills/576197/1 "2011-03-28T00:47:28Z")
Should I be taking flaxseed oil pills? What about eating regular flaxseed oil? Or eating flaxseeds? Is there any proven benefit, or is it all just conjecture? [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linseed_oil) says
> [@](#):
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> Although flax seeds contain [lignans](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lignan), a class of [phytoestrogens](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytoestrogen) considered to have [antioxidant](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_antioxidants_in_food) and cancer-preventing properties,[[5]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linseed_oil#cite_note-fcac-4)[[6]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linseed_oil#cite_note-5)[[7]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linseed_oil#cite_note-6) the extracted linseed oil does not contain the lignans found in flax seed,[[5]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linseed_oil#cite_note-fcac-4) and therefore does not have the same antioxidant properties. Some brands of supplement have lignans added during production… Food-grade flaxseed oil is cold pressed, obtained without solvent extraction, and marketed as edible flaxseed oil. Fresh, refrigerated and unprocessed, linseed oil is used as a [nutritional supplement](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutritional_supplement) and is a traditional European ethnic food, highly regarded for its hearty taste. It contains the highest level of the [omega-3 fatty acid](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega-3_fatty_acid) alpha linolenic acid (ALA) among vegetable oils.[[11]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linseed_oil#cite_note-10)
I rarely eat fish, if that matters.
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### Author:  [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2011, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-be-taking-flaxseed-oil-pills/576197/2 "2011-03-28T00:53:32Z")
I never eat seafood. My doctor has recommended that I take one flaxseed oil capsule per diem as a dietary supplement.
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### Author:  [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2011, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-be-taking-flaxseed-oil-pills/576197/3 "2011-03-28T15:15:06Z")
Keep in mind that the conversion of ALA into EPA/DHA is very inefficient unless you’re eating tons of n-6 (which is probably not healthy).
> **[Efficiency of conversion of alpha-linolenic acid to long chain n-3 fatty...](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11844977/)**
>
> Alpha-linolenic acid (18:3n-3) is the major n-3 (omega 3) fatty acid in the human diet. It is derived mainly from terrestrial plant consumption and it has long been thought that its major biochemical role is as the principal precursor for long chain...
> [@](#):
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> Studies generally agree that whole body conversion of 18:3n-3 to 22:6n-3 is below 5% in humans, and depends on the concentration of n-6 fatty acids and long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in the diet.
Also keep in mind that the double bonds in n-3 and n-6 PUFAs render them very susceptible to oxidation. If you decide to take supplements I would make sure they are fresh and stay refrigerated.
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2011, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-be-taking-flaxseed-oil-pills/576197/4 "2011-03-28T15:34:57Z")
Be careful. According to [this one guy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_bonds#Controversies), you can be told you’re getting flaxseed oil, when, in fact, you’re getting something else entirely.
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### Author:  [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2011, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-be-taking-flaxseed-oil-pills/576197/5 "2011-03-28T22:56:54Z")
Personally, I just buy linen and eat that. I’m up to a shirt per week.
Oh, and also the ground flax. You can put it into yogurt, shakes, etc.
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### Author:  [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2011, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-be-taking-flaxseed-oil-pills/576197/6 "2011-03-28T23:07:25Z")
Yeah, refrigerate the flaxseed oil/flax seeds, as they may go rancid fast. (I think all liquid oils go rancid eventually, with canola/veggie/olive lasting longer, so some specialty oils are recommended to be kept in the fridge anyway.) I take flaxseed oil gelcaps or eat ground flax, as I’m a vegetarian.
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### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2011, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-be-taking-flaxseed-oil-pills/576197/7 "2011-03-31T10:16:41Z")
Unless you are a vegetarian, I’d stick with fish oils. They are more properly balanced. If you take them in pill form and keep them in the fridge, you won’t get fishy burps.
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### Author:  [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2011, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-be-taking-flaxseed-oil-pills/576197/8 "2011-03-31T16:47:55Z")
Are the fish oil pills and flaxseed oil providing the same nutrients? I am finding it very difficult to keep up with this stuff to any reliable degree. My dad buys flaxseed oil spread from Whole Foods and smears it on toast. I see huge bags of ground flaxseed at Costco, more than I could use in a year. I will start adding more beneficial products to my diet if need be, but I’m not going to be jumping on bandwagons without good reason. On the other hand, taking a capsule a day isn’t like a major lifestyle change, either.
I heard an interview with a diabetes doctor on NPR a couple of weeks ago who is recommending anti-oxidants to his patients for eyesight retention in diabetics, saying there was mounting good study indications of positive benefits. I’m not diabetic, but I’d hate to get old and decrepit knowing all I had to have done was eat more flaxseed oil when I was younger. I eat a fair amount of antioxidant foods, but probably not enough to matter on a regular basis.
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### Author:  [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2011, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-be-taking-flaxseed-oil-pills/576197/9 "2011-03-31T17:17:08Z")
I take flax for supplemental omega-3, which is what people taking fish oil are looking for. IIRC there are algae-derived omega-3 pills as well, which is where those fish get the omega-3s in the first place. So if you want a vegetarian option that’s “closer” to the fish oil capsules, look for that.
Flaxseed has fiber, too. Otherwise I’m not aware of anything super-special about flax, off the top of my head.
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### Author:  [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2011, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-be-taking-flaxseed-oil-pills/576197/10 "2011-03-31T17:21:47Z")
I started taking fish oil as recommended by my doctor to help reduce cholesterol (I do not eat any fish). I said “what about flaxseed oil?” and she said “well I personally just take the pills that have both flaxseed and fish oil.”
I haven’t had my cholesterol checked since then but I will in a week or two.
When I went to the eye doctor last week for my yearly exam I mentioned I am taking the fish oil (long story but I don’t have the fish + flax pills yet) and his face lit right up. He asked if I was taking them for eye health and I said no, for cholesterol. He said keep taking them because they are great for eye health.
FWIW the bottle I have is “Nature’s Bounty” brand and it says “ORDORLESS” and “PURIFIED TO ELIMINATE MERCURY” and “NO FISH BURPS” right on the bottle. I have never experienced “fish burps” from these.
Oh, and as for flax meal…I keep a 1lb. bag around, in my fridge or freezer. I add it to smoothies if I am making one. My mom adds it to her oatmeal. I got into the habit of having it around when I was “low-carbing.” If nothing else it’s an excellent source of insoluble fiber.
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### Author:  [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2011, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-be-taking-flaxseed-oil-pills/576197/11 "2011-03-31T17:27:03Z")
The blood vessels in the inside back wall of your eye can actually show significant cholesterol deposits! Not clogging your eyes’ blood vessels is good for them. 🙂 They have other eye-related benefits in terms of helping prevent certain other eye diseases.
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### Author:  [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2011, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-be-taking-flaxseed-oil-pills/576197/12 "2011-04-01T02:39:09Z")
I take it because it helps with keratosis pilaris alba\* more than anything I’ve ever tried. It doesn’t clear it up entirely, but it’s much worse if I stop taking flaxseed oil.
\*annoyingly, even in quotes google mostly gives you pictures of kp rubio. kp alba is white bumps, not red.
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### Author:  [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2011, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-be-taking-flaxseed-oil-pills/576197/13 "2011-04-01T04:40:42Z")
Does it help with kp rubio? I have that and haven’t noticed a difference with fish oil, but mine includes a lot of scars.
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### Author:  [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2011, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-be-taking-flaxseed-oil-pills/576197/14 "2011-04-01T04:46:38Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#):
>
> Does it help with kp rubio? I have that and haven’t noticed a difference with fish oil, but mine includes a lot of scars.
☹ According to the people on one of the forums I read, it helps rubio too. They recommend a huge amount of faxseed oil, though, like 5 tsp a day.
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### Author:  [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2011, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-be-taking-flaxseed-oil-pills/576197/15 "2011-04-01T14:55:56Z")
Dr. Kurt Harris recently covered this issue in an excellent post:
[http://www.paleonu.com/panu-weblog/2011/3/30/paleo-20-a-diet-manifesto.html](http://www.paleonu.com/panu-weblog/2011/3/30/paleo-20-a-diet-manifesto.html)
> [@](#):
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> Linoleic acid is an omega 6 fatty acid, a polyunsaturated fat or PUFA. Along with n-3, the other type of PUFA, it is technically an essential fatty acid, but the actual requirement is so small it might be better considered a micronutrient. A hunter-gatherer or Paleolithic human might have had a total PUFA intake of 3% of calories. Modern north americans have a PUFA intake of around 15%, most of it due to n-6. The problem with this is twofold.
>
> 1. **As n-3 and n-6 precursors compete for the same enzyme in the eicosanoid pathway, the excess of n-6 in the diet means that n-3 is outcompeted at the enzyme level. The result is a preponderance of inflammatory molecules. Increased cancer and inflammation are both likely related to this**
>
> 2. **Many are aware that 6:3 ratio is important, so they try to compensate by taking fish oil to balance the 6:3 ratio. This doesn’t really work too well – you can’t realistically eat that much fish, and if you take fish oil supplements, you now exacerbate the second and more important problem with excess n-6, which is your total PUFA intake. High total PUFA, especially including the highly unstable n-3, leads to oxidative damage to your cells. Your arteries, liver and other organs don’t appreciate extra oxidative damage.**
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> The way to correct the modern excess of n-6 or linoleic acid is to avoid the modern sources of it. **Stop eating all temperate vegetable oils – cooking and frying oils like corn, soy, canola, flax, all of it.** And go easy on the nuts and factory chicken. These are big sources of n-6, especially the nuts and nut oils.
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### Author:  [@thelabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelabdude)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2011, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-be-taking-flaxseed-oil-pills/576197/16 "2011-04-01T15:14:23Z")
If you are looking for linoleic acid, corn and soybean oil have over 50%. Flax seed oil only has 16%. What we are seeing is a fine marketing effort now that the paint industry no longer uses much linseed oil. Oh, the coconut oil people have their own marketing program.
Best thing is to keep all the fat down, especially partly hydrogenated fats high in trans fats. Remember how good Crisco used to make hydrogenation sound?