Wellness

[Calgal2too]

My cholestrol is a little high, so my doc is recommending 1000 - 2000 mg per day of flaxseed or fish oil.

I know so little about this stuff. What's the difference? Is one 'easier' to take than the other? That is, does one cause more stomach upset and/or have to be taken under certain circumstances in order to do the most good? Is one more effective, generally speaking?

I don't have a problem taking pill(s). "Better living through chemistry", I always say. It's the 'take this pill with a full glass of water exactly 30 minutes before each meal, while facing south with a flower in your hair' stuff that gets to me.

Thanks very much.

[Teacups]

I take both....they are great for you! I get mine at vitacost.

[gazelle77]

You can find combinations of the two together. Get the best of both worlds that way.

[J Town Girl]

We use to take Fish Oil along with Flaxseed Oil but about a year ago we switched from the Fish to Salmon Oil. I don't find the Salmon Oil to cause that nasty fishy after-taste like the Fish Oil did.

We buy 1000mg soft- gel of Omega-3 Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil from Costco. We take 1 soft- gel in the AM and another one at dinner.

We still take the Flaxseed Oil too.

[Love to Run]

I take both. I put whole flax seeds in my Vitamix smoothie (the seeds have to be ground in order to release the oil). I like using the whole seed for the additional fiber. I take Krill oil instead of the fish oil. Krill oil doesn't cause the ""burp back"" that some people experience from fish oil. Good luck!

[Calgal2too]

Thanks, all.

There's a combination pill? I didn't know that. It's readily available? Sounds like that's the way to go, at least in the beginning.

[Jersey Born]

Hi, Trevoli. I would like to offer two recommendations regarding fish oil: 1. check the source of the fish from the fish oil (as far away from Fukushima, Japan as possible) and 2. make sure the brand you select is molecularly distilled so the mercury content is as low as it can possibly be.

Your body may tolerate one of the oils better than the other, too, so you may want to try one or the other first, rather than both together in a combination, or both type of pills taken together. I actually have a minor allergy to flaxseed, which explains why I felt kind of sick to my stomach when I tried to take flaxseed oil capsules. They just weren't for me.

Garlic and oats are also known to reduce cholesterol. Kyolic makes a nice, odor-free garlic capsule, and oatmeal is also useful.

[wagirl]

And regarding fish oil---make sure you find a brand that has a high amount of EPA and DHA which are the really important things you need every day for it to do any good.. And you need 1000 mg a day of those things. I take EPA-DHA Balance from Jarrow. Got it on Amazon for under $25 for 250 caps. The total amount of epa/dpa for each cap is 600mgs so I take 2 a day with my meals, in the a.m. and in the p.m. And I throw in ground flaxseed in my hot cereal or any baking I do. But remember that whole flaxseed will not digest; you need to buy it ground up or do it yourself.

[rusty523]

Whatever you decide, please make sure to read the label. The EPA and DHA levels should both add up to 740 or more. If under 740, it's useless to take since it really isn't having any affect on your body.

[Julie_23]

Flaxseed is plant-based and has many benefits (might be helpful to google).

Fish oil is exactly that. (Dead) fish are squeezed and the oils marketed. Sadly, not only are oceans being depleted from a marine biology standpoint; but, the toxins that collect in the fish? You're ingesting those toxins. (Yes, some brands claim to be toxin-free. However, sometimes trace levels are still allowed.)

I applaud you for looking into this. It's a great question! Keep googling - there is a lot of information out there.