It is a very popular saying that you become what you eat and it is in fact, in every sense, true. We won’t be wrong to say that leading a good and a healthy life is often just a matter of choice. What you put on your plate makes a lot of difference. In our last article, we told you all about Omega 3 fatty acids and how important they are for maintaining a great health. We also shared with you our best picks on Omega 3 supplements available out there. Today, we want to tell you about a brilliant alternative to fish oils based omega 3 supplements – Flaxseed oil. Yes, flaxseeds too can help you meet your daily requirements of Omega 3 Fatty acids without any kind of fishiness.
What is Omega 3?
Omega 3 is a class of essential fatty acids. A nutrient is called ‘Essential’ when your body cannot produce it and therefore, you need to obtain them from your diet. Before you jump onto the list, let us first help you in understanding Omega 3 fatty acids:
Short and Long Chain Omega 3:
Short Chain: Omega 3 fatty acids having 16 to 18 carbon atoms are called short-chained Omega 3 acids and one of them is ALA or Alpha linolenic acid. It is the only essential Omega 3 fatty acid that is present in the plant kingdom. ALA reduces the risk of cardiac disorders including heart attacks. It also reduces occurrence of coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis, hypertension and even pneumonia.
Long Chain: Omega 3 fatty acids having 18 to 22 carbon atoms are called long-chained Omega 3 acids and most crucial of them are EPA or Eicosapentaenoic acid (20 Carbons) and DHA or Docosahexaenoic acid (22 Carbons). These two acids can be obtained only from marine sources i.e. fishes and some marine algae. Both EPA and DHA exhibit several health benefits.
Omega 6: Omega 6 is another class of essential fatty acids. Ideally, a human should consume Omega 3 and Omega 6 in equal proportions. Linoleic Acid is probably the most talked about Omega 6. It is abundantly present in the plant kingdom and is widely known for its anti-inflammatory properties.
Omega 9: This is a class of omega fatty acids which is not ‘essential’ i.e. your body can produce this naturally. Hence, you need not supplement it. It has several cardiac benefits and also acts a mood enhancer.
Flaxseed, also called as Linseed, contains only the short chain Omega 3 fatty acid – ALA. Flaxseed contains about 56% to 70% ALA as well as Omega 6 and Omega 9 acids. Being a non-marine plant, Flaxseeds do not supply you with ready to use EPA or DHA which are more important long chain Omega 3 fatty acids. ALA is converted within the body to EPA and then to DHA. However, this pathway is not vsery efficient (less than 1 to 5 percent efficient) and therefore, does not give you required the quantities of all essential fatty acids. Hence, if you are a vegetarian then it is recommended that you choose Marine Algae based Omega 3 products. Marine algae contain good concentrations of EPA and DHA. Fishes are probably rich in EPA and DHA because they feed on these algae. The Omega acids from algae are extracted to give you a vegetarian source of EPA and DHA that is potent enough to meet your bodily requirements. So, going for Marine algae based products is a better choice to get Omega 3.
Top 10 Flaxseed or Alsi seed oil and capsules
Best Flaxseed Oils
Flaxseed oil is very unstable at room temperature. It gets oxidized and becomes rancid developing an unpleasant odor. Hence, to get stable edible flaxseed oil, the seeds are cold pressed. The oil is extract in an oxygen free environment. Also, to ensure that you get the maximum benefits, do not go for larger packs. Use smaller packs and finish off the oil shortly after opening the pack.
Best Flaxseed Oil Capsules
As we mentioned earlier, flax seed oil is very unstable and gets rapidly oxidized rendering it unusable. This is why, flax seeds have been supplied for consumption in the form of capsules. This extends the shelf life of the oil and also makes consumption easier.
There is probably not a single health and fitness product that Optimum Nutrition does not manufacture. ON has a fine range of dietary supplements and one of ... BNB is an Indian firm that rolls out numerous plant seeds and edible oils. One such product from BNB is Flax seed or Lin seed oil. The company also processes ... Inlife has a series of dietary supplements and these flax seed oil capsules are one of them. The Inlife products are manufactured in GMP certified facilities ... Allin Exporters has a wide range of plant extracts like rosemary oil, eucalyptus oil, lemon essence, peppermint oil etc. It also has a series of cold pressed ... As the name suggests, this is an Asli or real good quality flax seed oil. The company is exclusively dealing in flax seed products including oil, raw seeds, ... 6thElement is also a leading manufacturer of cold pressed seed oils. It has an impressive range of oils including coconut, sesame, olive, peanut, sunflower and ... HealthAid is a leading UK based firm that manufactures and sells dietary supplements. The company is globally known for its high quality and effective ... Vestige ventured into health and fitness products in the year 2004 and in just a decade become a global brand. The company has a wide range of dietary ... Sattvic Foods is a manufacturer dealing with healthy food alternatives. Right from pumpkin seeds to black rice, the company has an array of healthy foods in ... Sri Sri Ayurveda is an Indian based firm established in 2003. The company is well known for its herbal products and dietary supplement. The company ...
Product Description Editors View Score
Optimum Nutrition Flax Seed Oil Capsules Review and Price List
Excellent
There is probably not a single health and fitness product that Optimum Nutrition does not manufacture. ON has a fine ...
Rs. 1,529
BNB Virgin Lin Seed Oil Review and Price List
Excellent
BNB is an Indian firm that rolls out numerous plant seeds and edible oils. One such product from BNB is Flax seed or ...
Inlife Flax Seed Oil Capsules Review and Price List
Excellent
Inlife has a series of dietary supplements and these flax seed oil capsules are one of them. The Inlife products are ...
Rs. 499
Allin Flax Seed Oil Review and Price List
Good
Allin Exporters has a wide range of plant extracts like rosemary oil, eucalyptus oil, lemon essence, peppermint oil ...
Rs. 315
Asli Flax Seed Oil Review and Price List
Good
As the name suggests, this is an Asli or real good quality flax seed oil. The company is exclusively dealing in flax ...
Rs. 320
6thElement Flax Seed Oil Review and Price List
Good
6thElement is also a leading manufacturer of cold pressed seed oils. It has an impressive range of oils including ...
HealthAid Flax Seed Oil Capsules Review and Price List
Average
HealthAid is a leading UK based firm that manufactures and sells dietary supplements. The company is globally known for ...
Rs. 1,500
Vestige Flax Seed Oil Capsules Review and Price List
Average
Vestige ventured into health and fitness products in the year 2004 and in just a decade become a global brand. The ...
Rs. 605
Sattvic Foods Flax Seed Oil Review and Price List
Sattvic Foods is a manufacturer dealing with healthy food alternatives. Right from pumpkin seeds to black rice, the ...
Rs. 400
Sri Sri Ayurveda Flax Seed Oil Review and Price List
Normal
Sri Sri Ayurveda is an Indian based firm established in 2003. The company is well known for its herbal products and ...
These are the best flax seed oil products we have picked for you. We said these earlier as well that any dietary supplement is not to be relied upon to cure any illness or disorder. These are to be incorporated to keep you healthy so that you do not develop any disorder. Include some amount of exercise in your routine, enjoy a balanced diet and top up your efforts with such reliable supplements and you will be living a healthier life in no time.