Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Fish Oil V. Flax Seed Oil

foodiegurl

Recommended Posts

foodiegurl Collaborator
foodiegurl
Posted

First, I find it interesting that before I was diagnosed I have low cholesterol, and then I get better and it is high. Though I did have it high before as well, and it runs in my family.

My doctor suggested taking fish oil. If you read my other thread you will see I am debating going back to meat, but taking fish oil still grosses me out...especially taking farm-raised fish oil with concentrated levels of mercury, etc... I know there are some brands at Whole Foods that are from Alaskan fish, but wow these are not cheap! So my question is....can I still get the benefits from taking flax seed oil?

Does anyone take flax seed oil for high cholesterol? And is it helping?

Thanks!

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted

I am a great flax seed oil fan. Firstly, I despise fish oil, and secondly, the flax seed oil mixes readily into my morning yogurt and I don't even know it's there. I guess I have an aversion to fish oil from all that enforced cod liver oil as a kid :P I can notice the difference in my body when I am not taking the flax seed oil (and in my joints). I also use flax seed meal in baking, especially in whole grain loaves.

But since I have not had my cholesterol tested in ages I have no idea where I am at (they express the readings in metric down here which mean nothing to me :o ) So I am going to have them tested when I can back stateside in June.

rdunbar Explorer
rdunbar
Posted

I use a coffee grinder to grind flax seed and sprinkle it all over my salads and greens; it's not only yummy but the oils get released freshly by the grinder as I understand it. give it a try, you'll love it!!

ciavyn Contributor
ciavyn
Posted

AGH! I just started fish oil caplets to prevent high cholesterol (I don't currently have an issue, but I do like a bit of junk food, so I'm doing it for preventative measure). What is the deal with the mercury and such??

jackay Enthusiast
jackay
Posted

First, I find it interesting that before I was diagnosed I have low cholesterol, and then I get better and it is high. Though I did have it high before as well, and it runs in my family.

My doctor suggested taking fish oil. If you read my other thread you will see I am debating going back to meat, but taking fish oil still grosses me out...especially taking farm-raised fish oil with concentrated levels of mercury, etc... I know there are some brands at Whole Foods that are from Alaskan fish, but wow these are not cheap! So my question is....can I still get the benefits from taking flax seed oil?

Does anyone take flax seed oil for high cholesterol? And is it helping?

Thanks!

I was seeing a naturopath who had me taking so much flax seed oil and I kept getting sicker and sicker. I found out I was intolerant to it. Hopefully after eliminating it for a length of time, I'll be able to tolerate small amounts again.

jerseyangel Proficient
jerseyangel
Posted

I recently lowered my total cholesterol by 98 points in about 9 months by using freshly ground flaxseed, switching my calcium supplement to Citracal Heart Health with phytosterols, exercise, and sticking to low and non fat dairy.

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

Fish oil performs better than flax seed oil in cholesterol and cardiovascular health studies. This is because fish oil has the EPA and DHA, whereas flax seed has a precursor that your body may not convert to EPA or DHA efficiently depending on the amount of omega-6 in your diet. Flax seed rather rather than oil has worked to lower cholesterol and improve lipid balance in some studies; it may be partly a fiber effect. I take an enteric coated concentrated fish oil softgel that doesn't give any aftertaste.

The deal with the mercury is the same issue with eating tuna and other large, deepwater fish. Most brands treat their fish oil to remove any mercury but there is a recent lawsuit that has drawn attention to to the possibility of PCB contamination in the oils. If you're really worried, you can buy a report from Consumerlab.

Let's see if the ad filter lets these articles on fish vs. flaxseed through.

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


WheatChef Apprentice
WheatChef
Posted

Open Original Shared Link regarding the relative conversion rates of Alpha-Linolenic Acid (found in flaxseed) into EicosaPentaenoic Acid and DocosaHexaenoic Acid (found in fish oil). As you can see the conversion rate is severely low (under 4% for DHA) and this conversion rate goes even lower when dealing with a diet abundantly rich in omega-6's (n-6).

The dietary benefit of omega-3's is largely from DHA and EPA not ALA. Flaxseeds are still a health food as the seeds themselves contain lignans which have a number of benefits on the human body. These however are not found in the processed flaxseed oil extracts.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. cristiana
      - cristiana replied to KathyR37's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      4

      New here

      Hi @KathyR37 and a very warm welcome here. I am so very sorry that you are going through all of this. I just wanted to check, have you ever been tested for any other gastrointestinal conditions? Cristiana
    2. trents
      - trents replied to KathyR37's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      4

      New here

      @KathyR37, I would suspect that in addition to gluten intolerance, you have other food intolerances/sensitivities. This is very common in the celiac community. The most common offenders are oats, dairy, soy, corn and eggs with dairy and oats being the big two. Have you considered this? Have you tried keeping a food diary to detect patterns?
    3. Theresa2407
      - Theresa2407 replied to Theresa2407's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      2

      Probiotics

      thank you for your advice. I have always taken them and I use Stonehedge because they are in a glass bottle, but don't have to be refrigerated. I also like they are 3rd party tested and state gluten free. But you never know if something better has come alone over the years.
    4. KathyR37
      - KathyR37 replied to KathyR37's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      4

      New here

      Thank you for your response. I have already learned about the info you sent but i appreciate your effort. I am the only one in my family cursed by this disease. I have to cook for them too. I make sure that my utensils are free of gluten and clean after using them for other food. I use non-porous pots and pans and gloves when cooking for them. One huge problem...
    5. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to KathyR37's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      4

      New here

      What you've described—the severe weight loss, the cycle of medications making things worse, and the profound fear of eating before leaving the house—is a heavy burden to carry for 15 years. It is absolutely not your fault. While everyone's journey with celiac is different, the struggles with the learning curve, social isolation, and dietary grief are fee...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,814
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    ColbyBowlin
    Newest Member
    ColbyBowlin
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • cristiana
      New here

      By cristiana · Posted

      Hi @KathyR37 and a very warm welcome here.  I am so very sorry that you are going through all of this. I just wanted to check, have you ever been tested for any other gastrointestinal conditions? Cristiana  
    • trents
      New here

      By trents · Posted

      @KathyR37, I would suspect that in addition to gluten intolerance, you have other food intolerances/sensitivities. This is very common in the celiac community. The most common offenders are oats, dairy, soy, corn and eggs with dairy and oats being the big two. Have you considered this? Have you tried keeping a food diary to detect patterns?
    • Theresa2407
      Probiotics

      By Theresa2407 · Posted

      thank you for your advice.   I have always taken them and I use Stonehedge because they are in a glass bottle, but don't have to be refrigerated.  I also like they are 3rd party tested and state gluten free. But you never know if something better has come alone over the years.
    • KathyR37
      New here

      By KathyR37 · Posted

      Thank you for your response. I have already learned about the info you sent but i appreciate your effort. I am the only one in my family cursed by this disease. I have to cook for them too. I make sure that my utensils are free of gluten and clean after using them for other food. I use non-porous pots and pans and  gloves when cooking for them. One huge problem I have is a gag reflex out of this world and if something doesn't taste good it is not going down. Most commercially made breads and such taste like old cardboard.Pastas are about the same. I did find one flour that I like and use it regularly, but it is so expensive! All gluten free food is way more expensive. I only eat twice a day because I cannot afford to buy all that. We live on a very low income so my food purchases are quite limited.
    • Scott Adams
      New here

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      What you've described—the severe weight loss, the cycle of medications making things worse, and the profound fear of eating before leaving the house—is a heavy burden to carry for 15 years. It is absolutely not your fault. While everyone's journey with celiac is different, the struggles with the learning curve, social isolation, and dietary grief are feelings many in the community know all too well. Your question about whether you should just eat what you want and manage the symptoms is a heartbreaking one, born from years of frustration. It's crucial to know that the diarrhea is a sign of ongoing damage to your small intestine from gluten, and simply managing the symptom with Imodium doesn't stop that internal harm or the risk of other complications. The fact that you are still getting sick within an hour of eating, even while trying to be gluten-free, is a huge red flag that something isn't right. This could be due to cross-contamination in your kitchen (e.g., using a shared toaster, colander, or condiment jars), hidden gluten in foods, or the possibility of another concurrent condition like refractory celiac disease. Don't give up!  This article has some detailed information on how to be 100% gluten-free, so it may be helpful (be sure to also read the comments section.):    
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.