Flax Oil or Fish Oil ?

There is no doubt that almost all Americans are in need of more fish in
their diet, or a good omega-3 fatty acid supplement. Omega-3 deficiencies
are almost universal in our population, and fish and flax are the two main
sources of this critical nutrient. A balance between omega-6 fats and
omega-3 fats must be maintained for good health and longevity and resistance
to diseases like heart disease, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis,
psoriasis, lupus, MS, migraine, arthritis, Scleroderma, Raynaud's,
depression, cancer, and more.

Yet the American diet is so heavily tilted toward the omega-6 side (due to
processed foods) that dietary changes and an omega-3 supplement are almost
always needed to prevent and treat these kinds of conditions. Unfortunately
fish have been almost universally contaminated with mercury and other heavy
metal toxicity. That leaves much of their flesh an oil with residues that
can actually cause health problems.

Given this phenomenon and the taste of fish oil, flax oil has been and is
an invaluable substitute as a source of omega-3 fatty acids. Unfortunately
the omega-3 fats from fish oil - EPA and DHA - are biologically more potent
than the omega-3 fat called ALA from plant sources like flax. It is
estimated that it can take ten times the omega-3 from flax to equal the
omega-3 from fish for some people who have trouble converting ALA to the
longer-chain omega-3 fats from marine sources.

No one knows how many people have trouble making the ALA conversion. So
given all this, you must judge your results to determine which is the best
oil for you. Since omega-3 fats are best at treating inflammation, this can
be a good barometer for you to use when deciding on an oil.. If your
arthritis, colitis, or other inflammatory syndromes and pains are not
getting better using a tablespoon of flax oil daily, switch to fish or cod
liver oil for 30 days and see if there is any change.

If not, you can resume flax oil with all its convenience and safety. If
you find you get dramatically better using marine source omega-3 oil, it is
time for a switch. Again, because of today's deterioration of the fish
population, you will need to get an oil that has been cleaned up via a
molecular distillation process to remove the mercury and heavy metals. A
good brand that does this is Carlson brand. You can find it at most health
food stores.

For all the reasons given here, I will stick with flax oil as my primary
source of omega-3s. Just keep in mind that some folks have trouble with the
ALA conversion and may do better with fish oil or cod liver oil. There is
no simple way to determine this for yourself except with the old
evidence-based medicine testing- or the proof of the pudding (the oil in
this case) is in the eating.

Infants Are in Critical Need of Omega-3s

There is no doubt in the medical community that omega-3 nutrition is
critical to developing and maintaining a strong immune system. This goes
double for infants. Today a new medical "tradition" has emerged with
infants - two out of three receive antibiotics before the age of one-year!
By age three, this statistic has jumped to three out of four!

This outrageous statistic is due largely to poorly trained physicians with
total lack of knowledge of nutrition and food allergies combined with parent
pressure for drugs for their sick kids. Given the rise in deaths caused by
super bugs like Staphylococcus aureus and others that are now antibiotic
resistant, these statistics are even more frightening.

The truth is that a fever, even a high fever, is not the time to reach for
Tylenol or antibiotics. Rather it is a good thing, revving up the immune
system and building lifetime immunities that medical scientists only dream
vaccines could do. Occasional viral infections with fevers are a normal
right of passage for infants-helping them become stronger adults, with less
allergies and asthma, and a powerful immune system with plenty of natural
resistance and immunity.

Lowering all fevers artificially and treating kids' illnesses with
antibiotics is a bad idea and neither does anything at all to treat the
underlying cause of the problem. If your infants are well nourished, they
will be able to coast through these natural illnesses. Part of their
nourishment needs is a good omega-3 supplement. This is particularly true
since almost all infant formula on the market is devoid of omega-3 fats.

Infants are in dire need of good fats, such as cod liver oil, coconut oil,
whole raw cream, and more. These can and should be added to a traditional
home-made formula that is used in conjunction with breast milk. Infants all
do better without any grains for their first year. That means no infant
cereal or gruel. Instead make whole food yourself, with plenty of
vegetables.

This kind of dietary treatment of infants and kids results in kids that do
not have colic (a medical disease caused primarily by malnutrition). They
will be happier and cry less. They will be stronger and resist infections
and disease. When they do get sick, it will be natural- they'll get sick,
run a fever, and then almost immediately get better. They will resist ear
infections Their teeth will come in strong with little problems. Their
entire dental arch and architecture of their jaw and mouth will be more
proper with plenty of room for all their adult teeth. And although there is
no proof of this - their brain will develop more normally.

How does all this compare with the new medical paradigm of Tylenol
immediately, antibiotics soon thereafter, and the resultant typical kid
years with ear tubes, allergies, and even asthma? It is almost like two
different worlds - I'll take mine. If you need more information abut
natural home-made traditional formula for infants, you can rely on the
Weston A. Price Foundation for solid information. Just log on to
www.westonaprice.org and go to infant feeding.

Source: Health Alert, Volume 20, Issue 3