Flaxseed oil - Is it right for me?

[dwise1]

I have been reading a lot lately on the benefits of flaxseed oil, and almost picked some up at Whole Foods the other night. I didn't because I wasn't sure if it was something I needed to reach my goals.

My goals - gain strength and mass. I am currently at 187 and 6'1". I work out three times a week doing compound exercises.

Day 1
bench
row
pull up/chins
shoulder press
dips

Day 2
squat
leg ext
deadlift
lunges
abs

Day 3
repeat

I have a PWO after my workout and consume plenty of protein throughout the day. I try to eat enough fat by having avacado, tuna, etc.

Is flaxseed necessary for someone like me? Please let me know if you need more info on my diet.

Thanks in advance.

[I. Kay]

Flaxseed is a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids. These fats are necessary for good health.

But do you need Flax? No. It is only a good source of the thing you need. You can get omega-3's from fish, walnuts and walnut oil too. It just happens that flax is a relatively available source.

Now as for achieving your goals: including flax in your diet won't directly increase your strength or size. However, because omega-3's are essential for optimal health, then they contribute to providing your body with an optimal "environment" for muscle growth.

[Lost Dog]

Personally, I prefer fish oil to flaxseed oil. It's much cheaper and has the EPA and DHA readily available to the body. Flaxseed oil contains ALA, which must be converted by your body into EPA and DHA.

http://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/research/flax.htm

I do eat a lot of walnuts and walnut oil (for dressing). Walnuts also contain ALA.

I do sometimes use flaxseed meal for baking or sprinkling on cereal or cottage cheese. As a pure supplement, however, I thnk Fish Oil is better.

[eros]

hmm noone here who takes CLA ?
I heard that that was the best fatty acid available ...

[Canadian_Bacon]

eros, whoever said that was probably selling CLA...

Human trials of CLA show nominal effects even at high dosages.

Adequate EPA and DHA intake, however, has been linked to the optimal function of so many bodily processes that it would literally take a book to summarize them.

IMHO CLA is not even in the same league as Omega-3's as far as health benefits and neccisity goes.

[BamaDave]

There has also been info. published about potential toxicity of breakdown products in flaxseed oil during longer-term storage.

Given the expense of flaxseed oil and the possibility that it's not very stable, I plan not to purchase it any longer. It's much cheaper to just buy the seeds. The seeds grind really easily in a cheap coffee grinder. I add them to salmon patties and sometimes to stir-frys.