[Happy2balive]

I have read a lot of good things about omega 3's but I don't understand so much the different kinds. I have been taking fish oil supplements for a number of years now and have just recently added flaxseed meal to my morning smoothie. Do I need both or do they basically do the same thing? Also, is it OK to take both or is that overkill?

[kLen]

Both flaxseed and fish oil contain essential omega-3 fatty acids; however, fish oil contains two fatty acids: docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, and eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA. Flaxseed oil capsules contain alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA. "Essential" means that these fatty acids must come from your diet; your body can't make them. The benefits of DHA and EPA have been better established than those of flaxseed oil. Your body can break down ALA into DHA and EPA, but it does so inefficiently.

[joypulv]

The research into the nutrition of beneficial oils can boggle the mind.
I read recently that flaxseed oil is poorly absorbed the older you get.
And so on...
Personally I might consider 3 oils but more than 2 tablespoons a day is probably overkill: fish, flax, and borage.
I might worry a bit about heavy metals in the fish the oil comes from, so the plant oils, if from organic plants, might be just as good.

[Happy2balive]

Thank you joypulv and kLen... you have both brought up points I didn't know and they have inspired me to do some more reading about fish, flaxseed, and borage oils. :)