Question of Nutrition #2: Enough Omega-3 From Flaxseed?

Ground Flaxseed (Flaxmeal)

Question:  Can you get enough omega-3 from flaxseed or do you need to use omega-3 supplements?

Answer:  The omega-3 fatty acids found in flax are short-chain fatty acids.  Alpha linolenic acid (ALA) is an example of this.  The omega-3 fatty acids found in most of the supplements and fish are long chain fatty acids.  Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are examples of long-chain fatty acids.  Barry Sears, PhD said the following about the conversion of short-chain to long-chain fatty acids in his book The Omega Rx Zone:

Short-chain omega-3 fatty acids, such as alpha linolenic acid (ALA), which is found in flaxseed oil and other seed oils, have the potential to be made into their longer-chain relatives, such as EPA and DHA.  The trouble is that the biosynthetic process is incredibly long and difficult, so you can't really get much long-chain fatty acid from short-chain fatty acid.  In fact you would need to consume nearly 30 grams of ALA to make 1 gram of EPA and 0.1 gram of DHA.  This is not a very good return on your dietary investment.

My suggestion is if you aren't a strict Vegan, use at least 2.5 combined grams of EPA and DHA/day from high quality omega-3 supplements.  It is easier to take four omega-3 capsules or a TBSP of omega-3 than to consume 9+ TBSPs of ground flaxseed.

References:
1.  Sears, B.  2002.  The Omega Rx Zone.  New York, NY:  Harper Collins.