Fish Oil Vs Flax Seed Oil - Why There's No Comparison. ALA converted to DHA at negligible levels, said J. It's often claimed that ALA from flax oil is converted in the human body to the critical long-chain fatty acids DHA and EPA, the most important fatty acids in fish oil.

Considering the benefits of fish oil vs flax seed oil. But it's definitely not a good replacement for fish oil. The omega-3 fatty acid in flax oil is alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA. Flax seed and its oil are good foods, much better for your health than the soybean oil that is so com in North American prepared foods, salad dressings and cooking oils. Our bodies just can't do this efficiently. Not enough ALA gets converted into DHA and EPA to do us any good.

A recent scientific publication says this in a nutshell.

"Alpha-linolenic acid, (ALA) does not convert to docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) at levels that confer any physiological benefit," according to a summary of omega-3 research conducted by the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids.