Fish oil, omega-3 oil, omega-3 essential fatty acids. These are all rapidly becoming household words, as we are hearing more about them in the press. Not too long ago, a recommendation of omega-3 fatty acids would have been met with a blank stare.
But the benefits of fish oil are plentiful and it turns out most of us just aren't getting enough omega-3's for our health. Be aware though, that all omega-3's are not created equal.
"... many of the foods you find at the supermarket are supplemented instead with alpha-linoleic acid (ALA), the type of omega-3 found in nuts and flax seeds. Cardiologists believe it does not have the same benefits, because the body does a poor job at converting ALA to EPA. 'There may be differences in effectiveness,' says James Stein, head of preventive cardiology at the University of Wisconsin Medical School. So if you are buying a supplement for the heart benefits, make sure it contains EPA or DHA and not ALA."
http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/09/omega-fatty-acids-lifestyle-health-heart-disease.html?feed=rss_forbeslife_health