Mercola.com

There are both plant and animal sources for omega-3 fats, and there are differences between them. All have different ratios of three important omega-3 fatty acids-ALA, EPA and DHA. DHA is the most important for your brain. EPA is also required by your brain but in smaller amounts.

Plant-based omega-3 sources like flax, hemp and chia seeds are high in ALA, but low in EPA and DHA. Although ALA is an essential nutrient, the key point to remember is that the conversion of ALA to the far more essential EPA and DHA is typically quite inhibited by impaired delta 6 desaturase, an enzyme necessary for you to convert the ALA into the longer chain EPA and DHA. Because of this, it is important to include animal-based sources of omega-3 fats, such as krill oil, in your diet, and this supplement regimen would likely be incredibly useful for those in the military, as it is for the majority of Americans.

There is just a stunning amount of information coming out about the effectiveness of these oils – information that is more than just a little contested by the vegetarian sector that is pushing flax oil and the like. Problem is, the flax oils are not generating the decrease in the inflammatory response that most are taking these oils for. Here’s why.