I understand your point so I will ask you some questions.
If Udo's has Omega 6 in there and the typical American diet has too much 6's and not enough 3's, can give me a good argument of adding in the extra 6's to my diet if it is already is too high?
As per above, the idea is to remove the poor sources of omega 6 from the diet, and supplement with good, undamaged omega 6
So, gram for gram are you suggesting that flax gram for gram supplies the same amount of Usable Omega 3's?
Depends on how you define the term useable. >97% of eaten LNA is absorbed into the body, of which roughly half is burned as fuel, the rest goes down other matabolic roles. I dno't know the stats for fish oils, but would assume it's similar
Do you agree or disagree with this statement?
The intake of 3 grams per day to 4 grams per day of ALA is equivalent to 0.3 grams per day of EPA with optimal elongation.
Yes - but the flax will also be doing stuff elsewhere
If this is correct would it not take more flax to do the same job as fish oils?
And in the States flax is more expensive than fish oils.
Yes, it will take more flax to do the same roles as fish oils, however, it will also be covering other roles. The price comparison is true for the UK too.
Due to the conversion would I be adding in more calories in my diet regardless of metabolism?
Yes
Gram for gram would fish oils have the same capabilities for fat loss than flax?
From what I can gather from PPAR activation, they will exert a similar effect, though LNA is a stronger promoter I think, will have to sieve through the studies (they made for a painful read on the train down to London, and the concurrent hotel stay last year...).
If so why would I add more calories to my diet if I am already struggling to lower my bodyweight?
You're not "adding" calories in that respect. I would never recommend 12g of flax to be used as a meaningful amount. A meaningful amount is 15ml/25kg when using Udo's. At this level, taken in addition to normal diet, most people see weight fall off. It doesn't make much sense, but the thank-you emails I get from athletes we sponsor who do just that to get ripped for stage confirms it.
Flax and phytoestrogens is well known, this we can agree on.
Remember that the guy that is very lean will have less aromatase activity and adding in even a weak estrogen could be problematic.
You cant use this in your arguement
Rob Feesey gets down to crazy low BF, 3-4%, and he's never mentioned any oestrogenic effects.
I know many bodybuilders that take anti-estrogens during contest prep, and are on anabolics and androgenics, I bet rob is using some anti-estrogen so suggesting flax has no interferance with estrogen seems a bit biased.
Rob is a natural for life athlete. We only sponsor natural athletes as first and foremost we are a health food company, and as such assisted athletes go against the grain of what we believe in. If we were simply a sports supplement company, things may be different. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to be able to, as we've had requests from some bloody high up guys, and it would make my job a million times easier having them promote it, but we had to make a decision on that early on. It doesn't take away our respect for what they achieve though! However, it does emphasise that proper diet and training can achieve amazing things.
There are studies that suggest that flax and nolvadex act the same on blocking estrogen sensitive breast tissue.
Nolvadex is a weak estrogen but it also is a agonist and antagonist to estrogen.
It acts like a estrogen to the prostate and that is not cool.
Do you have any links for that? Would be an interesting read
In your opinion could flax act as an agonist and antagonist to estrogen in men?
I would suggest that it would work as partial agaonist - i.e. neither strongly promoting, nor blocking the binder. in this sense it would work as a oestrogen normaliser, the same in women. I'd love for someone to be able to prove this one way or the other, as I haven't seen any direct research.
If so would you really suggest that a very lean guy that has little aromitization take flax over fish oils?
N/A
Why flax or Udo's over fish oils?
More overall benefits, undamged source of EFAs with lower oxidative damage potential (decent Vit E intake in diet will counter this at normal fish oil intake - megadosing is uncharted), doesn't leave anything out, caters for undamaged omega 6, and for those that are that way inclined it's vegan.
There are people for whom fish oil is needed, and then there is the majority for whom seed oils are fine. There is always going to be impllications of cost, ease of use, etc - but this is true of many foods, and indeed, most of life. All I can say is that Udo's is probably the most rigorously made nutritional oil out there, and given the amount of copies that have cropped up over the years, is a very popular and effective way to retain/enhance health.
