When dealing with fish oil: It can be difficult to include it in your diet, eating 3 oz. of salmon, trout, or mackerel will get you about a gram’s worth. But, you would have to eat more than a pound of catfish to get the same amount. Capsules are large and can have unsettling side effects: upset stomach, fishy tastes, higher LDL levels (if consuming several grams per day) Mercury contamination is of concern: better if supplements are made from smaller fish (lower levels of mercury) Flaxseed is often promoted as an amazing alternative to fish oil, it contains three omega-3 fats while fish oil only contains two. Flaxseed is the richest source of plant-based omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). However, flaxseed oil has a pretty high omega-6 content. Omega-6 metabolism competes with ALA for some of the same enzymes. Therefore, ALA might not be reaching its full omega-3 potential if there is too much omega-6 present. Serving sizes: a serving size for flaxseed oil is 6 capsules, while a single fish oil capsule will give you the same amount of omega-3. Bioavailability of flaxseed is lower compared to fish oil. Overall: fish oil is going to give you more of omega-3 boost than flaxseed oil. However, this doesn’t mean flaxseed oil is “bad” for you. Flaxseed oil still has many other amazing properties.