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  6. Flax vs. Fish oil

Flax vs. Fish oil — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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The main differences between Flax and Fish oil

  • Flax has more Vitamin B1, Copper, Fiber, Manganese, Magnesium, Phosphorus, and Iron, however, Fish oil has more Vitamin D.
  • Daily need coverage for Cholesterol from Fish oil is 237% higher.
  • Flax is lower in Saturated Fat.

Food types used in this article are Seeds, flaxseed and Fish oil, sardine.

Infographic

Flax vs Fish oil infographic
Infographic link

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Flax
Flax
9
:
1
Fish oil
Fish oil
Contains more Calcium +∞%
Contains more Iron +∞%
Contains more Magnesium +∞%
Contains more Phosphorus +∞%
Contains more Potassium +∞%
Contains more Zinc +∞%
Contains more Copper +∞%
Contains more Manganese +∞%
Contains more Selenium +∞%
Contains less Sodium -100%
Flax
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 77% 215% 280% 276% 72% 4% 119% 407% 324% 139%
Fish oil
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Contains more Calcium +∞%
Contains more Iron +∞%
Contains more Magnesium +∞%
Contains more Phosphorus +∞%
Contains more Potassium +∞%
Contains more Zinc +∞%
Contains more Copper +∞%
Contains more Manganese +∞%
Contains more Selenium +∞%
Contains less Sodium -100%

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Flax
Flax
9
:
1
Fish oil
Fish oil
Contains more Vitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B5 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +∞%
Contains more Folate +∞%
Contains more Vitamin D +∞%
Flax
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 0% 7% 0% 2% 411% 38% 58% 60% 110% 66% 0% 11%
Fish oil
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 0% 0% 249% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Contains more Vitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B5 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +∞%
Contains more Folate +∞%
Contains more Vitamin D +∞%

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Flax
Flax
4
:
1
Fish oil
Fish oil
Contains more Protein +∞%
Contains more Carbs +∞%
Contains more Water +∞%
Contains more Other +∞%
Contains more Fats +137.2%
Flax
18% 42% 29% 7% 4%
Protein: 18.29 g
Fats: 42.16 g
Carbs: 28.88 g
Water: 6.96 g
Other: 3.71 g
Fish oil
100%
Protein: 0 g
Fats: 100 g
Carbs: 0 g
Water: 0 g
Other: 0 g
Contains more Protein +∞%
Contains more Carbs +∞%
Contains more Water +∞%
Contains more Other +∞%
Contains more Fats +137.2%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Flax
Flax
1
:
2
Fish oil
Fish oil
Contains less Saturated Fat -87.7%
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +349.6%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +10.9%
Flax
9% 19% 72%
Saturated Fat: 3.663 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 7.527 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 28.73 g
Fish oil
31% 35% 33%
Saturated Fat: 29.892 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 33.841 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 31.867 g
Contains less Saturated Fat -87.7%
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +349.6%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +10.9%

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Flax Fish oil
Lower in Cholesterol ok
Lower in Saturated Fat ok
Rich in minerals ok
Rich in vitamins ok
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Lower in price ok

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Flax Fish oil Opinion
Net carbs 1.58g 0g Flax
Protein 18.29g 0g Flax
Fats 42.16g 100g Fish oil
Carbs 28.88g 0g Flax
Calories 534kcal 902kcal Fish oil
Sugar 1.55g Fish oil
Fiber 27.3g 0g Flax
Calcium 255mg 0mg Flax
Iron 5.73mg 0mg Flax
Magnesium 392mg 0mg Flax
Phosphorus 642mg 0mg Flax
Potassium 813mg 0mg Flax
Sodium 30mg 0mg Fish oil
Zinc 4.34mg 0mg Flax
Copper 1.22mg 0mg Flax
Manganese 2.482mg 0mg Flax
Selenium 25.4µg 0µg Flax
Vitamin E 0.31mg Flax
Vitamin D 0IU 332IU Fish oil
Vitamin D 0µg 8.3µg Fish oil
Vitamin C 0.6mg 0mg Flax
Vitamin B1 1.644mg 0mg Flax
Vitamin B2 0.161mg 0mg Flax
Vitamin B3 3.08mg 0mg Flax
Vitamin B5 0.985mg 0mg Flax
Vitamin B6 0.473mg 0mg Flax
Folate 87µg 0µg Flax
Vitamin K 4.3µg Flax
Tryptophan 0.297mg Flax
Threonine 0.766mg Flax
Isoleucine 0.896mg Flax
Leucine 1.235mg Flax
Lysine 0.862mg Flax
Methionine 0.37mg Flax
Phenylalanine 0.957mg Flax
Valine 1.072mg Flax
Histidine 0.472mg Flax
Cholesterol 0mg 710mg Flax
Saturated Fat 3.663g 29.892g Flax
Omega-3 - DHA 0g 10.656g Fish oil
Omega-3 - EPA 0g 10.137g Fish oil
Omega-3 - DPA 0g 1.973g Fish oil
Monounsaturated Fat 7.527g 33.841g Fish oil
Polyunsaturated fat 28.73g 31.867g Fish oil
Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid 0.007g Flax

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Flax Fish oil
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Calories diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet ok

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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).
Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
63%
Flax
21%
Fish oil
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
191%
Flax
0%
Fish oil

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Flax
Flax is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 710mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Flax
Flax is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 26.229g)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Flax
Flax is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Flax
Flax is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Fish oil
Fish oil is lower in Sugar (difference - 1.55g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Fish oil
Fish oil contains less Sodium (difference - 30mg)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Fish oil
Fish oil is lower in glycemic index (difference - 0)
Which food is cheaper?
Fish oil
Fish oil is cheaper (difference - $3)

References

All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

  1. Flax - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169414/nutrients
  2. Fish oil - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173578/nutrients

All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.