I found this interesting. Back to cod liver oil supplements, I guess, if one have a good working gallbladder. Dr. Mercola's comments on this study appear afterwards. I have not included them due to his advertising. Original URL appears at the end. Judy Ritchie http://www.mercola.com/2003/jan/8/flaxseed_oil.htm Flaxseed Oil Does Not Increase Essential DHA in Breast Milk Human breast milk is made up of fifty percent fat, a necessary component to the growth of the newborn baby. The fat contains omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids that facilitate the development of the brain, retina and other organs. These fatty acids in human milk come from three sources, body stores of fatty acids, synthesis of fatty acids by the liver or breast tissue and the diet. Omega-3 fatty acids, including DHA, are particularly important because they play a major role in the development of the newborn’s brain and retina. The make up of fatty acid in breast milk is a reflection of the type of dietary fat consumed by the mother both short and long term. For example, women who took fish oil supplements, rich in DHA, for one to four weeks were found to have increased levels of DHA in their breast milk. Comparatively, women who eat fish on a regular basis have higher quantities of DHA in breast milk than those who do not. Flaxseed oil is a source of another fatty acid, ALA, the precursor fatty acid in the synthetic steps that result in DHA, however studies have shown that humans convert very little ALA from flax to EPA or DHA. One study found that in the conversion of ALA to DHA, only .05 percent of ALA was available for synthesis of DHA. In one recent study, participants were given 15,000 mg flaxseed oil daily for 12 weeks. Quantities of EPA, DPA, DHA or total omega-3 fatty acids did not increase in plasma or erythrocytes. Moreover, after the flaxseed oil supplementation was stopped, ALA concentrations in the blood and breast milk had reverted to the original concentrations. Therefore, the study indicates that flaxseed oil is not an ideal source of fatty acids for breast-feeding mothers. American Journal Clinical Nutrition January 2003 77: 226-233 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&lis t_uids=12499346&dopt=Abstract *********************************************** To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet All commands go to [log in to unmask] The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html