Researchers from the University of Surrey are currently in the process of recruiting 54 non-smoking men aged between 30 and 60 with no history of heart disease.

Previous research has shown the omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish, such as mackrel, herring and sardines, to be an essential ingredient of a healthy diet and a healthy heart. The government recommends that we eat two portions of fish - one of those oily - per week.

However, the average person in the UK does not eat enough oily fish to provide sufficient protection against disease, say researchers. Dr Bruce Griffin and his team plan to look at ways the body can make these oils itself from other ingredients.

One such ingredient is flax oil from flax seeds. "What we aim to do," said Dr Griffin, "is show that if we supply the building blocks, in the form of flax oil, it can be converted in the body into the active constituents found in fish oil. So by incorporating flax oil into foods and eating it we can produce "fish-oil" like changes in the blood that will reduce the risk of heart disease."

Flax oil is a tasteless substance that is not regularly used in the UK, but many foods in Canada, the US and Australia are fortified with flax seeds because of the health benefits of lowered cholesterol.

Participants in the Surrey study will undergo a 12-week diet plan to assess the impact of flax oil on reducing levels of "bad" cholesterol.

Dr Wendy Doyle, from the British Dietetic Society, said, "We definitely do need to increase the amount of oily fish we eat, but I'm not sure if flax oil is the best option. In order to derive Omega-3, a number of fatty acids have to be broken down and it's not particularly efficient. It would be far better to get them from fish."

However, Dr Doyle stressed that safety concerns have been raised over eating too much fish because of the fear of pollutants, such as dioxins.

From Healthy.net