At 15.04.01 01:18:00, you wrote:
>> Other forms of EPA like flax oil is not recommended.
>
>Why not?
>
>This from Dr. Sears website.   I assume the science is right.  The
>people I know did well on fish oil,
>
>
>But if you are going to supplement with an omega-3 oil, then I
>recommend fish oil, which is rich in the best omega-3 fatty acid,
>eicosapentanoic acid (EPA). EPA has a tenfold greater impact on
>reducing the production of bad eicosanoids than does ALA on a gram-for-
>gram basis.



I am new on the list, first something about me.
I have studied nutrition science and have now a practice for nutrition
therapy in germany. My master work was about multiple sclerosis and
nutrition, because i have ms and want to know all about this complex.
Most of the work is about fatty acids and their behavior in our body,
the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. The same concept works for
arthritis and asthma, i think, most of you know the bad influence of
omega-6 fatty acids on inflammation. But its very complex and nothing
is scientific proof et all. The run of the fish oil comes from the
fact, that eskimos (inuit) havenīt ms. So people look at nutrition,
what are the differences between inuit and westeners. Conclusion: it
have to be the fish oils. But we donīt think at the following:

        Inuit are the people, who eat all raw. So they get more enzymes (in
germany a study with enzymes and ms is publish this year!)
they get more vitamin d, which prevents from the mouse-ms
they get more vitamin a, which alone reduces inflammation
they eat nearly no carbs, no wheat respectively gluten, which is under suspect to play a role in ms.

There are many successes with fish oils in ms, i know many persons, but
these ones change a lot of nutrition habbits when they follow a diet
with nearly zero omega-6 fatty acids and 2-3 gramms of fish oils in
caps. They have to reduce the classical allergic foods like wheat,
eggs, chocolate, milk products...and there are many scientists
believing ms has an allergic co-factor.

Oh, excuse, i lost my intention, the fish oil caps. There is one great
difference between fish oil caps and flax  oil, the latter is more
stable from oxidation. Fish oil caps are often peroxidized, nearly half
of the products on the market! These fatty acids do more harm than help.
 o.k. good producers pack a lot of vitamin e in the caps to prevent the
 fatty acids, but too much vitamin e will react as a prooxidant. And
 vitamin e is sold for ms and arthritis in such a high recommendation
 (often 2-3gramms per day), that this will happen. More informations
 about the "vitamin pushers" from Victor Herbert, a really good book.

So what to do?
Get your fish oils from fish and a little flax oil to balance the
linoleic acid and try a paleo nutrition without grains and milk. It
will not work for everybody who has ms, because it seems to exist more
reasons for ms, but its simple to try. Interested people can search the
web for the story of Roger McDougall, who fight his ms with paleo-
nutrition.

Best regards and greetings from germany

Jochen Schwarz