FLAXSEED Nature's best source of omega-3 oils and lignans. Flax, one of the world's most ancient cultivated plants, offers significant benefit in many diseases linked to modern living, including the three major killers of Americans: heart disease, cancer, and strokes. The optimal method of gaining the health promoting benefits of flax is by using a high in lignan flaxseed oil. Such a product will be rich in the two major healing factors in flax omega-3 fatty acids and lignans.  A quick guide
to fats and oils
Most Americans are now fully aware of the link between a diet rich in fat, and cancer and other diseases. However, what they may not realize is that upon closer examination of the data it is clear the culprit is saturated fat. Saturated fats are typically animal fats that are semi-solid to solid at room temperature, while vegetable fats are liquid at room temperature and are referred to as unsaturated fats or oils. A diet low in saturated fat, but high in unsaturated fat has actually been shown to exert a protective effect against heart disease and cancer due to the presence of two fats which function as essential fatty acids. Despite the fact that most Americans eat too much fats and oils, most Americans are deficient in these two essential fatty acids. Making matters worse, both satu-rated fats and the partially hydro- genated fats found in margarine, shortening, and most prepared foods actually inhibit the body's utilization of essential fatty acids. In a nutshell, it can be stated that saturated fats, trans fatty acids, and partially hydrogenated fats are bad, while the essential fatty acids are good. The two essential fatty acids linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid function as components of all cell membranes as well as hormone-like substances known as prostag-landins. Although both linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid are 18 carbon length fatty acids, alphalinolenic acid has three unsaturated bonds while linoleic acid has only two. The location of the first unsaturated bond is different as well. Alpha- linolenic acid's first unsaturated bond occurs at the third carbon, hence it is known as an omega-3 oil. Linoleic acid's first double bond is at the sixth carbon, hence it is an omega-6 oil.  Largely because linoleic acid
and alpha-linolenic acid form entirely
different prostaglandins, researchers
and physicians are find-ing
that by manipulating the type
of dietary oils they can dramatically
alter body function and, in
some cases, treat disease. The
omega-3 oils are showing the greatest
promise in this regard.
The reason the omega-3 oils are the most beneficial is the standard American diet is severely deficient in these beneficial oils. Based on substantial evidence, it is estimated that the level of omega-6 oil is the body tissues of most Americans is 20 times the level of omega-3. Most experts in fatty acid nutrition believe the optimum ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 oils is between 3:1 and 4:1. Establishing a more optimal ration by supplementing omega-3 oils can result in significant improvement in how the body works because of the far-reaching effects of the hormone-like prostaglandin substances produced by the omega-3 oils. Some conditions improved by supplementing the diet with omega-3 oils include:
A recent clinical study demonstrated that approximately 1.5 tablespoons of flaxseed oil increased tissue levels of EPA com-parable to those levels achieved in studies using fish oils. The key to achieving high tissue levels with flaxseed oil is restricting omega-6 oil intake. To do this, simply eliminate or avoid vegetable oils rich in linoleic acid. The results of this recent study are significant for several reasons with the most important being that flaxseed oil can be used instead of fish oils.  The primary benefits of flaxseed
oil over fish oils are cost and safety.
In order to achieve dosages used in
the positive clinical studies with
fish oils, a person would have to
spend over $70 a month for fish oils
while a month's supply of flax oil
is only $12.
The safety question is based on several studies showing fish oil supplements to be contaminated with toxic derivatives known as lipid peroxides. While extra vitamin E and other antioxident nutrients offer some protection against these compounds, in general, it is a good idea to avoid the intake of lipid peroxides. Flax oil vs. GLA products Flaxseed oil is quickly emerging as the preferred essential fatty acid supplement. Flaxseed oil offers significant advantages over other essential fatty acid sources including evening primrose, black currant, and borage oil. These oils contain gamma-linolenic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid that eventually acts as a precursor to some favorable pros-taglandins. Although quite popular, the research on GLA supplements is controversial and not as strong as the research on omega-3 oils. Because GLA can be formed from linoleic acid, it is difficult to determine the extent the effects are due to GLA vs. linoleic acid. Most sources of GLA are much richer in linoleic acid than GLA. For example, evening primrose contains only 9 percent GLA, but contains 72 percent linoleic acid. There is concern that GLA supplements may offer only short-term benefit because they tend to actually increase tissue levels of arachidonic acid, another fatty acid which forms prostaglandins which actually promotes many negative events, such as increased inflammation and blood platelet clotting. This concern is most obvious in the studies of rheumatoid arthritis. While some short-term studies have shown benefit with evening primrose oil or borage oil supplementation, other studies showed a worsening of pain and inflammation due to increased tissue levels of arachidonic acid. In contrast, both short-term and longterm studies with omega-3 oils in rheumatoid arthritis have demonstrated a reduction of pain and inflammation along with a reduction in tissue levels of arachidonic acid. In most instances, people would be better off (both in terms of health and economics) by using flaxseed oil versus the high-priced GLA products. The only exceptions to this generalization may be in individuals with diabetes and the small number of people who cannot form GLA from linoleic acid. GLA supplementation in diabetics has been shown to improve nerve function and prevent diabetic nerve disease.  Getting your money's worth
Flax oil is not only the best choice for an oil supplement because it provides the greatest nutritional benefits, it is also the best from an economic perspective. Although EPA and GLA supplements have been shown to be very beneficial in the treatment of many health conditions, the dosages required to produce the desired effect are quite high. For example, in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, studies have shown positive results with EPA and GLA supplements at a dosage of 1.8 grams and 1.4 grams, respectively. Taking less than the effective dosage is not likely to produce benefit. In order to achieve the high levels of EPA and GLA required, a person would spend roughly $70 to $135 per month. In contrast to the high price of EPA and GLA products, flax oil costs less than $12 a month at a daily dosage of one tablespoon providing about six grams of alpha-linolenic acid and two grams of linoleic acid. Lignans: An extra benefit of flax Flaxseeds are the most abundant source of compounds which can be converted by bacteria in the gut to lignans, special compounds which are demonstrating some rather impressive health benefits. These ben-efits include positive effects in relieving menopausal hot flashes, as well as anticancer, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activity. Perhaps the most significant of these actions of lignans are their anticancer effects. A substantial amount of research has shown that flaxseed lignans are changed by the bacteria in the human intestine to compounds which are extremely protective against cancer, particularly breast cancer. Flax oil high in lignan may be the best choice of flax oil for women going through menopause or women at risk for breast cancer. It is currently estimated that as many as one in seven women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. Selecting a high-quality oil Not all flaxseed oil is created equal. There is tremendous variation in quality and purity as a result of differences in how the oil is expressed. Most flaxseed oils are produced by mechanically pressing out the oil through an expeller. During this process, a tremendous amount of pressure, and heat can be generated. The higher the heat, the better the yield of oil. Temperatures generally reach 200F. Interestingly, flax oil processed in this manner can still be referred to as cold-pressed because no external source of heat was added. Although high temperatures will provide a greater quantity of oil, they produce a lower quality oil. Many manufacturers will sacrifice quality for quantity. However, consumers must be aware that because flax oil is a highly polyunsaturated oil, it is extremely susceptible to damage by heat, light, and oxygen. Once damaged, the oil is a rich source of toxic molecules known as lipid peroxides. These molecules can actually do the body harm and should not be ingested. Lipid peroxides are associated with an extremely bitter taste and rancidity. One of the best ways to measure the quality of a flax oil is by taste. The degree of bitterness is a close approximation of the level of lipid peroxides. A high quality flaxseed oil will have a delicious, nutty flavor making it easy to incorporate into your daily diet as a salad dressing or flavoring. Your best source of high-quality flaxseed oil will be found in health food stores. Most will offer several manufacturers to choose from. In general, most health food store brands are produced by special expeller extractions, taking special care to protect the delicate oil from the damaging effects of heat, light, and oxygen. Here are some general guidelines to follow in selecting a good flaxseed oil product: 1. Make sure the oil is derived from 100 percent third-party certified organic flaxseed. Oil expressed from non-organic seed may contain pesticides and herbicides. 2. Make sure the oil is as fresh as possible and not past the expiration date. 3. Make sure it is clearly indicated that the oil is expeller-pressed. 4. To gain more benefit, use flaxseed oil high in lignans. Summary While a diet high in saturated fat has been linked to many chronic diseases, a diet low in saturated fat but high in essential fatty acids prevents these very same diseases. For a general essential fatty acid supplement, flaxseed oil may be the best choice for most people. Flaxseed oil is a remarkable food that can easily be incorporated into the diet at an affordable price. Rich in the omega-3 oil alpha-linolenic acid, flaxseed oil is gaining popularity as the preferred oil by leading experts in health and nutrition. High in lignan flaxseed oil may offer the greatest benefit. |