Flax Seed Benefits
Flax Seed Benefits & Remedies page - link navigation:
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Benefits of Flax Seed and the Conditions it Treats
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Buying Guide & Tips
Flax Seed benefits are best when they are ground rather than whole and when they are organic. Flax seed comes in two general colors (although there are variations in each) brown and golden.
There seems to be no difference nutritionally between the two, but the flavors are a bit different – the brown having a more earthy nutty taste to it and the golden adding a slight "buttery" taste.
To grind your Flax, you can use a coffee grinder that is especially for that purpose. Use the ground Flax as quickly as possible, within 24 hours is best at room temperature, or seal it in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator. Refrigerated ground Flax will last up to a week before going bad.
You can buy Flax from a local health food store, they usually have it in bulk bins or there are several brands that sell it pre-packaged. I recommend whole seeds so you can grind them, yourself, but if that doesn't work for you, at least make sure they're organic.
There's a link in the right hand column to my favorite brand of organic prepackaged seeds if you'd rather have them shipped to your door.
My Own Experience...
Flax seed is my favorite way of getting the fiber I need when I don't eat enough of the green stuff. I put 3 Tablespoons in my coffee grinder and drink it in a shake with wheat grass powder, coconut oil and water.
You can mix it with anything you like, but I find this is the easiest way for me to take it.
As far as Omega 3's are concerned, I tried Flax seed and found no difference in how my hip pain felt. I switched to an Omega 3 supplement and that made a big difference. You can read about that here.
Dosage:
The dosage will depend on your current diet. If you already get a lot of fiber in your regular meals, then adding Flax to your daily routine would only really benefit your Omega 3 fatty acid intake.
If you are using Flax Seed benefits primarily for its fiber content, then your daily dose might be different.
Lignans are also an important Flax Seed benefit, acting as an anti-oxidant.
Whichever reason you take Flax Seed, be sure to drink plenty of water or it could cause constipation.
The following nutritional facts about Flax Seed may help you decide.
2 tablespoons of Flax Seed (measured before grinding) provides:
- Dietary Fiber: 5.41 grams (21.6% of the USRDA)
- Omega 3 Oils (as ALA only): 3.51 grams (146.3 % of the USRDA)
- Lignans: about 58 mg (58,140 micro grams – no USRDA has been established)
- Calories: 95.33
In case you were wondering, a regular dose of fiber per day is 25 to 35 grams. 2 Tablespoons of ground Flax provide about a fifth of that approximately 5 grams), so be sure to have enough fiber from other sources too for a healthy colon and immune system.
Eating Flax Seeds whole, rather than grinding them will give you fewer Flax Seed benefits because the hard shell that protects the seed has an enzyme inhibitor that basically allows the seed to slip through your digestive system unharmed. (That's one way that seeds in general get spread out in the wild.)
Although you would likely be chewing the Flax Seeds, because they are so small, it's likely that you'll miss a good number of them – that's why grinding them is recommended.
Regarding the conversion of ALA to usable EPA and DHA in our bodies: Many studies have shown that the conversion rate is fairly low and varies widely from 0.1% to only 15% at its highest (although one study found 6 women converted 36%).
The variation is due to people's different physiology, diet, and gender. Although a big part of Flax Seed benefits are said to be because of its Omega 3 fatty acid content, you should know that it only contains ALA (alpha-Linolenic acid) and there is no way to know exactly how well your body converts it to usable EPA and DHA without extensive blood testing.
All of the Omega 3 benefits I have seen in my research have actually been from EPA and DHA Omega 3's, not ALA directly.
So the Flax Seed benefits you get are mostly going to be the wonderful fiber and Lignans that are contained in it.
That being said, I am still including all of the Remedies that have been commonly assigned to Flax Seed due to its ALA content, but be aware that you may not be getting enough Omega 3's if you are using Flax Seed (and other ALA sources) by themselves.
Conditions This Remedy Treats:
(Clicking on the name of underlined conditions below will take you to the page that discusses the causes and other remedies for that particular condition.)
Allergies
Keeping your diet balanced with the proper ratio of Omega 6 fatty acids to Omega 3 fatty acids (1:1) has been shown to lessen allergy symptoms of many kinds. This is due to Omega 3's anti-inflammation effect on the body.
Omega 6 oils are pro-inflammatory, so having too many of those in the diet can make allergy symptoms worse and more frequent. Flax Seed is abundant in the Omega 3 fatty acid ALA.
Alzheimer's Disease
Studies in mice have shown that the plaques and tangles in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer's disease were significantly slowed when DHA was added to their diet. It was added to their diet in such a way as to balance the ratio of Omega 3's to Omega 6's. Flax Seed contains the precursor to DHA called ALA.
Arthritis
The Omega 3 oils DHA and EPA are well known for their anti-inflammatory properties. Flax Seed benefits those with Arthritis by supplying the precursor to DHA and EPA called ALA.
Asthma
Balancing your Omega 6/Omega 3 intake (having it as close to a 1:1 ratio as possible) has an overall anti-inflammatory affect on your body.
Since Asthmatics suffer from inflammation of the air pathways in the lungs, taking a regular dose of 1100 to 1600 mg of Omega 3 per day will help reduce occurrences of that inflammation. Flax Seed contains more than 3,000 mg of ALA in a regular dose.
Blood Pressure (High)
Omega 3 benefits have been studied in those with high blood pressure and found that overall, a dosage of 3 to 4 grams per day of DHA and EPA combined will lower blood pressure.
Cancer
Studies on rats have proven that one Omega 3 benefit is that it reduces tumor size because of its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties.
Another Omega 3 benefit for those with Cancer is that it helps reduce the negative side effects of some chemotherapy drugs, especially Cisplatin. Talk to your health practitioner about the possibility of adding Omega 3 to your regimen.
Candida
It's very important to have regular bowel movements while you're treating Candidiasis (and over abundance of Candida Albicans).
The fiber in Flax Seed benefits your colon in many ways, the primary one being to allow you to have regular movements (2 to 3 a day) and it's gentler on your system than Psyllium husk.
Cholesterol
Studies have shown that a surprising Omega 3 benefit is its ability to lower cholesterol. More specifically, it lowers the LDL ("bad") cholesterol, raises the HDL ("good") cholesterol and lowers triglycerides too (even in those with hyper-triglyceridemia).
The dosage for this effect is 3 to 4 grams per day of combined DHA and EPA. If you are on medication for cholesterol already, tell your health practitioner that you'd like to try to switch regimens gradually and ask him/her to monitor your cholesterol levels.
If you are Vegan, be sure to take enough Flax Seed to properly convert ALA to enough EPA and DHA to make a difference.
Constipation
A great Flax Seed benefit is its ability to gently relieve Constipation due to its high fiber content. Be sure to drink enough water every day though, or Flax could cause constipation instead. Drink at least 64 oz per day.
Depression
Depression can be a tricky condition. Depending on the type of depression, it has been shown that re-balancing your ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acids can significantly improve depression symptoms.
Studies have shown this to be the case for major depression, mild depression and seasonal affective disorder.
Omega 3 benefits the down side of bipolar disorder as well but seems to have no effect on the manic side of it. Ask your health practitioner if adding Omega 3 oils using Flax Seed benefits you along with your current regimen.
Eczema/Psoriasis
Although they are different conditions, both Eczema and Psoriasis in some people have been attributed to Omega 3 deficiency.
Many who take Omega 3 supplements see the condition of their skin improve dramatically, although sometimes these conditions are caused by allergies and you would need to also eliminate the allergen from your environment or diet.
Work with your health practitioner and see if adding Flax Seed benefits your skin clarity.
Fatigue
This remedy depends on what is causing your Fatigue. If you or your health practitioner suspect that part of your Fatigue is caused by an over toxicity in your body, then Flax Seed benefits will assist you in ridding your body of these toxins by creating regular bowel movements.
Heart Disease
The American Heart Association recommends that those who already have CAD (Coronary Artery Disease) eat fatty fish on a daily basis because of the Omega 3 benefits in it.
Since that isn't practical for a lot of people, taking a clean source of fish oil supplementation at 3 to 4 grams per day will fulfill that recommendation. A daily dose of Flax Seed can help as well. This helps by lowering your triglycerides and lessening the incidents of arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeats).
For those with a healthy heart, helping to prevent heart disease can be done by taking a regular Omega 3 dose of 1100 mg for women and 1600 mg for men each day.
Hemorrhoids
One of the causes of Hemorrhoid flare up can be Constipation. Flax seed benefits that by adding a gentle fiber to your diet and relieving the constipation.
Osteoporosis
Studies in mice have shown that Omega 3 fatty acids slowed bone loss after menopause.
It was also shown that Omega 6 oils actually stimulate a chemical in the body that causes bone loss concluding that a balanced ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acids would slow the onset of Osteoporosis.
Weight Loss
One cause of Obesity in those who are trying to loose weight is that they may be malnourished.
Although they do everything right, they just can't seem to get rid of the weight.
Flax Seed benefits weight loss because it helps clean out the colon which, when it's clogged up, will retain toxins and stop you from absorbing any nutrition you take in through food or supplementation.
General Properties:
Flax Seed contains the Omega 3 fatty acid ALA (alpha-Linolenic acid). This particular Omega 3 provides a little extra work for your body because it must convert it into EPA and DHA (the kind of Omega 3's found in fish and other animals) in order to be used.
Some people may have a hard time converting the ALA into the usable Omega 3's and men have a harder time than women in general.
That's not to say that it's not useful – rather, if you aren't vegan or strict vegetarian, your body might have an easier time getting its Omega 3's from animal products. Click here for the full scoop on Omega 3 benefits.
The fiber that is found in Flax Seed benefits everyone who could stand to add a bit of fiber to their diet.
It is much gentler on the colon than psyllium husk and (in my opinion) is much easier to swallow and tastes better.
Although Flax Seed will eventually soak up liquid, turning it into a pasty mess, it doesn't do it near as fast as psyllium making it more versatile in recipes and health shakes.
Flax Seed also contains Lignans – which are a healthy plant phytoestrogen that mimics estrogen in your body. Considered an antioxidant, lignans are found in other vegetables and seeds as well but are 75 to 800 times more abundant in Flax Seed.
They are in the fibrous part of the seed and not naturally abundant in Flax Oil unless added to it by the manufacturer.
The Flax plant itself is also used for its fibers in making things like cloth or paper, and it's used as a decorative landscaping element because of its beautiful purplish-blue flowers.
There are two basic varieties of Flax Seed – Golden and Brown. Both have the same nutritional make-up but with slightly different flavors. Try both to see which you like best.
Possible Side Effects:
To fully experience the Flax Seed benefits associated with its fiber content, you must be drinking enough water during the day (at least 64 oz.) or constipation or bowel obstruction can occur.
If you're used to a diet that is low in fiber and you're just starting to take Flax Seed, make sure to start out with a small amount per day and work your way up to the regular dose.
Some people have had the following side effects that usually go away once your body is used to the fiber intake:
- Indigestion or heartburn
- Gas and bloating
- Diarrhea
- Stomach pain and/or Nausea
please check with your health care practitioner about taking Flax Seed or Oil. The Lignans in the Seed (and in some oils) are a plant version of Estrogen (called phytoestrogen) and may interfere with your baby's birth weight and health.
Drug Interactions:
Taking Flax Seed at the same time as any medication you swallow may significantly decrease the effectiveness of that medication because of Flax's high fiber content. Take any oral meds a few hours apart from taking your Flax Seed.
The Omega 3 fatty acid content of Flax Seed has caused people to be cautious about taking it while on medication that's used to thin the blood.
There are no conclusive studies that prove negative effects one way or the other. If you have concerns, talk to your health practitioner before taking Flax Seed while on a blood thinning regimen.
If you're Diabetic, taking any high fiber product or food can affect your blood sugar levels. Make sure you are checking your levels regularly if you decide to take Flax Seed.
Did You Know…?
- Flax is also called Linseed.
- The Flax plant is also grown for its fibers and has light purplish-blue flowers.
- Flax has been used for thousands of years and is indigenous to the Mediterranean area and India.
- Hippocrates used to prescribe Flax Seed to those who had indigestion and other conditions of the intestines.
- Another wonderful Flax Seed benefit is that it contains all 9 essential amino acids, providing 1.3 grams of protein per tablespoon.
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