"Wherever flaxseed becomes a regular food item among the people, there
will be better health", said Mahatma Gandhi. He was right. The true
nature of flax as a health food has been known for centuries. In the
8th Century, Charlemagne considered flax so essential for health that
he actually passed laws requiring its use. Flax was one of the original
medicines, used by Hippocrates himself.
Flaxseeds and flaxseed oil
are one of the best sources on the planet for the important omega-3
fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is
considered an essential fatty acid because the body can't make it -- it
has to be obtained from the diet. Flaxseed oil can help protect against
cardiovascular disease, cancer, arthritis, and many other degenerative
diseases. And though it's primarily a source of omega-3, the oil has
the virtue of containing some other fatty acids as well, notably some
omega-6's and some heart healthy omega-9's, providing a nice fatty acid
balance.
There is a caveat on this, however. The ALA found in flax
and flax oil is only one of three omega-3 fats, the other two being the
long-chain fatty acids known as DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA
(eicosapentaenoic acid). The latter two are only found for the most
part in animal foods particularly cold water fish like salmon.
Truth
be told, they're the superstars of the omega-3 family, though the ALA
in flax has plenty of health benefits as well (such as being
anti-inflammatory). The good news is that the body can make DHA and EPA
from the ALA in flax; the bad news is that it does a really bad job of
it, converting only about 5-10% of the ALA to those longer chain omegas
that are found naturally in fish and fish oil.
What to do, what to
do? Flaxseed and flaxseed oil are the go-to source for omega-3's if
you're a vegetarian. And if you want to get the special benefits of EPA
and DHA without taking fish oil (or eating fish), just make sure to
take at least a tablespoon a day of flaxseed oil. That way, even at the
low "conversion" rate you'll still be getting about a gram or so of the
"fish oil" omegas.
More than Just Omega-3's
The benefits of flax
are not limited to the omega-3 content -- not by a long shot. The oil,
and especially the seeds, is a great source of something called lignans
which have a whole host of health benefits of their own. Lignans have a
protective effect against cancer -- especially those that are
hormone-sensitive like breast, uterine, and prostate cancer.
The
effect of flaxseed lignans on breast cancer cells has been the subject
of a fair amount of positive research. In one study,1 flaxseed was
shown to have the potential to reduce tumor growth in patients with
breast cancer.
In this study, patients consumed a muffin with 25
grams of flaxseed (or a "placebo" muffin of the same size without the
added flaxseed). The researchers noted that daily intake of 25 g
flaxseed (about 3-4 tablespoons) can significantly reduce cell
proliferation and increase apoptosis (cell death of cancer cells). The
flaxseed also reduced HER2, a protein that increases the aggressiveness
of breast cancer.
Researchers have also found that lignans
inhibited the growth of human prostate cancer cells in a test tube.
Research at Duke University2 showed that men with prostate cancer who
were given 3 tablespoons of flaxseed per day and a low fat diet had
decreased cancer cell growth. And lignans intefere with the production
of a nasty testosterone metabolite (DHT, dihydrotestosterone) which is
partly responsible for hair loss and benign prostate hyperplasia (the
condition that makes men over 40 have to go to the bathroom a lot at
night).
Flax promotes cardiovascular and colon health, can boost
immunity, nourishes your skin, and helps stabilize blood sugar. Because
the lignans in flax are actually phytoestrogens (weak estrogenic
compounds from plants), they may help relieve menopausal symptoms. In
fact, in one study, flaxseed was as effective as hormone replacement
therapy in reducing mild menopausal symptoms in menopausal women.3
The
flaxseeds, but obviously not the oil, also contain another huge
benefit: soluble fiber. You get all the goodies of the oil plus the
fiber, when you eat the seeds. They're ideal for baking, for sprinkling
on salads, and for adding to cereals and smoothies -- but you need to
break the hard outer coating, because the whole seeds can't be
digested.
What to Look For
Barlean's Organic Oils --the
nation's top producer of high quality flaxseed products -- makes a
terrific product called Forti-Flax, which you can use right out of the
jar without having to do any grinding. Four tablespoons of Forti-Flax
will give you 6 grams of fiber, 3 grams of omega-3's, and a host of
lignans and other beneficial phytochemicals -- as well as provide the
same amount of flaxseed used in the above-mentioned breast cancer
study. And in addition to all the other good stuff, flaxseeds are also
anti-inflammatory and have antioxidant properties as well.
Some high
quality flaxseed oils like Barlean's Lignan Flax Oil have been
cold-processed to retain an especially high lignan content. They can be
found in the refrigerated section of your health food store. And
remember to never cook with the oil -- cooking damages the delicate
omega-3 fats which don't stand up to heat at all. Just keep your flax
oil in the fridge and take it as a supplement or use it on salads or
already cooked vegetables.
Note: Dr. Bowden is a nationally
known expert on weight loss, nutrition and health. He's a board
certified nutrition specialist with a Master's degree in psychology and
the author of five books including The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth.
His latest book is The Most Effective Cures on Earth.
By Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS
The Original Healing Food
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