Spotlight on Supplements: Flax Seed Oil

Supporting good health with the knowledge and use of supplements.

          Many are unaware that the Integrative Health Center component of The Maple Center offers for purchase many useful supplements. For a complete listing of our available supplements, access our website at www.themaplecenter.org and click on the Integrative Health Center link which will take you to our “Supplements for Better Health” listing.

Ground Flax Seeds are a great source of omega 3 essential fatty acids (alpha linolenic acid), fiber, and phytoestrogens. The body can convert alpha linolenic acid to DHA/EPA (other important essential omega 3 fatty acids that are found in fatty fish or fish oil), but inefficiently, especially if one has diabetes. 

Flax seeds have been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol by 8-18%, reduce hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms, reduce risk for breast and prostate cancer, reduce inflammation, constipation, and improve kidney function in people with lupus.

These tiny seeds come in brown and golden varieties and are found in your local grocery store.  The intact seeds are well packaged by nature to stay fresh for a long period.  They must be ground to get their nutritional benefits, otherwise they serve just as a source of fiber.  Use a coffee grinder with a smooth metal pan to grind them into a powder. If you refrigerate the powder, you can make enough to last a few days.  Don’t buy them pre-ground however, unless they are frozen and you use them quickly, as the oil within will go rancid after exposure to air.

Start with 1 heaping tablespoon of ground seeds per day and gradually increase your intake to 2 tablespoons per day (Too much fiber too quickly can cause bloating and gas.)  They are good mixed in oatmeal, yogurt, cottage cheese, smoothies, etc.  You can include them in baked goods, but the benefit of the omega 3 oil will be lost as it is broken down by high heat. 

Flax seed oil can also be used in capsule or oil form (for salad dressings, etc). The oil doesn’t include the lignans, which are the phytoestrogens/fiber, but the oil provides the cardiovascular benefits.  Use 1 tablespoon per day (5 capsules). 

--Submitted by Kathleen A. Stienstra, MD