Flaxseed oil is not just another “flavor of the month” Have you ever noticed that from time to time a new supplement will arrive on the market amidst a frenzy of news coverage, only to have it fade into relative oblivion after a few short months? Flaxseed oil is currently enjoying its spot in the limelight, and while at first glance you may be tempted to wonder if its popularity will also be fleeting, nothing could be further from the truth. In reality, flaxseed oil has been studied for decades and we have only begun to read about the health benefits associated with this amazing product.

We’re getting pretty good with all of this technical jargon!

Due to the variety of news stories about flaxseed oil, most of us are getting comfortable with some pretty unusual-sounding terms. For example, Omega-3, Omega-6 and EFA’s no longer sound like items you would order from an electronics catalogue but rather bring to mind the two essential fatty acids needed the most by our bodies. Flaxseed oil is the world’s richest source of Omega-3, and it also contains a nice amount of Omega-6. Interestingly, most of us are not deficient in the Omega-6 fatty acid since it is also found in other common food sources. Our levels of Omega-3, however, could definitely use some help, which is why supplementing with flaxseed oil is so crucial.

Any of this sound familiar?

What do depression, fatigue, forgetfulness, and a lack of motivation all have in common? If you answered “Monday mornings at work” you should at least get partial credit for humor! Actually, a better answer would be “They are all symptoms of a deficiency in essential fatty acids.” In fact, you would be hard-pressed to come up with another supplement whose shortage causes such a large variety of health problems. Other more serious health conditions associated with a lack of EFA’s are high blood pressure, heart disease, immune disorders, arthritis, and angina.

On the other hand, scores of health conditions show improvement after supplementing with essential fatty acids. These include Alzheimer’s, arthritis, cancer, dementia, diabetes, heart disease, lupus, obesity, high blood pressure, and psoriasis. In all over 60 health problems can be improved by adding flaxseed oil to the diet.

For example, 44 people with a variety of health problems were involved in a long-term study involving flaxseed oil in the early 1980’s. The researcher, Dr. Donald Rudin, wanted to test flaxseed oil’s effects on different diseases. Dr. Rudin found that while on flaxseed oil, one subject’s high blood pressure disappeared completely, while several others were able to drastically reduce the amount of their medications. Interestingly, those patients with low blood pressure also had normal readings after taking flaxseed oil. Virtually everyone felt less anxious, and the dozen or so patients with severe mental illness showed great improvement as well. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis reported that their symptoms were less severe while on flaxseed oil, as did those with food allergies and joint problems. Other health conditions reported by the subjects and helped with flaxseed oil included migraine headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, urinary tract infections, and menopausal problems. Dr. Rudin’s work was especially remarkable because it covered such a wide range of health conditions, and also because nearly all of his 44 patients showed vast improvement while supplementing with flaxseed oil.

Why aren’t we getting the EFA’s we need?

As you might already know, your body does not produce essential fatty acids on its own. This means we are dependent upon our diets to maintain healthy levels of EFA’s. This also explains why most of us are deficient in the Omega-3 EFA. At the turn of the 20th century people ate a much better diet than we do today; food was processed minimally if at all and fresh fruits, vegetables and grains were eaten in large amounts. These days, we tend to eat a lot of fast food and wash it down with Big Gulps of sugary soda. In fact, nutritionists estimate that as much as 60 percent of our calories now come from fats and refined sugars, neither of which contains any essential fatty acids to speak of. Our current poor diet combined with epidemic levels of several diseases are causing many researchers to wonder if we are actually dealing with a modern-day food-related disease. For example, it took doctors over 100 years to recognize that a long list of symptoms including dementia, diarrhea and arthritis were actually all caused by pellagra, a disease brought on by a severe deficiency of niacin. Once people were given supplements of the B vitamin pellagra virtually disappeared. It is quite possible that our county’s rising levels of seemingly unrelated diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer are actually all tied in to a severe deficiency of the Omega-3 essential fatty acid, and adding flaxseed oil to our diets may well be the solution.

Dr. Joanna Budwig, a pioneer of flaxseed oil research

One researcher who definitely recognizes the relationship between low levels of EFA’s and poor health is Dr. Joanna Budwig of Germany. Specifically, she has spent years studying the effect of flaxseed oil supplementation and its effect on cancer. Her work began back in the 1950’s and is still being carried out today. Dr. Budwig is now famous for successfully treating cancer patients using a combination of two tablespoons of flaxseed oil mixed with ¼ cup of low-fat cottage cheese. Dr. Budwig use of cottage cheese stemmed from her research involving the combining of oil and protein in the diet and its effect on health. Dr. Budwig found that fats are water-soluble and more available to our systems when they bind with a protein. Flaxseed oil is a superb, high-quality product rich in electrons and Dr. Budwig discovered that when it is combined with what is known as a “sulphurated protein” the electrons stay protected until needed by the body for energy. Using her brilliant daily program involving the combination of flaxseed oil and the sulphurated protein, many terminally ill patients have been cured of their cancer.

Flaxseed oil also rich in lignans

Flaxseed is not only rich in essential fatty acids, but it also contains more lignans than any other plant on Earth. Lignans are technically known as phytochemicals and are found in the cell matrix of plants. Flaxseed contains anywhere from 100 to 800 times the lignans found in other foods. Lignans are like essential fatty acids in that their presence can greatly improve our health. Lignans have been found to have antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties, and recently studies are focusing on lignans’ role in preventing different types of cancer including breast cancer.

It is estimated that one in eight women will get breast cancer during her lifetime, and unfortunately many will die from the disease. Researchers have discovered that having too much estrogen in the body can lead to the development of breast cancer. Studies done on lignans have shown that once in the body they will convert into what is known as “mammalian lignans.” The mammalian lignans bind to the estrogen receptors in the body and excess estrogen is then flushed out of the body before it can do any harm.

A study conducted on 120 women found that those whose breast tissues contained high amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids were also the least likely to develop breast cancer. For the women in the study who did get breast cancer, the ones with the higher amounts of Omega-3 in their breast tissue had the least amount of metastasis, or spreading of the cancer to other organs and tissues.

Go ahead and give it a try!

It is rare to find a supplement that can improve our health as dramatically as flaxseed oil. It seems that virtually everyone has at least one health condition that can be helped by taking flaxseed oil, and all of us can benefit from having increased levels of essential fatty acids in our systems. Flaxseed oil has a slightly nutty flavor and is delicious “a la Budwig” when mixed with low-fat cottage cheese. Or, if you are a fan of salad, try making your own dressing with flaxseed oil-simply combine the oil w/some garlic and other herbs you like and toss it with the greens. Flaxseed oil may be a new flavor for some, but it will definitely not be just a “flavor of the month.” With its long list of health benefits and impressive research, flaxseed oil is definitely here to stay!

Jesse L.S.C.T.

Rudin, Donald, and Felix, Clara, Omega-3 Oils-A Practical Guide, 1996, pages 3-8

Various Internet Sources

Ladies, Take Care of Your Health with a Trio of Healthy Oils

Being a woman can be hard work!

Women are good at doing many things. You are wives, mothers, and daughters. You are caregivers, chauffeurs, and cooks. You think nothing of balancing 6 bags of groceries on one hip and a fussy toddler on the other, all while closing the car door with our foot. You take care of our husbands, our children, and sometimes even our own parents.

You are also good at worrying. You worry about the children. You worry about the bills. And you worry about our own health: from breast cancer to osteoporosis, or PMS to menopause. When you think about it, it’s a wonder you don’t all completely lose our minds.

But while you are fantastic at taking care of others, many of you do so at the expense of another important person-ourselves. you skimp on sleep, exercise, or decent food, and over time, our appearance often begins to show it. So, you put on a little more concealer or drink a little more coffee and just keep going.

Wouldn’t it be a good idea to spend as much time taking care of ourselves as you do everyone else? In a perfect world, this would mean doing away with all forms of stress, and spending several hours every day just relaxing. But, since you all know that is unlikely to happen, you have to focus on things you can do to maintain and improve our health. We can start by making sure we get enough sleep at night-this often goes a long way in improving our overall outlook and appearance. You also need to make the time for regular exercise-not only will it tone our bodies but it has also been shown to help reduce stress and anxiety.

But perhaps the most important thing you can do for our health is to nourish ourselves properly. If you are going to look healthy on the outside of our bodies you must also be healthy on the inside. One simple way to help achieve this is to increase our consumption of three nutritional powerhouses-flaxseed, evening primrose, and soy oils. This healthy trio has been shown to help with a variety of health concerns specific to women, while also providing you with the nutrition so many of us desperately need.

Flaxseed and Evening Primrose oil-two new best friends for women

By now, most of you have probably read that there are bad fats and good fats. But just because we read it, it does not always mean that you believe it. Women especially have a hard time letting go of the notion that fats can be anything but thigh-expanding, bottom-building bad guys.

But you know what? It really is true. There truly is a difference between bad fats, like, say, deep-fried Twinkies, and good, healthy, fantastic fats, like flaxseed, evening primrose, and soy oil.

For example, flaxseed oil is incredibly rich in essential fatty acids, nutritional superheroes that our bodies can not produce on our own. Specifically, these EFAs are called omega-3 (or alpha linolenic acid) and omega-6 (or linoleic acid). Essential fatty acids have been studied extensively over the years and have been linked to improving a huge number of health issues, including cancer, heart disease, cholesterol and depression.

The only problem with EFAs is that very few of you seem to get enough of them. Up to 20 percent of the people in our country do not have any measurable blood levels of EFAs at all. When you realize how vital EFAs are to our health, it’s no wonder that diseases related to low EFA levels like cancer and heart disease are on the rise.

The EFAs found in flaxseed oil have also been shown to improve a variety of skin conditions ranging from the relatively benign dry skin to the more serious psoriasis. In fact, many women who incorporate EFA-rich oils into their diets often notice within a matter of weeks that their skin is healed and smooth again. And since flaxseed oil works by nourishing the skin from the inside out, many women find that it is no longer necessary to apply copious amounts of lotion everyday.

Like flaxseed oil, evening primrose oil is also rich in healthy nutrients. One, called gamma linolenic acid (or GLA), has been found in studies to be especially vital for a woman’s unique health needs. For example, evening primrose oil may help alleviate certain symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. Evening primrose oil has also been shown to improve skin conditions, arthritis, and the immune system, especially when taken in conjunction with flaxseed oil. One study conducted at the University of California in Davis found that the one-two punch of flaxseed and evening primrose oil was especially effective at treating patients with psoriasis.

Flax oil is fantastic, but don’t forget the rest of the seed!

Sometimes you get so excited reading about the many benefits of flax and evening primrose oil that you don’t even think the rest of the seeds can be beneficial as well. This is especially true for flaxseeds, which are incredibly rich in a phytonutrient called lignans. Lignans are found in the solid parts of the flaxseed-basically, what is leftover once the oil has been extracted. Flax lignans are quickly becoming just as famous as flax oil for their health-enhancing properties. Specifically, researchers are finding over and over that lignans may help prevent certain forms of cancers, particularly breast and colon cancer. One study conducted on lignans involved 120 women. Overall, those who had the highest levels of omega-3 EFAs in their breast tissue had the least amount of cancer. Lignans work by balancing the amount of estrogen you have in our bodies; they help regulate estrogen levels while eliminating the dangerous forms of estrogen that may lead to cancer. Because of this, lignans derived from flaxseed are especially important for women because our estrogen levels typically rise and fall throughout each month.

The joy of soy

Soy has also been receiving a lot of attention lately, and for good reason. Soybeans contain phytonutrients known as isoflavones, saponins and protease inhibitors. These three are also sometimes referred to as plant-based hormones, and they seem to have a much more gentle effect on the body than regular hormones. Soy-based phytonutrients like isoflavone may help balance estrogen and progesterone, which makes them useful in treating the symptoms of PMS and menopause. Specifically, isoflavones derived from soy have been shown in studies to help alleviate hot flashes, anxiety and mood swings, all while preventing estrogen from increasing the risk of cancer. Additionally, soy-based saponins may help lower cholesterol levels and protease inhibitors help our cells repair DNA while keeping cell growth to a minimum.

Remember, take care of yourself too!

Most women find that taking care of others is very satisfying. But you cannot do it at the expense of our own health. you must take the time each day to focus on ourselves and make sure you are getting the proper nutrition you need and deserve. Clearly, both our lives, and the lives of others, depend on it.

Jesse L.S.C.T.

Murray, Michael T., Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements, 1996, pages 249-268

Rudin, Donald and Felix, Clara, Omega-3 Oils-A Practical Guide, 1996, pages 5-7, 44-45, 82-83

Various internet sources

Johnston, Ingeborg, and Johnston, James R., Flaxseed (Linseed) Oil and the Power of Omega-3, 1990, pages 20-22

Murray, Michael, Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements, 1996, pages 257-261

Rudin, Donald, and Felix, Clara, Omega-3 Oils: A Practical Guide, 1996, pages 25-32