Talk to me about Flax, Flax Seed and Flax Oil

banslug

banslug

Cathlete
On the recommendation of a trainer that I used last month, I began using 1T flax oil each day (usually mixed in with my egg whites). I'm using Barlean's Organic Flax Oil..."100% organic, pure & unflitered, cold pressed fresh daily".

Talk to me. I understand that the flax oil helps get rid of the bad fats in the body or something like that. I also understand that it's more easily digested by the body than ground flax seed.

Is there a difference in BRANDs?
Is one better than the other?
What, exactly, does flax oil do for me?

TALK TO ME! [font size=-3]please[/font]

THANKS!

Gayle
 
Flax is one of the good oils, full of the Omega 3s.. While fish oil has both Omega 3s & 6s, it's thought that we may be getting an abundance of the 6s (also found in olive & canola oils) but not of the 3s and many of our diseases are coming from the unbalance.

I like Barleans as a brand but be sure you get the "high lignans" which leaves the good stuff in. I buy this for my DH who has heart disease. I, myself prefer the ground seeds (grind in coffee grinder) because it's thought to reduce the chances of cancer and cancer runs in my family. Plus.. it taste good in oatmeal or yogurt.

The oil, I mix with juice or in a smoothie for my husband but it's also good drizzeled on salad and I've been known to take it straight from the bottle.

My DH swears both flax and oatmeal are what has kept his cholesterol down. A google search on the benefits of flax, will give you many results.

good luck with it,
 
I recommend flax seed (that you grind yourself) over oil. The oil is a partial food, that doesn't contain some of the beneficial elements (like fiber) of whole flax. It also can go rancid quite quickly. (Keep whole flax seed in the freezer, and grind a cupful or so in a small blender cup or coffee grinder--but only one you DON'T use for coffee, unless you want coffee-flavored flax!).

Golden flax is best, IMO, both because it tastes better, and because it's supposed to have slightly higher levels of lignans or some other good stuff--I forget!)

An alternative to flax seed is chia seed, which is also high in Omega-3 fatty acids. According to the info on a container of Anatura chia seed (which is advertising, so perhaps to be taken with a grain of salt), chia seed contains 25% more protein than flax, twice as much calcium, 25 times more lignans (the fibers that are supposed to bind with cholesterol in the body and help remove it), and a higher level of antioxidants.
 
Gayle, I also prefer the ground flaxseeds. I add a tablespoon or so to my oatmeal, or sprinkle it on salads, etc. I also use it as a substitute for the fat in baked goods. It's a great way to sneak a little nutrition and fiber into your kids diets by adding it to cookies and muffins. I use it instead of oil when I make my buckwheat pancakes and they always turn out great. I think the pancake recipe calls for 1 TBSP of oil and I swap it out for 3 TBSP of ground flaxseed, and I increase the liquid in the recipe just a tad.
 
I use ground flax seed and keep it in the freezer. I thought this was just as good as grinding it yourself every day. But, somebody please set me straight if it's not!
My DH puts 1-2 T in his oatmeal every morning and swears it has lowered his cholesterol.

Gin:)
 
Gin, I buy it ground. I think it's fine if you use it up quickly. Preground is thought to lose some of the nutritional value, but again, we're probably just splitting hairs here, provided you don't store it for an extended period. I go though a 1 lb bag of it in about 2 months.
 
Where do you buy golden flax seed? Is one brand better than another? Should it be stored in the freezer? Thanks
 
>I use ground flax seed and keep it in the freezer. I thought
>this was just as good as grinding it yourself every day. But,
>somebody please set me straight if it's not!

I don't think it is.
It comes in a clear plastic bag, right? So when it's ground, the inside of the seed is exposed to light (who knows the amount of oxygen it's exposed to between grinding and bagging). Light/oxygen exposure has negative effects on nutrients. I don't know how much.

I do think that using pre-ground flax and keeping it in the freezer is better than flax oil.

One thing to look for : does the label say "ground whole flax" (or something of that nature) or "flax meal" (what's left after most of the oil is pressed out, so some of the nutrients are missing?)
 
>Where do you buy golden flax seed? Is one brand better than
>another? Should it be stored in the freezer? Thanks

I buy Now Foods brand. It's available in many health-food-type stores (at the best price). I keep mine in the freezer, and fresh-grind a cup or so at a time).
 
Good point Kathryn - I buy Bob's Red Mill and though it comes in a bag that is not see through and I do keep it frozen or refrigerated for what I'm using at the current time, I hadn't checked for the whole vs meal.

Will check as soon as I'm done here.
 
THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR INPUT!!!!

I just added a tablespoon to the homemade Belgian waffles I just made the kids! Made me feel like such a good mom! LOL

OK....so here's what I'm using:

Spectrum Essentials Brand
Cold Milled
Organic Ground Premium Flaxseed
98mg lignans per serving (which is 2T)
ingredient list says: organic triple-cleaned cold milled ground flaxseed

Look good? It doesn't say anything about ground WHOLE flaxseed or anything. I guess I'll finish out this bag that I just bought (I keep it in the fridge, and it's in a foil-lined dark pouch) and then try out grinding my own (mom just gave me an old grinder, perfect timing).

THANKS again!

Gayle
 
I buy whole flax seed and grind only what I need for the week in my coffee bean grinder. I keep both the whole seeds and the ground seeds refrigerated.

Monica
 
I second the idea to use ground seed rather than the oil. It's true that the ground seed is harder for the body to digest, but that's a good thing!

Now for the rest of you enablers (*ahem*, Kathryn). I've been trying to ignore the fact that my giant bag of flax seed meal comes in a transparent non-vacuum packed bag.

Off to buy a coffee grinder...
 
Hi,

I've been taking Barlean's Highest Lignan Flax Oil for several years and have seen a huge difference in hot flashes, pms, symptoms, etc. I have figured out exactly how much I have to take in order to relieve the negative symptoms. I buy the 32oz bottle and keep half in the freezer and half in the refrigerator. It will go bad once opened if it is not refrigerated.

I understand that the seeds are better, but I just could never seem to incorporate enough into my diet to get what I needed (I have some in the freezer now:)) This is one of those situations where I think that although one option may be nutritionally better than another, I do what works for my lifestyle and some is better than none.

Tracy
 
Great info!! I've been adding ground flax seed to my oatmeal for a couple years now, sometimes I add it to my yogurt also. I add it to whole wheat pancake batter and other baked goods (healthy banana bread). My kids don't know the difference! ;-)
 
I would love to include this into our diets here but I live in a very small town and have only a Walmart along with some mom & pops stores to shop.

The flax I've seen at walmart looks to be grounded like flour is that good? Or should I start looking for online sources?
 
I also use the ground flax. I add it into all my baked goods and the kids never know..

Vilma: I have bought the ground flax seed in Walmart before. They sell it in my store by the vitamins. I think it was in a gold package. Not sure of the brand.
 
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