Flaxseed Oil Information
Flaxseed oil is derived from the hard, tiny seeds of the flax
plant. Like fish oil, flaxseed oil contains an omega-3 fatty
acid = alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). In addition to alpha-linolenic
acid, flaxseed oil also contains omega-6 fatty acids. Both
acids are essential to health. A typical dosage of flaxseed oil
is 1-2 tablespoons, however, some manufacturers market
flaxseed oil in capsules.

What are the health benefits of flaxseed oil?
Flaxseed oil has been shown benefits on lowering heart
diseases by reducing cholesterol levels, high blood pressure
and slowing down atherosclerosis. Flaxseed oil may also
benefit people suffered from bipolar disorder, cancer, acne
and rheumatoid arthritis.

What is flaxseed oil good for?
How may flaxseed oil benefit our brain?
Phospholipase A2 hydrolyzes fatty acids from membrane
phospholipids: liberated omega-6 PUFAs are metabolized to
prostaglandins with a higher inflammatory potential.
Intervention trials in human subjects show that omega-3
fatty acids have possible positive effects or benefits in the
treatment of various psychiatric disorders. [1] Anyway, more
scientific supports are needed for this claim.

How may flaxseed oil benefit people suffered from high
cholesterol, heart disease and diabetes?
Alpha-Linolenic acid (Flaxseed oil) significantly decreased
hepatic cholesterol but no effect was observed on heart and
kidney cholesterol levels. [2]

Alpha-linolenic acid (flaxseed oil) may reduce cardiovascular
risk through platelet function and inflammation. [3]

Spray-dried milk formulations supplemented with flaxseed oil
are probably effective to decrease the risk factors associated
with cardiovascular disease. [4]

Studies in rats suggest that alpha-linolenic acid (flaxseed oil)
may be more effective in preventing ventricular fibrillations
than eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid. [5]

Dietary flaxseed oil exerted antiarrhythmic effects during
ischemia-reperfusion in rabbit hearts, possibly through
shortening of the action potential. [6]

In healthy horses supplemented with flaxseed oil, platelet
aggregation was not altered. [7]

However, flaxseed oil did not increase the effect of dietary
therapy in correction of glycemia, hypertension and
atherogenic lipid levels. [15]

How may flaxseed oil benefit people suffered from
cancers?
BREAST CANCER
MICE Mice were injected with human breast cancer cells and
fed basal diet. Excisions of tumor were performed, when the
tumors reached 110 mm.  Flaxseed oil supplementation was
found to achieve a greater reduction in lung and total
metastases. [10]

In a study of mouse, flaxseed oil combined with melatonin
caused a significant decrease in the number and size of
tumors. High doses of flaxseed oil could also delay in the
growth of mammary cancers. [11]

Supplementation with flaxseed oil for 13 weeks after
carcinogen administration was found to reduce established
mammary cancer size in rats. [12]

HUMAN In a study of 16 premenopausal women, flaxseed
supplementation was observed to significantly increase the
urinary 2:16alpha-OHE1 ratio which indicated flaxseed may
be chemoprotective in premenopausal women. [13]

COLON CANCER
Flaxseed oil is effective in preventing colon tumor
development when compared with dietary corn oil in rats.
[14]

LIVER CANCER
The PGE2 concentrations were decreased in livers and
tumours of rats fed flaxseed oil. [16]

Spontaneous tumorigenesis in the liver of male C3H/He mice
bred for 50 wk was suppressed by being supplied with
flaxseed oil. [17]

How may flaxseed oil help renal diseases or injuries?
Flaxseed oil slowed down early fibrosis progression in renal
injury of mice. [9] In a study of rats, flaxseed oil feeding
produced hepatic and renal enrichments of n-3 PUFA and an
increase in C18:>C18 PUFA ratios. The flaxseed oil-based
diet was associated with lower mean cystic. Thus, flaxseed oil
feeding moderates renal injury and the consumption of
flaxseed oil-based products may provide health benefit. [18]

Flaxseed oil may improve bone health and lower risks
of UVB induced skin injury.
Dietary level of alpha-linolenic acid (10% flaxseed oil) results
in modest improvements in some bone outcomes in a study
of mice. [8]

Anti-inflammatory activity of dietary flaxseed oil was
demonstrated in UVB-irradiated hairless mice. UVB-induced
prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production was significantly lower in
rats fed an ALA-rich (flaxseed oil) diet after UVB irradiation.
[19]

What are the flaxseed oil side effects?
Up to the date this article is prepared, serious flaxseed oil
side effects have not been reported. Flaxseed oil appears to
be a safe nutritional supplement when used as
recommended. However, people who are at high risk of
cancer should not take flaxseed oil, unless they are under
physician's advice.

Flaxseed oil is not safe when it is heated for a long
time. The heated flaxseed oil side effect include liver
enlargement or even liver damage. The fume from heated
flaxseed oil may cause cancer. While, high dose flaxseed oil
side effects include non-formed feces, depression, anorexia,
mild colic, high serum glucose and bilirubin levels. [based on
animal studies]. Flaxseed oil side effects, based on research
findings are summarized as follows:

Cooking flaxseed oil fumes may increase lung cancer risk.
[20]

Horses given large doses of flaxseed oil had nonformed feces
by 24 hours after the first administration of flaxseed oil in a
study. During or after two weeks flaxseed oil
supplementation, some horses also developed depression,
anorexia, mild colic, high serum glucose and bilirubin levels.
[21]

Flaxseed oil turned to be toxic when it was heated at high
temperatures. During gestation and lactation, female rats fed
with heated flaxseed oil. Newborn rats found dead and their
livers were heavier and higher in lipid content. [22] .

       Why is flaxseed meal getting popular?

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THIS ARTICLE IS FOR YOUR REFERENCE ONLY. MORE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE
ARE NEEDED FOR MOST OF ITS CLAIMS. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION YOU
SHOULD CONSULT WITH YOUR DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY.  ALL RIGHTs
RESERVED 2007 zhion
[1] Haag M. Essential fatty acids and the brain. Can J Psychiatry. 2003
Apr;48(3):195-203 [2]  Yang L et al alpha-Linolenic acid but not conjugated
linolenic acid is hypocholesterolaemic in hamsters. : Br J Nutr. 2005 Apr;93
(4):433-8. [3] Mozaffarian D. Does alpha-linolenic acid intake reduce the risk
of coronary heart disease? A review of the evidence. Altern Ther Health Med.
2005 May-Jun;11 (3):24-30; quiz 31, 79. [4] Ramaprasad TR et al,
Supplementation and delivery of n-3 fatty acids through spray-dried milk
reduce serum and liver lipids in rats. Lipids. 2004 Jul;39(7):627-32. [5]
Ristic-Medic D et al, Alpha-linolenic acid* and cardiovascular diseases. Med
Pregl. 2003;56 Suppl 1:19-25. *flaxseed oil. [6] Ander BP et al, Dietary
flaxseed protects against ventricular fibrillation induced by
ischemia-reperfusion in normal and hypercholesterolemic Rabbits. J Nutr.
2004 Dec;134(12):3250-6. [7] Hansen RA et al, Effects of dietary flaxseed
oil supplementation on equine plasma fatty acid concentrations and whole
blood platelet aggregation. J Vet Intern Med. 2002 Jul-Aug;16(4):457-63.
[8] Cohen SL et al, Flaxseed oil and inflammation-associated bone
abnormalities in interleukin-10 knockout mice. J Nutr Biochem. 2005 Jun;16
(6):368-74. [9] Sankaran D. Modulation of renal injury in pcy mice by dietary
fat containing n-3 fatty acids depends on the level and type of fat. Lipids.
2004 Mar;39(3):207-14. [10] Chen J et al Flaxseed and its components
reduce metastasis after surgical excision of solid human breast tumor in
mice. Cancer Lett. 2005 May 2 [11]Rao GN, Effect of melatonin and linolenic
acid on mammary cancer in transgenic mice with c-neu breast cancer
oncogene. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2000 Dec;64(3):287-96. [12] Thompson
LU et al, The effect of flaxseed oil may be related to its high alpha-linolenic
acid. Carcinogenesis. 1996 Jun;17(6):1373-6. [13] Haggans CJ The effect of
flaxseed and wheat bran consumption on urinary estrogen metabolites in
premenopausal women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2000
Jul;9(7):719-25. [14] Dwivedi C et al, Chemopreventive effects of dietary
flaxseed oil on colon tumor development. Nutr Cancer. 2005;51(1):52-8.
[15] Alekseeva RI et al, Effects of a diet including linseed oil on clinical and
metabolic parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Vopr Pitan.
2000;69(6):32-5. [16] Jelinska M., Effects of dietary linseed, evening
primrose or fish oils on fatty acid and prostaglandin E2 contents in the rat
livers and 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced tumours. Biochim
Biophys Acta. 2003 Apr 17;1637(3):193-9. [17] Thuy NT et al, Comparative
effect of dietary olive, safflower, and linseed oils* on spontaneous liver
tumorigenesis in C3H/He mice. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2001
Oct;47(5):363-6. *flaxseed oil [18] Ogborn MR et al, Dietary flax oil reduces
renal injury, oxidized LDL content, and tissue n-6/n-3 FA ratio in
experimental polycystic kidney disease. Lipids. 2002 Nov;37(11):1059-65.
[19] Takemura N et al, Dietary, but not topical, alpha-linolenic acid
suppresses UVB-induced skin injury in hairless mice when compared with
linoleic acids. Photochem Photobiol. 2002 Dec;76(6):657-63. [20] Metayer C.
et al Cooking oil fumes and risk of lung cancer in women in rural Gansu,
China. Lung Cancer. 2002 Feb;35(2):111-7. [21]Schumacher J et al, Clinical
and clinicopathologic effects of large doses of raw linseed oil* as compared
to mineral oil in healthy horses. J Vet Intern Med. 1997
Sep-Oct;11(5):296-9.*flaxseed oil [22] Potteau B. Influence of heated
linseed oil* on reproduction in the female rat and on the composition of
hepatic lipids in young rats Ann Nutr Aliment. 1976;30(1):67-88.*flaxseed oil
What is flaxseed oil good for? What are the
benefits of flaxseed oil?     March 20, 2007
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Flaxseed

Why is flaxseed meal getting popular? What is its benefits?
Flaxseed meal was found to be more beneficial on some chronic
conditions such as high triglycerides and liver steatosis than soy
protein meal, in a study of rats.

Flaxseed or Flaxseed oil, which one offers better health
benefits? Flaxseed oil alone in human subjects had no effects on the
lipid profiles in some studies.

Why are lignans so important in flaxseed?
ingestion of flaxseed rich in lignans (matairesinol and
secoisolariciresinol) improves glucose control and insulin resistance.

What are the health benefits of flaxseed oil?
Flaxseed oil has been shown benefits on lowering heart
diseases by reducing cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and
slowing down atherosclerosis.