To all Flaxseed List Members,
Here is a most interesting article on Flaxseed Oil by Bruce Fife,N.D., which
appeared on the Cocconut oil website to which some of us subscribe:
http://www.coconut-info.com/facts_on_flax.htm_flax.htm./ I beleive there is
a lot of good in this article but as I answered, Dr. Budwig`s protocl is
not Flaxseed oil alone: It is a combination of Flaxseed oil and
non-commercial low fat quark ( cottage cheese or yoghurt). Those of us who
use it know it`s benefits which can also be found in Dr. Budwig`s
explanations. It`s unfortunate that all of her works are not published in
English because we are at a disadvantage since we don`t know all of what she
has written.
I feel that Bruce Fife has made a real contribution in warning us about some
dangers re: freshness, commercialism, overuse of the oil alone, etc. But I
wouldn`t substitute Fish Oil for my flaxseed plant oil, nor would I stop
using the the Dr. Budwig combination. Having said that, I must also say I
have been investigating adding [Extra Virgin] Coconut oil ( and am
searching for Palm Oil here in Taiwan ,too) to add to my diet in some
manner. The reputation of both of these oils has been desecrated by food
processors , etc.,for too long and I`m glad to see them coming back into
use .Any and all comments are appreciated.
Thanks and best, Mike Cinelli
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THE FACTS ON FLAX
By Bruce Fife, N.D.
excerpted from the book "Saturated Fats May Save Your Life"
GOOD AND BAD
Studies have shown that people who eat as little as one fish meal a week can
reduce their risk of dying from cardiac arrest by fifty percent.1 Fish is
without question the best source for omega-3 fatty acids, because it
supplies EPA, the direct precursor to PGE3, the compound that initiates
protective mechanisms against heart attack. Fish oil supplements are
believed to provide the same degree of protection as eating seafood, but
many nutritionists do not recommend oil from fish liver because of the
possibility of contamination.
Many people nowadays are avoiding all types of meat and meat byproducts,
including fish. These people prefer a vegetable source for omega-3 fatty
acids. Alpha-linolenic acid, which the body can convert into EPA, is found
to some degree in many plants. Flaxseed contains the highest percentage of
alpha-linolenic acid (57%) of any commercially grown plant. Because of its
high alpha-linolenic acid content, flaxseed oil has become the leading
supplemental source for this essential fatty acid.
Over the past several years we have witnessed a flaxseed revolution. A few
years ago no one ever heard of flaxseed, nowadays it's considered a new
super nutrient. It's been hailed as a panacea for many ills. No respectable
health food store would be caught dead without a half dozen assorted
varieties available for sale.
Both good and bad can be said about alpha-linolenic acid and flaxseed oil in
general. Unfortunately, the bad is ignored in preference to promoting only
the good. This has created the misconception that flaxseed oil provides
great benefits with little risks. In reality, there are many risks.
Studies suggest that alpha-linolenic acid may be useful in treating numerous
conditions. The most notable being: cancer, arthritis, irritable bowel
syndrome, hypertension (high blood pressure), heart disease, phrombosis,
dermatitis, lupus nephritis, and in lowering total cholesterol. If it can do
all this, isn't that proof that flaxseed is a useful dietary supplement? It
can appear that way, but if you understand how flaxseed oil works, you would
consider it a dangerous drug to be used with extreme caution just as you
would other powerful drugs, rather than look at it as a harmless dietary
supplement.
The best thing that can be said about alpha-linolenic acid is that it has a
neutralizing or balancing effect against the overconsumption of linoleic
acid found in vegetable oils. Since vegetable oil consumption can lead to
numerous health problems, alpha-linolenic acid can be useful in reversing or
preventing these problems. The reason why flaxseed oil has been shown to be
useful for so many health problems is because vegetable oils cause so many.
Flaxseed can counterbalance these effects. In so doing, however, the body
must suffer the ravages of internal warfare.
So in one respect, flaxseed oil can be very useful. But as a consequence,
the body must suffer with side effects that can be every bit as destructive
as a prescription drug. In most cases, alpha-linolenic acid supplementation
is unnecessary because there are other ways to bring the essential fatty
acids in our bodies into balance without causing further harm.
Since alpha-linolenic acid is extracted from flaxseed, it is considered a
"natural" substance and, therefore, regulated as a dietary supplement.
Supplements, for the most part, are relatively harmless. But because
flaxseed oil is readily available to anyone, and because it is recommended
for the treatment of just about every ailment from stomach ulcers to kidney
disease, it is easy to take too much, and instead of suffering from an
excess of omega-6, like most everyone else, you may suffer from an excess of
omega-3. The effects can be just as bad, if not worse.
DANGERS OF FLAXSEED OIL
Heart Disease
There is a great deal of evidence on flaxseed oil which suggest that it
isn't the best thing to be eating in its concentrated, refined state.
Alpha-linolenic acid from flaxseed affects the liver's ability to process
certain nutrients. For example, it inhibits the production of enzymes
necessary to synthesize cholesterol. Some people may consider this a
positive effect because it lowers the body's total cholesterol level.
Others question any substance that stifles the body's normal metabolic
processes. Cholesterol which is formed in the liver is not the same as the
cholesterol that clogs the arteries. So inhibiting the liver's production of
cholesterol does not affect cardiovascular health. The cholesterol that
contributes to plaque in the arteries is oxidized cholesterol. Non-oxidized
cholesterol does not clog arteries, but is used in cell membranes. nerve
tissue, and as part of the brain, and therefore is an important and
necessary component of our bodies.
Our intestines absorb fats from the foods we eat and package them together
into small bundles called lipopro-teins. Lipoproteins are then released into
the bloodstream and transported throughout the body. As they are carried
through the circulatory system, fat is dispersed and picked up by our cells.
Polyunsaturated oils, including flaxseed oil, are easily oxidized. When it
oxidizes it kicks off a series of free-radical chain reactions that affects
all molecules around it. Millions of molecules can be destroyed or oxidized
by the generation of a single free radical. Cholesterol that is in close
proximity to a polyunsaturated oil that is becoming oxidized, as is the case
in lipoproteins, will also become oxidized. These oxidized, free-radical
damaged oils are absorbed into the lining of the artery walls and contribute
to the formation of plaque. Non-oxidized fats are incorporated into the
cells as they should be, and do not end up as plaque deposits. Here is the
warning: even though alpha-linolenic acid may lower total cholesterol, it
actually contributes to atherosclerosis and all forms of cardiovascular
disease. It does this by causing the oxidization of cholesterol and other
fats, both of which are components to arterial plaque.2
All polyunsaturated oils provide a source of free radicals which can damage
arterial walls which initiates the plaque-building process. PGE2 derived
from vegetable oils constricts blood vessels and increases platelet
stickiness, which raises blood pressure and causes further damage to
arterial walls. When injury occurs to the artery in this type of
environment, oxidized fat is attracted to and incorporated into the injury
site. Because platelets become sticky, blood clots easily form on injured
artery walls. These clots can grow big enough to block an artery or break
off and float down and lodge into a smaller artery. When an artery is
clogged, cells are deprived of much needed oxygen, causing tissue death. In
the heart it can cause a heart attack; in the brain it can cause a stroke.
Studies show that lipid peroxides (oxidized vegetable oils) are associated
with coronary heart disease, caused by enhanced free-radical formation.3
It is interesting to note that the countries that consume the most vegetable
oils are also the ones that have the highest death rate from heart attack
and stroke.
The effects of free-radical damage and plaque buildup are partially offset
by the fact that PGE3 from the alpha-linolenic acid in flaxseed oil makes
platelets in the blood less sticky and diminishes vasoconstriction (widens
artery passageways), so positive results could be deducted. The stickiness
of the blood and widening of the artery passageways are temporary benefits
that occur only as long as PGE3 is in the blood. PGE3 has a short life so
must be replenished continually to retain benefits. Plaque, on the other
hand, represents long-term damage that won't just go away once the cause has
been removed. In brief, what I'm saying here is that flaxseed oil can have
short-term benefits, but because it is highly susceptible to free-radical
generation, in the long run it can actually contribute to cardiovascular
disease. It's ironic that a substance recommended to help prevent heart
disease can actually contribute to it!
This may be difficult for some people to believe because many people who
are at high risk of having a heart attack have been able to reduce their
symptoms (such as lower blood cholesterol and blood pressure) after taking
flaxseed oil. One well-known nutritionist (name of this person, with whom I
am personally acquainted, is not included so as to protect privacy) who
promoted the use and benefits of omega-3 fatty acids as healthy for the
cardiovascular system and even wrote a popular book about it, suffered a
heart attack himself. He was considered an expert on the health benefits of
flaxseed oil. He ate very little meat, avoided saturated fat like the
plague, and faithfully took flaxseed oil supplements every day for many
years. But it didn't work. Flaxseed oil helped to keep his cholesterol level
and blood pressure within normal ranges, but he still developed
cardiovascular disease and suffered a heart attack. The flaxseed oil only
masked the symptoms, it did not prevent the disease. It is interesting to
note that he ate a heart-healthy diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables
and low in animal fats. But he continued to supplement his diet with
vegetable oils, particularly flaxseed oil. If it didn't protect him, how can
we expect it to help us?
Keep in mind that I am referring primarily to oxidized flaxseed oil, the
type that is usually sold as a dietary supplement and not fresh oil. Some
brands of flaxseed oil are preserved with natural antioxidants such as
vitamin E which will prolong their shelf life. But even they will oxidize if
too old or not stored or handled properly.
The oil industry tries to downplay the danger of free-radical damage that
can be caused by flaxseed and other polyunsaturated oils. They admit that
oxidation of their products poses a potential problem, but stress the
benefits outweigh the risks. They have done a great deal of research and
have accumulated a long list of health conditions for which flaxseed and
other oils have shown to be of benefit. Many of these degenerative
conditions, as you have seen, are a result of too much linoleic acid from
vegetable oils rather than from a deficiency in alpha-linolenic acid. Just
simply reducing the intake of vegetable oils is all that is needed to
reestablish the body's balance.
A Safe and Natural Product?
One of the loudest claims we hear for the use of flax-seed oil is for its
cancer-fighting ability. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in
Western countries. If alpha-linolenic acid from flaxseed oil can prevent or
cure cancer it would be a very valuable remedy. Many studies have been
undertaken which show alpha-linolenic acid has potent anticancer properties.
There is no question in this regard, the studies are clear. Because
alpha-linolenic acid comes from flaxseed oil, which is considered a
"natural" product, the health food industry and natural health care
practitioners have embraced it as a miracle worker.
There are some problems, however. Flaxseed oil can hardly be classified as a
"natural" product. It is highly processed and refined, making it no more
natural than white sugar (or even aspirin which originally came from the
bark of the white willow tree). Many of the synergistic elements of the
whole plant are removed to obtain a pure oil. just as all the
phytochemicals, vitamins, and minerals are removed from sugar beets to make
sugar (or the willow plant to refine aspirin, although nowadays aspirin is
synthetically manufactured). The oil resembles a drug more than a food.
Depending on your viewpoint of medicine, this isn't necessarily bad, but it
certainly can't be considered natural.
I classify flaxseed oil as a drug, because that is how it works against
cancer. Most people who hear that flaxseed oil has anticancer properties
assume it to be a safe natural product without harmful side effecs that will
protect them from cancer. Many start taking it regularly just as a
precaution. What they don't know. and what the oil industry doesn't
publicize, is that the anticancer properties of flax-seed oil are a result
of free-radical damage to cancerous tissues and not to any healthful
properties of the oil itself!
Flaxseed oil and other polyunsaturated oils create so many destructive free
radicals in the body that they can actually kill cancer cells.4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11
The theory behind this process is that cancer cells are diseased and,
therefore, weakened. Free-radical reactions will further weaken and kill
these cells. Although free radicals affect the entire body, including
healthy cells, the weakest cells will die off first. This is the same type
of process that happens in chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy drugs are highly toxic and affect the entire body. The cancer
cells, being abnormal, are less capable of resisting these drugs, are the
first to die. The entire body is poisoned in the process, but normal cells
are better able to withstand and recover from the drugs. Flax-seed oil is
used in exactly the same manner and is, therefore, no different than
chemotherapy drugs.
The most obvious drawback to chemotherapy are the side effects. While
chemotherapy drugs attack the entire body, the strongest effects take place
where cells grow (he fastest such as the bone marrow, the intestinal lining,
the hair follicles, and the mouth, sometimes causing a variety of severe
side effects. The side effects from flaxseed therapy can be just as
damaging. This is not a harmless nor a natural remedy for cancer.
The effects of free-radical damage from flaxseed oil are not immediately
evident. Your hair doesn't fall out after a couple of months of treatment
like it might with chemotherapy. The damage caused by free radicals may not
surface for several years. By this time, the effects of degeneration may be
attributed to any number of factors and thus divert the blame away from the
real cause.
Researchers know that it's the free-radical chain reactions that kill the
cancer because when antioxidants, such as vitamin E, are given at the same
time, flaxseed oil has no anticancer effects. The vitamin E stops the
oxidation of the oil within the body and thus prevents the formation of free
radicals. Without free radicals roaming around inside the body tearing up
the cells, the cancer remains unharmed.12,13
It's interesting to note that vitamin E is also known to have anticancer
properties. But it works in a totally different way, supporting the body's
natural healing mechanisms rather than poisoning it.14 Our cells naturally
contain antioxidants to protect them against renegade free radicals, but if
free-radical exposure is excessively high, as it can be when large amounts
of vegetable oils are consumed, they will exhaust the cells antioxidant
reserves and cause cellular damage.15
While polyunsaturated oils can be used to fight cancer, they have also been
shown to cause it as well. Studies have shown that oils rich in linoleic
acid (omega-6) promote the growth of cancer cells while fish oils can
depress or stimulate tumor growth depending on the dose.16 Too many omega-6
derived prostaglandins (PGE2) encourage breast cancer.17,18
Free-Radical Cures
The concept of using free radicals from polyunsaturated oils to fight
cancer has been applied to other pathologic conditions. Flaxseed oil has
been used successfully to kill the microscopic parasites which cause
malaria. It has been noted that individuals who have low antioxidant
reserves. for one reason or another, are known to be more resistant to
malaria. Exposure to substances that produce free radicals provides
ammunition to attack and kill the parasites. While having an antioxidant
deficiency is not desirable because it allows free radicals to damage
cells, it also allows those same free radicals to destroy troublesome
microorganisms. In people who do not have an antioxidant deficiency,
flaxseed oil can generate enough free radicals to overcome the body's
reserves and kill the parasites which cause malaria.19
Polyunsaturated fat-induced free radicals have also been shown to be toxic
to other microorganisms. Researchers have shown it to inhibit the growth of
Helicobactor pylori bacteria which is credited with causing 90 percent of
all stomach ulcers.20
Take a moment and consider this: if free radicals can kill rapidly growing
cancer cells and microorganisms roaming around our bodies, what do they do
to our own cells? It is assumed that normal cells are not affected by free
radicals because they contain antioxidant bodyguards. But these reserves
can be quickly depleted by repeated free-radical attack. It is assumed that
cancer cells lack adequate antioxidant defenders and so are more
susceptible to the destructive action of free radicals. The lack of
antioxidants in diseased cells, however, may have been one of the reasons
why cancer developed in the first place. Free radicals can interrupt the
cell's ability to function normally, causing it to become cancerous. This
may be one reason why linoleic acid from vegetable oil promotes cancer (see
references above). Flooding the body with more free radicals to treat any
illness seems crazy. It may provide some help immediately, but in the long
run it could cause serious physical degeneration and illness.
Inflammatory Disease
Flaxseed oil has also been recommended as an aid in treating a variety of
inflammatory diseases. Since PGE3, which is synthesized in the body from
flaxseed oil, has an anti-inflammatory effect, it makes sense that it would
also help reduce inflammation caused by inflammatory illnesses. Some of the
inflammatory conditions that flaxseed oil has been recommended for include
arthritis, allergies, psoriasis, chronic bronchitis, and colitis.
Inflammation in itself is not a disease; it is a natural and essential
process in the body's effort to fight disease and speed healing. The
inflammatory process is an important part of our body's system of healing
itself. Normally, inflammation speeds healing.
Chronic inflammation is caused by a chronic health problem. Inflammation is
the body's healing response to that problem. Inflammation, however, promotes
swelling and the buildup of pressure which increases pain. Reducing
inflammation reduces the pain, but it also hampers the body's ability to
heal itself. Anti-inflammatory medications do nothing to heal the
condition, they only lesson the pain. It's nice to reduce pain, since most
of us don't like it, but in doing so you also reduce the body's ability to
heal itself. Also, since pain is removed there is a tendency to overuse the
injured tissues causing further damage and encouraging more inflammation.
More anti-inflammatory medications are needed and the cycle continues with
the diseased or injured tissues getting worse and worse. The reason
anti-inflammatory medications are used is because there isn't anything else
medically that can be done to relieve the symptoms. So it's a catch-22
situation.
The production of PGE3 is only part of the reason why flaxseed oil reduces
inflammation. A far stronger anti-inflammatory mechanism is actually at
work here. The effectiveness of flaxseed in suppressing the body's
inflammatory response mechanism is related to the destructive action of free
radicals.21,22
Yes, free radicals again. Much like its effect on cancer, free radicals
attacking the cells will suppress the body's ability to respond to injury
and disease, thus reducing inflammation. Contrary to popular opinion,
researchers have shown time and time again that flaxseed oil and other
poly-unsaturated oils depress the immune system and hamper the body's
ability to heal.23,24,25,26,27
Flaxseed oil and other polyunsaturated oils (i.e., linoleic acid,
gamma-linolenic acid, DGLA, AA, EPA, and DHA) suppress the production and
activity of our white blood cellsthe work force of our immune system. In
fact, these oils can even kill them.28 These are the cells that attack and
clean out invading microorganisms, cancer cells, toxins, and other harmful
substances from our bodies. They are vital to our health and must be present
in large enough numbers to repel attack from viruses and bacteria. When we
get an infection, the body's inflammatory response kicks in, stimulating the
increased production of white blood cells to fight the invaders. The more
white blood cells we have surging through our veins, the stronger will be
our defense and the quicker our recovery. Vegetable oils, therefore, slow
our recovery from both acute infectious illness as well as from chronic
disease. Inflammation is reduced, not by PGE3, but primarily by this
destructive action of free-radical stress on the immune system. It
suppresses the body's ability to heal itself and in so doing, inflammation
response is reduced.
Depressed Immunity
Oil manufacturers and the health care providers who believe their propaganda
claim that flaxseed oil and other polyunsaturated oils will stimulate the
immune system. They may even be able to cite studies to prove their
position. Sounds good, but it's only partly true.
Polyunsaturated oils have both a stimulatory and depressive effect on the
immune system. We never hear about the depressive effectsthat doesn't sell
products. The stimulatory effects aren't that wonderful either, and can be
misrepresented as being beneficial. Let me explain.
Studies show (see references above) that essential fatty acids interfere
with the normal production of certain substances produced by the white
blood cells in the process of fighting an illness. It's like a prankster
turning the water hose off while firemen are spraying down a raging fire.
These oils hamper the normal function of the white blood cells. In this
respect they depress the immune system's ability to function at the level
for which it was designed.
At the same time these oils also act as a stimulant, the same as any toxin
or disease-causing germ might. The body recognizes a harmful substance and
is stimulated into feverish activity to protect itself. This is how
polyunsaturated fatty acids "stimulate" our immune system. They are not
strengthening the immune system, they are stressing it! Why would the white
blood cells start producing substances to protect the body when they
encounter polyunsaturated oil? Think about it. What causes the immune system
to kick into high gear? It does so in response to a threat to health. When
the body senses a threat from any toxic substance it signals the immune
system into increased activity. To say flaxseed oil is good for you because
it stimulates the immune system is like saying small pox and bubonic plague
are good for you because they, too stimulate the immune system.
When we consume polyunsaturated oils, it is like eating a group of
arsonists who run around our bodies lighting little fires (starting
free-radical chain reactions). The fire department, or our immune system, is
called into action to douse these potentially lethal fires. The firemen (the
white blood cells) are stimulated into action, but if their hoses are turned
off by free-radical pranksters, they are ineffective in accomplishing their
mission.
To credit flaxseed oil for stimulating the immune system is like crediting
arsonists for calling out the fire department and then sabotaging their
water hoses. The overall effect of eating any polyunsaturated oil is to
burden and depress the immune system.
The immunosuppressive effects of vegetable oils have been known for many
years. Ray Peat, Ph.D., explains that "Vegetable oil is recognized as a drug
for knocking out the immune system."29 At one time "vegetable oil emulsions
were used to nourish cancer patients, but it was discovered that the
unsaturated oils were suppressing their immune systems. The same products,
in which vegetable oil is emulsified with water for intravenous injection,
are now marketed specifically for the purpose of suppressing immunity in
patients who have had organ transplants. Using the oils in foods has the
same harmful effect on the immune system."30 Unsaturated fats not only
suppress the immune system but can even kill white blood cells.31
You have to be very careful when someone tells you some substance
"stimulates" the immune system. Does it stimulate it like bubonic plague or
small pox or does it support it like vitamin C? There is a world of
difference. The first stimulates it into action to defend itself while the
second does not "stimulate" it but strengthens it, making it work more
effectively.
Vitamin E Deficiency
Another threat that can result from the overconsumption of flaxseed oil and
as well as other polyunsaturated vegetable oils is vitamin E deficiency.32
Polyunsaturated oils, because they are extremely vulnerable to oxidation and
free-radical formation, quickly devour our vitamin E reserves. Vitamin E
acts as an antioxidant that stops free-radical chain reactions. In the
process, vitamin E is consumed. The most obvious consequence of depleted
vitamin E reserves is that we lose our most important bodyguard against
free-radical destruction. Without sufficient vitamin E reserves,
free-radical chain reactions and damage can wreak havoc on our bodies,
allowing free-radical wrecking crews to roam through our bodies with little
restraint. Since free radicals are involved in numerous degenerative
conditions and accelerated aging, this can have a pronounced effect on
overall health and put a heavy burden on the immune system.
When the body loses vitamin E, it causes the breakdown and destruction of
red blood cells, producing anemia. People who are anemic may believe their
condition is due to lack of iron when it is really caused by a lack of
vitamin E resulting from the consumption of too much flaxseed or vegetable
oil. Very few people are actually deficient in iron. especially nowadays
with vitamins readily available and so many foods being fortified with this
mineral.
Vitamin E is necessary for healthy nerves and muscles. A lack of the vitamin
can cause degeneration and weakness which can make walking difficult, even
causing severe pain in calf muscles and a loss of coordination.
Breast lumps and cancer can also result in the depletion of vitamin E
reserves.33 The most common cause of breast lumps is fibrocystic breast
disease. In recent decades. fibrocystic breast disease has become a very
common affliction among women in Western countries. Although the majority
of these tumorous masses are benign, as much as 20 percent may be malignant.
Some manufacturers add vitamin E to their oil supplements. They don't do
this to help you prevent deficiency necessarily, they do it to preserve the
oil because they know it is oxidizing while it is sitting in the warehouse
and on the store shelves. By the time you eat it, the vitamin E has been
used up so it provides you no nutritive value from this vitamin.
MONEY TALKS
True blue flaxseed fans will find the statements made in this chapter hard
to accept because they have heard over and over again how good flaxseed is
for us. Of course you hear this; it comes from the people selling the
product and from people brainwashed by marketing propaganda. I didn't make
up these facts. The research has proven it. You never hear about the
negative aspects of these oils because the dissemination of research
information is done by the food and supplement industry. They are naturally
biased in the material they publicize. Nobody is going to spend money
publicizing negative information, because there is no profit in it. You
can't make money by not selling a product. So all you ever hear are the
positive things. You hear flaxseed is good against cancer and inflammatory
disease, but you never hear why it is. We just assume that because flaxseed
is a so-called "natural" product, it must be good for us.
I must clarify one point. Flaxseed can be useful just as any drug can be for
certain conditions. But like other drugs, it has serious side effects. The
damage caused by vegetable oils works slowly so the effects may not
manifest themselves for years. By that time the physical deterioration
caused by free-radical damage will be credited to age, genetics, or some
other cause. If you believe in using drugs, then go ahead and use flaxseed
oil. If you want to avoid drugs and prefer to use natural, harmless,
remedies, you don't want flaxseed or any other polyunsaturated oil
supplements. Flaxseed oil supplements can be useful like any other drug,
but they are not natural and they are not harmless!
While I've focused on flaxseed oil in the above discussion, when I refer to
vegetable oils I am referring to all vegetable oils, both those used in
cooking and those sold as supplements. You hear a lot about evening
primrose, black currant, and borage oils. These oils are predominantly
composed of linoleic acid (omega-6) and affect the body in the same way as
cooking oils do. Since most of us consume far too much linoleic acid as it
is, taking this oil in supplemental form just compounds the problem. Like
flaxseed oil, they generate free radicals, suppress the immune system, etc.
Researchers have expressed caution in their use.34,35,36,37
If someone recommends that you take flaxseed oil, evening primrose oil, or
any other oil supplement, ask them why? What will it do for you? They may
say it lowers cholesterol, reduces inflammation, or whatever. Then ask them
how it works? Ask them what is the mechanism that makes the oil do what it
is supposed to do? Listen to their answer. Chances are, they don't know.
Most people, including health care practitioners, don't have any idea how
the oils work. They just take it on faith from what they have heard or read
somewhere. Many health care practitioners get their information from
marketing materials distributed by drug and supplement companies. Many
authors who write health books and magazine articles get their knowledge
from the same sources. These aren't reliable resources! They're
advertisements and, therefore, very biased, and at times, misleading.
After all, their purpose is not to educate, but to sell a product.
Will you take these oils to reduce inflammation even if you know free
radicals are the primary reason they work and that they are destroying cells
throughout your body at the same time? Will you take them to reduce
cholesterol even though you know they inhibit normal liver function and may
cause liver stress or even damage? That is the decision you must make. If
you had a sliver in your finger, would you chop off your finger to prevent
infection? No, there are simpler, safer methods of dealing with the problem.
The fact that omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids can be detrimental to your
health goes contrary to most of the things you hear about these oils. Again,
this is because the food and drug industry has brainwashed us into believing
this.
In writing this book I've avoided company propaganda and gathered all my
facts directly from scientific and medical journals and from first-hand
observation and clinical studies. This book was written to awaken the public
to the plain facts on oils and health.
PRECAUTIONS FOR USE OF FLAXSEED OIL
Despite the health hazards of flaxseed oil, there may be incidences where it
can be useful for a limited amount of time under the supervision of a
knowledgeable health care professional. For example, if your blood pressure
is dangerously high, it can help to lower it quickly. But it should be used
only as a temporary measure while other, safer but slower methods, such as
diet and lifestyle changes, have time to take effect.
Like linoleic acid (omega-6) from vegetable oil, alpha-linolenic acid
(omega-3) from flaxseed oil is polyunsatu-rated. What this means is that it
readily oxidizes to form destructive free-radical chain reactions. In this
respect, alpha-linolenic acid is worse than linoleic acid because it is even
more polyunsaturated and, therefore, more susceptible to oxidative damage.
Linoleic acid has two carbon double bondsthe sites where free-radical
reactions occur. Alpha-linolenic acid has three carbon double bonds. While
linoleic acid is twice as likely to be degraded by oxidation as oleic acid
(a monounsaturated acid like olive oil), alpha-linolenic acid is three times
more susceptible to oxidation.
Because flaxseed oil oxidizes very easily you must keep it tightly closed
and stored in the refrigerator. Never buy flaxseed oil that is not
refrigerated or not stored in a dark bottle. Oxygen, heat (even room
temperature), and light break down flaxseed oil very quickly. Flaxseed oil
should be used within a month or so after purchasing. It should not taste
like turpentine or household paint, but have a mild, pleasant taste. If it
tastes bad, it's far too oxidized and you are doing more harm to your health
than good by eating it. The biggest problem with many flaxseed oil
supplements is that they are too old, even before you buy them. After they
are manufactured and bottled, they sit in warehouses, trucks, and store
shelves for who knows how long. Most flaxseed oil is rancid, even those in
capsule form.
The flaxseed itself, rather than the oil, would be a better source for
alpha-linolenic acid because the oil in the seed remains fresh, for the most
part, until the seed is broken (ground) or heated, and retains all the
natural antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals found in the seed.
FLAXSEED MEAL AND FIBER
Because flaxseed oil supplements are often degraded by oxidation, they
become a health hazard. Some of the alpha-linolenic acid will still be
converted into PGE3, but a lot will just cause destructive free-radical
chain reactions. A much safer source for alpha-linolenic acid from flax is
through the seed itself.
The seed eaten whole or ground into a meal provides health benefits
unrelated to its oil content. Many of the health claims you hear attributed
to flaxseed oil are not really a product of the oil, but of the fiber in
the seed.
Flaxseed is high in fiber, particularly lignans. This fiber helps to move
digested food particles through the digestive tract, increasing bowel
movements, pulling toxins and cholesterol out with it, and thus promoting
intestinal health. Because of its ability to remove carcinogenic
substances, it is useful in the prevention of colon cancer.38
Flaxseed ground into a meal and added to flour and then baked into muffins
has shown to lower total cholesterol. This is due to the ability of the
fiber to bind with cholesterol-rich bile acid and carry it out of the body.39
Lignans have antioxidant effects that help to keep the oil in the seed from
oxidizing before and after it's been eaten and helps to support the
antioxidant processes in our bodies.
Intestinal bacteria convert some of the lignans into hormone-like compounds
called phytoestrogens. These phytoestrogens, or plant estrogens, bind to
estrogen receptors in the cells and produce estrogen-like effects which
influence hormone production, metabolism, and biological activity. This
process provides protection against some types of cancer, particularly
breast, colon, and prostate cancer.40,41,42
These phytoestrogens also exert some degree of protection against the loss
of calcium and so have been considered of possible benefit in treating
osteoporosis.43
The greatest degree of protection comes to those who have a healthy
digestive tract because the type of flora present will affect the production
of the phytochemicals.
Keep in mind that it's the fiber content in the flaxseed that produces these
benefits and not the oil. In fact, flax-seed oil in some cases can have the
opposite effects. Some studies show that too much of the oil can contribute
to calcium loss in bones.44
In order to get the most benefit from the lignans and other fibers in
flaxseed, as well as the oil, flaxseed must be ground before eating. Whole
flaxseed can be eaten, but it simply goes through the body without doing
much. Flax-seed should be eaten as soon as possible after is has been ground
into a meal. Once the seed has been broken, it is exposed to oxygen, and
the enzymes and antioxidants that have kept the oils fresh now rapidly
disintegrate. The longer the meal sits before it's eaten, the more oxidation
or free-radical damage occurs. It's just like an apple. The inside will
stay fresh and white for weeks, but after it is cut and exposed to oxygen
in the air, it takes only a few minutes to turn brown. The brown is caused
by oxidation just as oxidation affects the exposed oils in the flaxseed.
Fresh flaxseed contains antioxidants such as vitamin E. The antioxidants are
necessary for the stability of the oil both in the seed and in the body.
When oil is extracted and refined, the natural antioxidants disintegrate
rapidly. The oil loses its protection and quickly becomes rancid.
Flaxseed meal can be added to any baked or cook dishbreads, muffins,
pancakes, casseroles, etc. You should not eat it raw! Raw flaxseed contains
a toxin called thio-cyanatea cyanide-like compound. This toxin can be found
in the blood after eating raw flaxseed. Cooking neutralizes this compound,
making it harmless.45,46 By far the best way to eat flaxseed oil is in its
natural state by grinding the seed into meal and adding it to a cooked dish.
©1999 by Bruce Fife. Reprinted with permission of author and publisher.
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