Oil from flax seeds contains important EFAs
Flax Seed Oil Benefits
Updated Jun. 25th, 2024 | Read Time: 2 Minutes | What You Will Learn:
- Key Health Benefits of Flax Seed Oil
- Flax Seed Oil Supplement Varieties
- Final Cautions & Considerations When Using Flax Seed
- Nutritional Information
- Reader Comments (8)
Flax seed oil has many health benefits which can be attributed to its rich source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 essential fatty acid. “Essential” means that the body does not produce the fatty acids on its own and therefore they must be taken in through the diet. Most North American and Western diets are very low in Omega-3 and extremely high in Omega-6.
Too many saturated fats are consumed and the ratio of ingested EFA's averages more like 20:1 Omega-6's to Omega-3's instead of the recommended 4:1.
Key Health Benefits of Flax Seed Oil
The ALA in flaxseed oil helps maintain cholesterol levels because healthy fats build HDL cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is responsible for moving fat, from storage or plaques, into the liver where processing and excretion of fat occurs. By decreasing fatty buildup on arteries it helps to regulate blood pressure.
Flax oil also provides valuable support for immune system function because many immune cells use omega-3 fats in their cell membrane. Having a properly functioning membrane allows the cells to do things like release packets of chemicals when they come in contact with foreign invaders.
Healthy fats also play a large role in hormone formation, ALA can thus help optimize hormone levels and strengthen male fertility.
Lastly, studies have shown that ALA is an anti-inflammatory compound that is beneficial for the treatment of arthritis.
Flax Seed Oil Supplement Varieties
There are various forms in which flaxseed can be consumed including oil, capsules and ground seeds. Purchasing oil is more cost-effective than purchasing capsules since the cost of the capsule is added on in addition to the cost of the oil. Ground flaxseed contains EFAs, fibre, magnesium and potassium and can be used as a nutritional supplement. It comes in both golden and brown varieties where the golden variety contains a higher amount of fatty acids per serving than brown.
Final Cautions & Considerations When Using Flax Seed
Flaxseed oil is best in its cold-pressed form, where there has been no heat influence on the oil. Do not use flaxseed oil for cooking! The fats and acids of the oil can be damaged and transformed by heat into trans-fatty acids and free radicals which cause disease; heart, or cardiovascular disease is a common result of consuming trans-fatty acids. It is important to refrigerate flaxseed oil and capsules to prevent spoiling.
A couple of years ago, I was doing research online to find out what could possibly help me with easy bowel movements. I stumble upon flaxseed oil and I haven’t looked back ever since. I have to admit that when taken daily it truly helps. When I was pregnant with my first and only child I took grounded flaxseed every day and I have to let you know IT DID WONDERS because of that I never had any trouble going to the washroom. This one is a must! Go get yourself one because you won’t regret it.
I have been taking Flax Seed Oil capsules for years for my terrible eczema issues and the oil has helped me a lot. I take 3 capsules per day, a brand I purchase from National Nutrition and this has been my routine. During summer when outdoors, my eczema tends to get really bad so this is what I have taken.
Hello Roger,
Flax oil is very beneficial for skin health and helps hydrate, nourish and lock in moisture. We're glad you have found a supplement that supports your skins health, eczema can be very uncomfortable. If you'd like to learn more about skin health and natural supplements, check out this article as well:
https://www.nationalnutrition.ca/articles/health-concerns/skin-health/
Stay healthy & well!
Flaxseed oil is such a cool concept and I had no idea what wonders it could do for you! Thank you for the disclaimer saying do NOT cook with it as heating up flax oil can damage it and take away the health benefits, which is something I did not know about! I guess you could put a bit of oil directly onto things like salads or soups even, maybe even in your smoothies and other meals to get the effects! Awesome, thank you for sharing!
I have suffered from eczema for years and what has helped me is flax seed oil capsules that I take daily. I find flax seed oil helps lubricate my joints and keep things supple as well, but the greatest benefit comes for the eczema. I purchase my caps from National Nutrition which has this product at good prices. The article has very good info as with all articles provided by National Nutrition. So much good info.
Hello Roger,
Eczema can be frustrating and irritating, thank you for sharing what has helped you. Flax oil is very good for the skin and as with most skin concerns, starting from the inside out generally works well.
Have a healthy day!
The one thing that was drilled into me from, during my college years at MIT studying the brain and neurodegenerative disease, is that good fats are SOOOOO important for brain health. I actually try not to heat ANY oils any more and not cook foods with significant amount of fat on them, since that time. While this may be overkill of me, I heartily agree that flax oil is an amazing food for health and should not be heated given the sensitivity of the omega 3 fats to heat treatment!
Hello Rachel,
Indeed, contrary to popular belief, there are good fats out there and they have excellent health benefits as you noted. Discover more ways to boost cognitive health by reading this article: https://www.nationalnutrition.ca/articles/health-concerns/natural-solutions-for-brain-health/