Health Benefits of Flax Seeds and Flaxseed Oil

Side Effects

Posted by Joyce (Joelton, Tn) on 09/23/2008 490 posts

Response to Janice: I think your error is in picking out one chemical alone and ignoring all the other fail-safe chemicals that our creator put into this plant. Most plants (even the non-hybrids) have a few harmful chemicals but other chemicals included in them make them safe to eat or take as herbal remedies. Hence my pokeweed berries that are supposed to be poison, but 40 years past first beginning to appreciate their good qualities, I have nothing but good to say about them although they are supposed to be poison.

Side Effects

Posted by Janise (Los Angeles, CA) on 09/23/2008

Although Flaxseed oil can prove somewhat beneficial, it does more harm than good!!! It is like killing a fly with a sledge hammer.

Flaxseed oil is one of the highest foods containing ALA - Alpha Linolenic Acid. ALA is bad for the body!

ALA is a wet blanket for the enzymes that control the eventual flow of Omega 6 essential fatty acids towards the eicosanoid hormones. It knocks out both good and bad eicosanoid hormones. Knocking out the bad ones is good but knocking out the good ones as well creates a breeding ground for cancers!!!

This work is found by Dr. Barry Sears who wrote THE ZONE diet book. He won a Nobel prize in science for his discovery of the eicosanoid hormones and how they function. His advice to keep healthy hormones is to avoid all foods especially Flaxseed oil, which contains ALA. ALA is also found in egg yolks, walnuts, corn and canola oils as well as, Beef, pork and ham..

ALA foods, suppress immune system, increase inflamation, decrease oxygen flow and endurance and constrict airways while also causing blood platelet aggregation.

You may want to rethink your Flaxseed oil remedy. Like I said its like killing a fly with a sledge hammer.

Skin

Posted by June (Wichita, Kansas) on 08/03/2008
★★★★★

Hi everyone. I wanted to send my big YEA for flax seed oil and the skin. I take flax every so often, but lately I decided to up my daily dosage and take it consistently after all the great things I have been reading about it. I am taking 1 Tablespoon of organic flax (highest lignan count) 3 times a day for a couple of weeks and the effects have been phenomenal. My skin, all over my entire body, is glowing and youthful. My hands, which always look dry and cracked, look a thousand times better. My face looks different too, hard to explain how... better texture to the skin, tighter. It's not my imagination, a few of my friends have made comments about my glowing face. I guess I am having these effects because there is a lot more moisture, lubricating the skin - ? I look pretty good for my age (45) because I exercise regularly, getting a good sweat as often as I can, and eat a low calorie, low-fat diet when possible. But the flax seed oil has really been an amazing remedy for the skin.

I would recommend that people buy bottles of flax that are already refrigerated at the store because they don't contain those questionable preservatives. I bought an expensive bottle of organic flax oil at GNC (not refrigerated) a month ago and it tasted TERRIBLE! Rancid as can be... Then I went to Whole Foods and read through all the brands in the refrigerated section. They pretty much looked the same so I choose an organic brand that had a manufactured date of July, 2008.

I take my tablespoon straight up each time. In the morning before I eat, then lunch, then right before I go to sleep. Not bad tasting at all.

Canker Sores

Posted by Mary (New York, NY) on 06/30/2008
★★★★★

Many thanks to Jennifer from Northern Idaho. I tried the flax seed oil capsules and my canker sores have not appeared since. I had taken lysine capsules for two years when one day the canker sores reappeared. The flaxseed capsules have worked beautifully. Highly recommended.

Ulcers

Posted by Maja (Port Murray, New Jersey) on 06/27/2008
★★★★★

Ground Flax seeds cured my ulcers. When blood appears in my stool, I take 1 - 2 TBSP freshly ground flax seeds with hot water. I always take it in the morning and before dinner. The best if you take in on empty stomach.

PMS

Posted by Jonna (Los Angeles, CA) on 05/28/2008
★★★★★

I have been taking flax seed oil for my skin. However, one additional benefit I have noticed is that flax oil is very helpful during those hormonal fluctuations in my cycle (ie., PMS!). I take more or less depending on how I feel. I take up to 3 tablespoons as day starting a week before I get my period. It takes about an hour, but has an immediate calming effect. I would say the effect lasts about 8 hours before I need to take more. I have also noticed that on day 5 of my period, something shifts in my brain chemistry again (ie., emotional, easily triggered) and I up my flax seed oil dosage again. I am going to keep experimenting with the dosages and will let you all know. I am guessing this could be one of the best remedies to get through perimenopause and menopause. Any else had the same results as me?

Pets

Posted by Sylence (Portage La Prairie, MB Canada) on 09/01/2006
★★★★★

I was given two budgies. One has no feathers under his wings, the other budgie has feathers and they are both in the same cage. Does anyone have a home remendy that would help this little budgie?

Pets

Posted by Jackie B (Vinings, GA) on 02/05/2008
★★★★★

I recently started to add 1/2 teaspoon of flax seed oil and 1/2 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to my dogs' food (Blackwood + ground turkey or ground beef). After 4 days, their coats are looking AMAZING! Shiny and glossy as can be. Also, they have no doggie smell whatsoever (more time between baths, thankfully) . Their eyes are bright and buzzing with energy. One side effect though is that it sometimes stimulates the anal glands if you know what I mean (e.g., stinky discharge). Too much flax and acv and their stools get loose. They seem to do okay on the 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon range (my 3 dogs all weigh between 45 - 65 pounds). I think I will try adding canned pumpkin to their food as well to firm up the stools. One suggestion -- don't give the flax/acv to your dog for his/her morning meal if they don't have access to the backyard since they may need to go to the bathroom more than once.

Pets

Posted by H Sparrow (Adelaide, Autstralia) on 05/04/2007
★★★★★

I just began giving my dog an omega 3 and 6 oil to go along with his glucosamine HCL, and sashas blend. The oil is said to be dirived from cold pressed fish and flax seed oil it is a well known remedy for skin and joint problems due to the EPA's DHA's and ALA's. But after having a quick look over this site's list of poisonous and toxic plants to cats and dogs I noticed that flax is listed on it with a discription that reads a wildflower and herb whose seed pods contain poisons. Now as you can imagime this has got me quite worried and confused as to the integrity of these flax oil, and omega 3 oil products that are made especially for pets. If anyone knows a bit more about it or can comment on it it would be a great help to me and my dog.

Pets

Posted by Raquelle Barczewski (Auckland, New Zealand) on 12/03/2007
★★★★★

I have found flax seed oil excellent for cats and dogs if they do not mind some in there food. It does not have much flavour and has an endless list of properties. Excellent for aging animals as is is good for skin, fur, brain and especially arthritis sufferers...if animals take this when young they would probably avoid later life conditions. Once I lived with a dog riddled with arthritis and looked crippled when walking...the owner agreed I could give her this oil and she actually gain mobility back to a huge degree and had a lot better quality to life before passing. Oh also great for humans too!

Pets

Posted by Tanya (Newport, NY) on 03/10/2007
★★★★★

My dog gets severe itching 2x per year due to allergies. I usually take her to the vet to refill her prenizone?. I hate the way it affects her. Constant urinating, weird eyes, always real hungry & thirsty. I was sick of seeing her like that. I search the internet for a natural remedy. FLAXSEED OIL!!! It is a natural anti inflamitory. I gave it a shot. 1 tbls 2-3x per day in 1/2 cup of cottage cheese. Her allergy was gone in 2 days, (opposed to 1 week with the meds) & she had more energy. Please search the internet for more information on this all natural oil. You wont beleive it. Both for you and your pets. PS I'm trying the apple cider vinegar diet I found on this site, I will keep you posted on my progress. Thank You for this wonderful website.

PMS

Posted by Jules (Laguna Hills, CA) on 10/08/2006
★★★★★

I had very bad PMS cramps right before and the first couple of days of menstruation. i read somewhere that flax seed oil was good for the overall health of women and the reproductive system so i started taking it daily, a tablespoon or so with yogurt or kefir, and the cramps dramatically decreased the month later. i was always able to tell right about when i start because of the cramps, but the following month i didn't know at all and it just came without warning. i took it for a few a months religiously, but it's been about two months since taking it regularly. the cramping hasn't come back, but i will start taking it again for my overall health. highly recommend it for PMS!

PMS

Posted by Sharon (Boston, MA)
★★★★★

I find that taking Flax Seed Oil (a few teaspoons a day, spread throughout the course of the day) radically helps the symptoms of my PMS. Also a calcium/magnesium liquid supplementation helps me a lot as well. Oh yes, also exercise! Can't believe I almost forgot about that. If I don't exercise regularly towards the onset of my period, I get foul tempered, especially when I drive.

PMS

Posted by Georgie (Manhatten) on 03/04/2008
★★★★★

After my last period ended, I decided to try flax seed oil (highest lignan count that you can buy) for PMS symptoms. At the very start of my cycle, I started to take 1 tablespoon of flax in cottage cheese once, then twice a day after my system got used to it. I found that my stools were loose if 1 tablespoon of flax in anything other than cottage cheese. A week later I ran out of whole milk cottage cheese and opted for low fat cottage cheese. Low fat and flax oil was harder to digest and my stools became loose again. Make sure you take flax oil with whole milk, organic cottage cheese if possible! At any rate (and the main point of this story), hardly any PMS symptoms appeared! Mood was much more even keeled throughout the month and no breast tenderness whatsoever. In January I had tried ACV and Lugol's iodine with some success, but the flax has been the best remedy so far for PMS.

Gas

Posted by Jake (Chicago, Il) on 01/08/2008
★★★★★

whipple operation for duodenal cancer, psyllium, and flax seed meal. After my cancer operation in 1991 I suffered terrible flatulence - gas in both directions. It was a difficult time for several years - my doctors prescribed pancreatic enzymes that were useless. Eventually I realized because of the removal of my duodenum, digestion of oils and fats especially was impeded. I was better avoiding all oils and fats, but that was not a long term solution. My triglycerides were elevated and I was slowly depleting my essential oils and drying out based on my skin condition. Adding back essential oils (flax mixture) brought my tryglicerides back to normal in the first week but my original gaseous problems were still there. Eventually, after 10 years or so, I discovered psyllium seed that cured the condition entirely when I added it mixed in water before major meals - or before oily or in some cases even when I indulged in pig-out foods. My movements still were not perfect and recently, only the last 5 months or so I discovered flax seed meal or powder is even better - not quite as course in elimination and adding substantially more vitamins and nutrients as I understand it. Either of course would be a life saver for anyone else out there who's an outcast because of runaway flatulence.