With all the questions regarding flaxseed oil that have been emailed to me and written in the comments sections, I have decided to compile a list of the most common ones.
This is a list of questions and specific information that visitors have been interested in. It is my aim in the future to expand on these questions and create separate articles on the more frequently asked ones.
In the mean time I hope the following Q&As will provide you with a lot of useful information.
- What Is Flaxseed Oil?
- What Is Flaxseed Oil Good For?
- Flaxseed Oil For Dry Eyes
- What’s The Difference Between Flaxseed Oil and Flax Oil?
- What Do I Eat Flaxseed Oil With?
- What Does Flaxseed Oil Taste Like?
- Does Flaxseed Oil Interfere With Other Supplements and Medicine?
- What’s the Difference Between Flaxseed Oil, Flaxseed Tablets and Flaxseed Soft Gels?
- How Much Flaxseed Oil Should I Take?
- How Many Milligrams of Omega 3 Are In A Tablespoon of Flaxseed Oil?
- What Is the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) For Omega-3 Fatty Acids?
- Do Flaxseed Oil Supplements Cause Oily Skin?
- Is Flaxseed Oil Beneficial To Add To My Daily Vitamin Intake?
- Can I Put Flaxseed Oil In Baby Formula?
- Can Flaxseed Oil Reduce Acne?
- Is Flaxseed Oil Good For My Joints?
- Can I Take Flaxseed Oil and Fish Oil Together?
- What Is the Best Form of Flaxseed Oil?
- What Nutrients Does Flaxseed Oil Contain?
- Do I Need to Take Flaxseed Oil Supplements With Food?
- Fish Oil or Flaxseed Oil for My Dog with Arthritis?
- What Is The Difference Between Flaxseed Oil and Linseed Oil?
- Can You Substitute Vegetable Oil With Flaxseed Oil?
- Does Flaxseed Oil Work As a Blood Thinner?
- Which Is Better- Flaxseeds or Flaxseed Oil?
What Is Flaxseed Oil? (Back to Top)
Flaxseed oil is produced from the seeds of the flax plant - a blue flowering plant that grows throughout the world. Canada and China are the main producers of flaxseed oil.
The seeds are harvested either mechanically or manually and then go through a process of cold pressing to extract the oil from the seeds.
What Is Flaxseed Oil Good For? (Back to Top)
New research is being conducted all the time and more evidence is being found as to the health benefits of flaxseed oil.
The most significant by-product of flaxseed oil if the essential fatty acids it contains in the form of Omega 3 and Omega 6.
Flaxseed oil is rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) which is one of the Omega 3 fatty acids. ALA provides a number of health benefits and the body is able to convert some of it into eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) all of which are nutritionally important Omega 3 fatty acids.
Omega 3 fatty acid (also known as polyunsaturated fat) is an ‘essential’ fatty acid, which means the body cannot produce it itself and must be consumed through food. An estimated 99% of Americans are deficient in Omega 3.
Flaxseed oil is the world’s most abundant food source of Omega 3 fatty acids, containing more than twice as much as fish oil.
The symptoms of Omega-3 fatty acid deficiency are often diagnosed as other health problems or nutrient deficiency. More often than not, most people (including their physicians) will be unaware their symptoms are related to Omega 3 deficiency.
Omega 3 Deficiency Symptoms Include:
- Tiredness
- Dry itchy skin
- Brittle hair and nails
- Constipation
- Frequent colds
- Depression
- Poor concentration
- Lack of energy
- Joint pain.
The goods news is that consuming the recommended daily dose of Omega 3 fatty acids (especially those found in flaxseed oil which also contains ALA) can help prevent and treat a number of health conditions including:
- Alzheimer's disease
- Asthma
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Bipolar disorder
- Cancer
- Cardiovascular disease
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Dry eyes
- Eczema
- High blood pressure
- Huntington's disease
- Lupus
- Migraine headaches
- Multiple sclerosis
- Obesity
- Osteoarthritis
- Osteoporosis
- Psoriasis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
Flaxseed Oil For Dry Eyes (Back to Top)
Dry eyes is a condition that affects a lot of people, particularly after lazer eye surgery or those suffering from Sjogren's syndrome.
Sjogren's syndrome is an autoimmune condition where moisture producing glands such as tear glands are attacked by the bodys immune system, resulting in dry eyes. Studies have shown that just 1 or 2 grams of flaxseed oil can help prevent these glands from drying out.
Consuming Omega 3 fatty acids found in flaxseed oil has also been shown to help restore the oily portion of a tear film that moistens the eye.
There was a study conducted in 2006 involving 81 patients prior to undergoing LASIK eye surgery. The study revealed that taking 3000 mg (3 flaxseed oil capsules) 7 days before the surgery, had the same beneficial result as using the dry eye medication 'doxycyline' twice a day.
The flaxseed oil tablets also had little or no side effects compared to the doxycyline medication, making it a good alternative.
Source: Colin C. K. Chan, M.D., and Brian S. Boxer Wachler, M.D.: 2006 annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.
What’s The Difference Between Flaxseed Oil and Flax Oil? (Back to Top)
Despite the different way it is written, there is no difference between flaxseed oil and flax oil. Flax oil is just a shorter way of describing flaxseed oil.
What Do I Eat Flaxseed Oil With? (Back to Top)
You don’t need to eat anything with flaxseed oil and can drink it straight from the bottle if you wish. It has quite a strong nutty flavor and is not to everyone’s taste.
If the taste is too much for you then here are some ways to add flaxseed oil to your diet:
- Add it to smoothies.
- Make it into a salad dressing by adding some fresh lemon juice.
- Spread it on toast to replace margarine or butter.
- Add it to yoghurts.
- Add it to cooked cereals such as porridge oats.
As long as you don’t cook with flaxseed oil you can add it to anything you like. High temperatures will destroy much of the healthy fatty acids and nutrients.
If you like the taste of ground flaxseeds then here’s some ways you can add it to foods:
- Sprinkle it on your cereal or porridge.
- Add it to salads.
- Add it to soups.
- Add it to yogurts.
- Add it as an ingredient to your bread, cookie, and muffin recipes.
- Sprinkle some onto your smoothies.
What Does Flaxseed Oil Taste Like? (Back to Top)
Flaxseed oil has a strong nutty flavor and slightly buttery taste.
Does Flaxseed Oil Interfere With Other Supplements and Medicine? (Back to Top)
It is not so much that flaxseed oil will interfere with other supplements and medicine, but more likely that the essential fatty acids within flaxseed oil will act in a similar way to certain medications. They may very well enhance and even improve the performance of supplements and medicines.
Such medication that might need to be considered are:
Blood Thinning Medications (Anticoagulants)
Blood Sugar Lowering Medications
Cholesterol Lowering Medications such as Statins
It is always advisable to consult with a physician regarding the combined effects of certain medications and adding flaxseed oil to your diet. But in many cases, especially if you are taking statins (that often come with horrible side effects), you may actually respond better by eliminating the prescribed drugs and increasing your flaxseed oil intake.
What’s The Difference Between Flaxseed Oil, Tablets and Soft Gels? (Back to Top)
Flaxseed oil comes as a liquid form in a bottle. It is more readily absorbed into the body as a liquid and has a higher concentration of Omega 3 fatty acids. One tablespoon provides around 6000 mg of Omega 3 fats.
Some brands of flaxseed oil also add lignan particles that are usually lost from the seeds during processing. Lignans have been shown to benefit heart and hormonal health. The brand I recommend that include lignans in their oil is Barlean’s Flax Oil.
Flaxseed tablets and soft gels come in plastic bottles and usually have enough for 60, 90 or 180 days, depending on how many you take. The concentration of Omega 3 is usually 1000 mg per capsule although might be less in tablet form.
Although not as concentrated as oil, soft gels and tablets still provide good levels of Omega 3 and are much more convenient to consume.
Overall though, flaxseed oil contains a lot more Omega 3 and is absorbed into the blood stream much more efficiently than other forms.
How Much Flaxseed Oil Should I Take? (Back to Top)
Depending on what you are taking flaxseed oil for you can safely consume 2 - 4 tablespoons each day.
For fit and well adults just a couple of teaspoons or 2 to 3 capsules a day is enough to provide you with the recommended dose of essential fatty acids plus other health promoting nutrients.
For anyone treating specific medical conditions, such as those listed above, the dose should be increased depending on your current diet and the kind of condition you have.
How Many Milligrams Of Omega 3 Is In A Tablespoon Of Flaxseed Oil? (Back to Top)
One tablespoon of flaxseed oil has approximately 6-7 grams of Omega 3 fatty acids.
What Is The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) For Omega-3 Fatty Acids? (Back to Top)
There is no Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for omega-3 fatty acids, but you should try to consume at least one gram a day.
Do Flaxseed Oil Supplements Cause Oily Skin? (Back to Top)
Flaxseed oil is good for the skin as it acts as a natural lubricant especially for dry and aging skin.
There is no evidence to suggest it causes oily skin, although people who already have oily skin may find the fatty acids in flaxseed oil exasperate the condition.
Is Flaxseed Oil Beneficial To Add To My Daily Vitamin Intake? (Back to Top)
Absolutely yes! Taking multi-vitamins/minerals is a good idea for many people who can’t obtain all their nutrients from their diet – and let’s face it, most of us can’t! Essential fatty acids found in flaxseed oil are often overlooked and yet play such an important role in our overall health.
Can I Put Flaxseed Oil In Baby Formula? (Back to Top)
Flaxseed oil can be used as a natural laxative for babies with constipation. Adding 1 teaspoon to a baby’s milk formula may help.
As long as your baby is not receiving other medication that might interact with the flaxseed then this natural, temporary supplement is fine.
Can Flaxseed Oil Reduce Acne? (Back to Top)
There are a number of reasons why someone gets acne and often it is a combination of things. Most people’s diets are too rich in Omega 6 fatty acids which can cause inflammation.
Adding more Omega 3 into our diet may help to reduce the amount of Omega 6 and so help to reduce inflammation which can cause acne.
Naturally there is a lot of information for acne cures on the internet and an excellent resource to check out is acne.org.
It is run by a guy called Dan Kern, a long time acne sufferer and he has a section called Flaxseed Oil Reviews which has people’s honest and unbiased opinions on whether flaxseed oil has helped them cure their acne.
Reading many of these reviews it seems that taking flaxseed oil does help a lot of acne sufferers. Many of these people have also noticed other benefits such as healthier looking hair and nails.
Is Flaxseed Oil Good For My Joints? (Back to Top)
Omega 3 fatty acids have long been heralded as an effective anti-inflammatory treatment. Joint pain and arthritis have been shown to greatly benefit from higher consumption of flaxseed oil.
There is an old saying that flaxseed oil “oils your joints”- and for good reason! Try taking a tablespoon of flaxseed oil 3 times a day.
Can I Take Flaxseed Oil And Fish Oil Together? (Back to Top)
There are no health reasons why you can’t take fish oil and flaxseed oil together, although they both work in virtually identical ways so there seems little point in doing so.
My personal opinion and after considerable research, I wouldn’t take fish oil tablets – period. Read my article Flaxseed Oil vs Fish Oil for more information.
What Is The Best Form Of Flaxseed Oil? (Back to Top)
Flaxseed oil, rather than ground flaxseed or soft gels provide you with much more Omega 3. One tablespoon of oil provides around 6 grams of Omega 3s compared to 1 gram per soft gel supplement.
The best type of oil should be cold pressed to retain the oils nutritional value and flavor. It should also be labeled as unrefined and organic. Make sure the bottle is dark as flaxseed oil can be destroyed by light and heat.
My favorite brand is Barlean’s 100% Organic Flax Oil. I buy it from Amazon and it always comes well packaged. You can read the reviews about this particular oil here. This particular brand also adds the flaxseed’s lignans which are a form of antioxidant and amongst other health benefits, may help protect against breast cancer.
What Nutrients Does Flaxseed Oil Contain? (Back to Top)
Flaxseed oil is primarily a rich source of essential fatty acids – namely alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) which is one of the fatty acids that make up Omega 3. The body also converts ALA into 2 other fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), both of which are also components of Omega 3.
As well as the best source of Omega 3 you can find flaxseed oil also contains a good balance of Omega 6 and vitamin E. Some flaxseed oil products also include nutrient-rich lignans that are in the flax seeds but usually lost in the processing.
Do I Need To Take Flaxseed Oil Supplements With Food? (Back to Top)
You don’t need to take flaxseed oil supplements with food; it just helps with the absorption process if you do.
Fish Oil or Flaxseed Oil For My Dog With Arthritis? (Back to Top)
Giving either flaxseed oil or fish oil to your pet dog or cat can only improve their health. However, flaxseed oil is slightly cheaper, doesn’t give your dog a fishy breath and has more Omega 3 benefits than fish oil.
What Is The Difference Between Flaxseed Oil and Linseed Oil? (Back to Top)
Flaxseed oil is often referred to as linseed oil. They are both the same.
Can You Substitute Vegetable Oil With Flaxseed Oil? (Back to Top)
No, you should not cook with flaxseed oil. Its compounds will be destroyed at high temperatures and will turn rancid.
Does Flaxseed Oil Work As A Blood Thinner? (Back to Top)
You shouldn’t take flaxseed oil to be used as a blood thinner. I have not found any credible evidence to suggest otherwise.
Which Is Better For Your Health - Flaxseeds or Flaxseed Oil? (Back to Top)
I don’t think one is better than the other, although flaxseeds contain other nutrients including more lignans than flaxseed oil.
Flaxseed oil contains a greater concentration of Omega 3 fatty acids (more than twice as much as seeds) although is more expensive.
There are also more options of adding flaxseeds to foods and recipes.
The best option is to consume both flaxseeds and flaxseed oil. Just half the measures so you don’t take too much.
If you have any questions about flaxseed oil, please drop them below in the comments box or email me.
