About Flaxseed Oil
Flax seed, from the linen plant Linum usitatissimum, is a source of linolenic (omega-3) and linoleic (omega-6) acids, which are the body’s raw materials for making ‘prostaglandins’
— substances that regulate processes such as inflammation, bronchial constriction, male sexual function, nerve and kidney
function, blood pressure, immunity, blood sugar levels, stomach acid, mucus production in the stomach lining, and uterine
stimulation.
Scientific studies have provided evidence that supplementary flaxseed oil and its components can:
- reduce excessive blood clotting (a cause of strokes and phlebitis) (40 g/day flaxseed oil)
- increase production of other important omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids
- decrease inflammatory processes (such as those involved in asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and atherosclerosis)
- decrease risk and death rate from heart disease
- ameliorate chronic fatigue syndrome
- alter composition of nerve cell membranes and improve their function
- decrease symptoms (but not DNA damage) of sunburn
- ameliorate dry eye syndrome
- reduce breast cancer risk (5.8 g/day linolenic acid)
The body’s production of prostaglandins from flaxseed oil require adequate amounts of vitamin C, niacin (B3), pyridoxine (B6),
zinc, and magnesium. Deficiencies in any of these substances will therefore prevent flaxseed oil supplements from ameliorating
inflammatory ailments.