I read a lot of recommendations (including this site) to add flax seed oil to the diet, because of the omega-3 essential fatty acids. But, as flax seed oil needs proper care, it is costly when done properly. My question: Can we have the same benefit consuming flax seed (much cheaper) or is there any problem with it? There are some places in the world where you cannot get flax seed oil anyway (like here in Prague). Thanks.
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Re: flax seed vs. flax seed oil
Posted by Lincoln on January 27, 1999 at 19:18:18:
In Reply to: flax seed vs. flax seed oil posted by Karel on January 27, 1999 at 15:57:09:
I've heard the seeds would provide only a marginal amount of oil because of the difficulty of digesting the whole seeds.
There are several alternatives to flax seeds, such as cold water fish such as trout and salmon, as a source of Omega 3s.
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Re: flax seed vs. flax seed oil
Posted by Laura on January 27, 1999 at 21:16:27:
In Reply to: Re: flax seed vs. flax seed oil posted by Lincoln on January 27, 1999 at 19:18:18:
One can obtain the necessary omega 3 fatty acids from flax seeds by grinding them IMMEDIATELY before eating. About 2 -4 tablespoons is the average daily dose of flax seeds. When freshly ground they taste very good-nutty. They get rancid very quickly, as does the oil. Keep the seeds in a cool dark place -refrigerator or freezer. Grinding the whole seeds yourself just before you eat them is the best way to make sure they are fresh. I put about 2 tablespoons of the seeds in a dry blender, grind them for about 2 minutes, then pour them onto my morning oatmeal. Yum!
I have tried them soaked and sprouted but they form a slimy mess so I didn't like that method so much.
Enjoy.
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Re: flax seed vs. flax seed oil
Posted by Karel on January 28, 1999 at 12:42:26:
In Reply to: Re: flax seed vs. flax seed oil posted by Laura on January 27, 1999 at 21:16:27:
Thanks for your posts. I eat flax seeds almost every day, not grinding them, but chewing them until the essential fats are "open" to digestion. I know the oil gets rancid quickly, but not in the form of a whole seed. The brown covering is not an accident - it was probably meant by the nature to save it from light and air. But I was asking more because of some would-be toxic substances in the seed. I read it in a health oriented magazine, there are some cases of people intoxicated by eating huge amounts of flax seed. But it should be no problem with a few tablespoons.
Re: flax seed vs. flax seed oil
Posted by Robin Pollan on January 28, 1999 at 19:39:44:
In Reply to: flax seed vs. flax seed oil posted by Karel on January 27, 1999 at 15:57:09:
I take about 1/4 cup of flax seeds and grind them in a coffee grinder immediately before I eat them. They seem to work fine this way.
Robin
Re: flax seed vs. flax seed oil
Posted by Lincoln on January 28, 1999 at 20:28:43:
In Reply to: Re: flax seed vs. flax seed oil posted by Laura on January 27, 1999 at 21:16:27:
While I haven't seen flax seeds in the grocery stores I shope in, I have good luck getting a steady supply of refrigerated EFA oils such as Udo's Choice and Spectrum EFA. So rancid flax oil is not an issue for me, but if I see some flax seeds I might get them to grind some up and use them as a 'spice' for squash or something. Sounds like a good idea...
Re: flax seed vs. flax seed oil
Posted by Walt Stoll on January 29, 1999 at 09:30:35:
In Reply to: flax seed vs. flax seed oil posted by Karel on January 27, 1999 at 15:57:09:
Hi, Karel.
I am not an expert in answering the question you are posing. I would think that one would have to eat a lot of flaxseed to get enough flaxseed oill to approach the doses we know are therapeutic (or even maintenance).
It is true that, like all other nuts & seeds, the longer something is alive the longer it will stay fresh (not oxidized: rancid). Until the seed is ground (or shelled), it is alive. So long as nuts are in their shells, they too are alive. Once they are shelled, they need to be refrigerated or sealed away from oxygen lest they start becoming rancid.
You might be wiser, at this point, to just use the omega 3s from fish oil.
Walt