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Seeds of Health

All these protective compounds combine to make flaxseed one of the best additions you can make to your daily diet. We’ve been offering it to patients at the clinic for 20 years now, and I make a point of taking it daily as well. Here’s a review of the benefits of these remarkable seeds.

High Cholesterol and Heart Disease: Flaxseed is at the top of my recommendations for heart disease. Its soluble fiber binds to bile acids in the GI tract and interferes with the absorption of cholesterol into the blood. Yet flaxseed goes beyond cholesterol reduction.

In a study just published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, it significantly lowered triglycerides as well. Furthermore, the omega-3 fatty acids in flaxseed reduce inflammation, which improves the health of the arteries, and help smooth out cardiac arrhythmias. These essential fats have also been shown to discourage platelets in the blood from clumping together, thereby reducing the risk of blood clots that may lead to heart attack.

Diabetes: Another benefit of the viscous, soluble fiber in flaxseed is that it delays the transit time of food through the stomach and small intestine. This slows the breakdown of dietary carbohydrates into glucose and their release into the bloodstream, resulting in more stable blood sugar and insulin levels. A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that 50 grams of flaxseed (a little more than 1/4 cup) or 25 grams of flaxseed fiber lowered glucose levels by an average of 27 percent.

Kidney Disease: Early research suggests that flaxseed also protects the kidneys. In animal studies, flaxseed lowers creatinine levels (a blood marker of kidney function) and delays the onset of proteinuria (protein in the urine, a sign of failing kidneys). A 2001 study of people with kidney problems found that those taking 30 grams of flaxseed a day for two years had lower levels of creatinine and microalbumin (a test for proteinuria).

Cancer: Most of the cancer research on flaxseed has focused on the phytoestrogenic properties of lignans. In test-tube studies, lignans inhibit the growth of both prostate and breast cancer cells. Taking as little as 5–10 grams of flaxseed on a regular basis lowers the levels of two types of estrogen that may increase risk of breast cancer in women.

The effect of flax on prostate cancer is less clear. A few studies have linked high consumption of the dominant oil in flax to an increased risk of prostate cancer. On the other hand, several human and animal studies have shown that flaxseed slows tumor development in study subjects with prostate cancer. My take on this conflicting research is simple. If you are at risk of prostate cancer, avoid flaxseed oil and take whole flaxseed. The seeds are a much less concentrated source of oil, plus they contain cancer-fighting lignans.

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