Someone on another message board has been touting the nutritional benefits of flaxseed oil as a dietary supplement. Specifically, they’ve made the following claims:
This sounds a little too good to be true, but I haven’t been able to find any reliable information–Snopes has nothing, and a google search just shows a bunch of people trying to sell it to me (and one page that just regurgitated most of what this person wrote). Is there any support for any of these claims?
Technically, though, these guys are trying to sell it to you too. Flaxseed is however pretty inexpensive.
It’s interesting to note that many, if not all, of the same extravagant health claims are currently made for emu oil, shark liver oil, cod liver oil, fish oil, and back in the 19th century used to be made for pure petroleum, bottled, and labeled as “snake oil”.
Anyway…Linseed (flaxseed) oil doesn’t sound like something I’d personally care to drink. It was historically used as a laxative.
From 1922.
http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/eclectic/felter/linum.html
Ascarides being “roundworms”, a kind of intestinal parasite.
You can also use it to oil your recorder (a wooden musical instrument).
http://www.dolmetsch.com/recorderoil.htm
All in all, it sounds like something your grandmother made you drink because it was “good for you”.
Omega 3’s is what you are looking for.
Flax is a very good source.
Your others: Salmon and other cold water fishes.
Generally, it is accepted that omega 3’s are beneficial and should be part of a good diet.
Most of your list is valid…Omega3 contributes to those things, but can’t over ride a diet that is a disaster.
I think what the OP is looking for are cites–research and studies that prove the claims. Are there any? I haven’t found any.
All of the claims are so purposely phrased to be vague (“been known to”, “promotes”, helps with", “aids with”, etc.) that they’d be impossible to prove or disprove. The FDA can’t shut them down if they’re only claiming to “help with” something, or to “reduce cravings”. How do you clinically test “reducing cravings”?
And I found this, which seems to say that no, it doesn’t really do all it promises to.
http://blueprint.bluecrossmn.com/topic/topic100587782
Note the purposely vague, very cautious wording–“there is some evidence”, “may reduce”, “perhaps”. This is standard scientific procedure when a theory or treatment hasn’t been “proved” to the satisfaction of the scientific and medical community at large.
And they come right out and say:
"Generally, it is accepted that omega 3’s are beneficial and should be part of a good diet. "
For a much more technical look at the truth of Philster’s comments see:
http://odp.od.nih.gov/ods/news/conferences/w6w3_abstracts.html
I am looking for cites, and I appreciate what’s been dug up so far. One interesting thing I’ve managed to find is that flaxseed oil may accelerate prostate cancer (see here).
Right, I’m not disagreeing with that. Even the Blue Cross link admits as much–“The best use of flaxseed oil is as a general nutritional supplement to provide essential fatty acids.” But I’m saying that I don’t see that all of the extravagant claims quoted in the OP are supported by any scientific evidence.
IANA trained interpreter of research results, but it looks to me like all they proved in the NIH study was that rats raised on a diet that was deficient in fatty acids did poorly on tests, and rats raised on a diet that was higher in fatty acids did better in tests.
The study doesn’t really prove anything other than “Yeah, fatty acids are probably good for you”.
But it doesn’t address the issue of all the claims put forward in the OP, all of that “works to regulate hormones” and “helps insulin sensitivity” stuff, and especially that superbly worded “I’ve read that it’s been known to actually dissolve tumors.” Hey, I’ve read that Mountain Dew has been known to actually shrink your 'nads–must be true. 
I’d also like to point out, rather cynically, that although it says at the beginning that the “official sponsors” of the conference are the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism-NIH, the Office of Dietary Supplements-NIH, the Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health, the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids, and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, still I can’t help noticing that further down, it lists the following producers and users of flax, herbicides for flax crops, and flaxseed oil as “co-sponsors”.
I was prescribed flaxseed oil for general health reasons (not constipation).
I think it’s important because we are taught to limit our fat intake when in fact we need fat (oils) for good health.
Sure, but does it do everything else that people claim it does?
Of course not. Once the dietary supplement marketers get a hold of something the sky’s the limit. There’s usually some basis for the claims, but it’s often no more than a one off experiment as described in a conference publication. Abstract titles from link:[ul]
[li]Evidence for the Essential Nature of DHA in the Human and Rat Nervous System[/li][li]Functional Basis for the Importance of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Retinal and CNS Development[/li][li]The Effects of DHA on Hostility [/li][li]Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Mood Disorders[/li][li]Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Disease[/li][li]N-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Inhibit COX-2 Expression[/li][li]Alpha-Linolenic acid in the Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases [/li][li]Efficacy of n-3 PUFA and vitamin E in 11,324 post-MI patients[/li][li]Choice of n-3, Monounsaturated and Trans Fatty Acid-Enriched Oils for the Prevention of Excessive Linoleic Acid Syndrome[/li][/ul]
If the research pans out, it’ll be published, and likely checked by other labs. If not, it may still live on in the blurbs of supplement dealers. That said, claims 2,3,4,5,10,11,12,13,14,16,17 seem very iffy to me. For example, #3: Who in their right mind would sponsor research to determine the effect of dietary fats on the strength of rat fingernails ? #17: Fats are usually “downers”, not “uppers”. It’s always useful to ask yourself why, and how someone would go about determining whether a claim is true. “Lubricates the skin from inside” indeed !
There’s at least some basis for claims 18,19.
For more information search for omega 3 fatty acids at these sites:
http://nccam.nih.gov/cgi-search/htsearch
DDG When you say: “The study doesn’t really prove anything other than “Yeah, fatty acids are probably good for you””, recall that this is how vitamins C,D,K etc. were first shown to be essential. Adding them to the diet eliminated a deficiency syndrome. It’s not rocket science, but if you want to find out what something does, you have to start somewhere. The plus and minus compound X experiment is a classic 
I’ve been taking it for several months and I’d say it hasn’t hurt. Became interested in it as an omega-3 supplement. I’ve heard alot of raves about it from users who swear its their “secret.” And as mentioned in above posts, its cheap.
Sorry for the hit and run post in GQ…no time for cites.
You can prove high fructose corn syrup promotes alertness, energy, improved mood, reduces tension, hightens awareness, etc, etc, etc.
When it comes to diet, cites have limited value because of the spin put on the results…the wording of what it all means.
Omega 3’s have benefits that I don’t -again- have time to cite. However, some things are considered general knowledge…such as “protein is good for you”…
…however, protein can be bad for you.
Heck, water can be bad for you…sugar could be good for you if you tend to have low sugar levels…and everyone should eat some sugar…
…and everyone would GENERALLY benefit from consuming Omega3’s…although the EXTENT of the impact of some of the things on the list would vary or be negligible.
I know I ain’t playing by the rules here in GQ by not backing up things with facts - it’s just that the facts are convoluted because so many tests and results are terribly flawed…esp the ones by supplement pushers.
However, it is generally accepted as good advice to includen several servings per week of omega 3’s…especially from fish.
Oh…btw…when it comes to supplements like omega 3’s, calcium and anitoxidents, research shows that supplements are worthless compared to absorbing nutrition in real food.
You can search on Dr. Ray Walford of UCLA and read some of his work. This is a doc doing real scientific tests…double blind, etc, etc…respected by his peers.
Cites from scientific journals are of value in the field of diet and nutrition, as there’s no spin. I agree that anything the supplement pushers say is highly suspect, so I don’t bother listening to them.
Sure, [symbol]w[/symbol][sub]3[/sub] is good for you. No one’s debating that. What we are trying to figure out is whether flaxseed oil is the next wonder drug. Doesn’t seem to be like it.
According to reputable research with the study showing amazing results, the wonder drug is:
’ a nutrient dense diet using the FDA guidelines, and should include omega-3’s, as well as anitoxidents, but is very limited in calories.’
And that cite would be:
Dr. Walford of UCLA and others have demonstrated that antioxidents, omega-3’s, vitamins, minerals, are all ‘wonder drugs’ when part of a very low calorie diet…much much lower than you would consider healthy.
However, supplements are proving to be worthless as wonder drugs…although the omegas, the anitoxidents and the vitamins and minerals are wonder drugs when eaten as actual food in a very limited caloric intake.
The cite I mentioned isn’t a link to some supplement company, but rather a real doc from UCLA who was part of biosphere and currently has some of the best data on real living animals…mice and primates… humans.
Flax oil is, as was mentioned, AKA linseed oil. Linseed oil can be had at your local home center in the paints & varnishes section, though I wouldn’t suggest anyone consume any of it from there. They probably add something that’s good for the wood but bad for you. Linseed oil is quite often mixed with a variety of other things for use as a woodworking finish. It was very commonly used in the 19th C by itself (w/o additives) as a wood finish. (Beginning in the 20th C, laquer was more widely used, then in the 1950’s and 60’s, polyurethanes.)
I was surprised to see it mentioned as a dietary supplement here! AFAIK, most people get sufficient oils from a normal diet. This would apply even to the most strict vegans.
Nitpick: In modern usage, esp. as it pertains to dietary supplements vs. art supplies, flaxseed oil is NOT linseed oil. That’s like saying wine is vinegar.
Flaxseed oil is what you first get from pressing the seeds of the flax plant (whose fibers are used to make linen … hence LINseed). This is the only thing you should ingest. Keep it sealed and away from light, as it breaks down very, very easily.
When you let flaxseed oil go rancid, it becomes what we call linseed oil. Linseed oil is then treated any number of ways (boiling, etc.) to make it a more suitable paint medium/furniture finish/etc.
Essential fatty acids (EFAs) regulate blood clotting, inflammation, and cholesterol. The long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids, the largest concentrations of which are found in fish, may lower the risk of heart disease and ease the pain of rheumatoid arthritis, by making blood less likely to coagulate and by suppressing a sequence of events that occurs between the cells of the immune system and those of the joints. (Health & Nutrition Letter, February 1999) The three major dietary omega-3 fats are docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapanetaenoic acid (EPA) and alpha linolenic acid (LNA). 60% of the brain is made of fat and DHA is the most abundant fat in the gray matter of the brain (Remedy, May/June 1999). Yes, Virginia, fish food is brain food.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids are either “omega-3s” or “omega-6s.” Leafy greens and some vegetable oils (such as walnut, flaxseed, and canola) contain only the short-chain omega-3 linolenic acid, not the longer-chain fatty acids found in fish oils. Fish are able to convert the linolenic acid in algae and other sea plants into eicosapentenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexenoic acid (DHA). (U of Cal, Berkeley Wellness Letter, March 1999)
As Squink’s first link points out, fish oil is better than flaxseed oil since the ALA in flaxseed is not easily converted into EPA and DHA, which have more benefits. Also, as Squink’s link states one needs both the Omega-6s and Omega3s in good proportion.
I begin to wonder about the MOTIVATION behind the promotion of flaxseed oil. Is there some farmer with a surplus of seeds, wanting to get more bucks when the oil is dispersed by micrograms rather than pint cans of linseed oil?
I had the same question when “grape seed extract” started making itself known in supplements and cosmetics. That sounded to me like something out of Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle,” where every part of the hog was used except the squeal.
I can just see some manager at a winery, after the grapes are pressed. “Yanno, we’re just throwing this stuff away. Maybe we can USE these seeds somehow!”
~VOW