Health Benefits of Flax Seed Oil

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By Trevor Dawson - 2007-07-27
Find more articles like this in our Fruits Vegetables Nuts Berries category.

One of the latest buzzword in the health care industry today is flax seed oil.

Flax seed oil is considered to be one of the richest natural sources of the three fatty omega acids. Flax seed oil derived from a plant called flax that produces blue flowers, and it is harvested mainly for its seeds, which are rich in oil, in the Prairies of Western Canada.

The oil is obtained by pressing the plant seed and capturing the oil. Flax seed oil is also used in many industrial products such as linoleum, paint, and varnish.

Flax seed oil is rich in Omega 3 and omega 6 Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) which are excellent defense against degenerative disease and illness, including cancer, cardiovascular, kidney, auto-immune disease, and bone and joint problems.

Flax seed oil also aids healing of scars, skin abrasions and has anti-inflammatory properties, which is useful for inflamed skin or skin disorders such as psoriasis and eczema. The Omega-3 fatty acid in flax seed oil helps to reduce inflammation by inhibiting the formation of thromboxane A2 and promoting the formation of thromboxane A3. Studies have shown that flax seed oil boosts the body's immune system, due to its anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties.

Flax seed oil is undoubtedly one of the best sources of Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acid, and another important fact is that, it has the ideal ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6. Flax seed oil is the world's richest vegetable source of Omega-3 fatty acid and is suitable for vegetarian diets. It has a pleasant nutty flavor and contains no cholesterol. Although both fish oil and flax seed oil are high in Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids, flax seed oil is a much suitable supplement for vegetarians and recommended for those who have high blood pressure.

Flax seed oil supplements are also very cheap for all the health benefits it provides. Flax seed has been used since many, many years ago to maintain healthy animals, and pedigree show animals are fed with linseed oil, which is made from flax seed, to keep their coats glossy. Flax seed, either in liquid form, or whole or milled seeds, can offer a wide variety of health benefits.

Whole or milled flax seed will provide the body with all the benefit of flax seed oil, and with fiber and lignan, which oil supplement could not provide. They are much cheaper too, but it is much better to buy milled flax seeds because they can be easily digested, or you can buy whole flax seeds (which are even cheaper) and grind them in a blender or coffee grinder.

Milled flax seed can be added to many baking recipes or sprinkled into your breakfast cereal to boost its nutritional value. It can be also sprinkled on or mixed into any dish, such as salads, sandwiches, eggs, sauces, potatoes, rice, muffins, pancakes, juices, yogurt, ice cream and more.

Flax seed, either in oil supplements, or whole or milled seeds are beneficial for your body's health. Even some animals could benefit from it too. The Omega-3 fatty acid in flax seed is an excellent prevention or remedy to some diseases and skin disorders. So, if you want a healthy life today, just start taking flax seed.