Flax Seed

[my3labs]

What's up with Flax Seeds? I've been hearing a lot about it and have been looking at it for quite some time. Today I bought some.
So, my questions are:
1. Do I need Flax Seeds?
2. What do I do with it?
3. Is it strictly a source of fiber? (I don't think any of us vegans have a need for fiber?)

The flax seeds that I bought are Roasted & Salted Golden Flax Seeds. I didn't realize when I purchased them that they were roasted and salted. Should I grind them and add them to my breakfast of fruit and almond milk? I googled "Flax Seed" and it came back with a wealth of information but I thought I'd go straight to the source of the some of the smartest people I know regarding health...so here I am.

[Fauxmage]

Flax seeds are sources of soluble fiber, lignans (which are phytochemicals that fight cancer), and of course, Omega 3 fatty acids.

Roasted flax seeds will be a good source of fiber, but the omega 3 oils will be destroyed by the roasting process. I don't know whether the lignans are destroyed by heat too.

Whole flax seeds are an excellent laxative. They form a very sticky gelatinous coating when they are mixed with water, and it is this coating that provides the laxative effect. Whole flax seeds taken in this way will resist digestion, and their oils and phytochemicals will not be utilised in the body.

Ground flaxseeds will provide both a laxative effect, and if unheated, the beneficial Omega 3 fatty acids, when used in salads or mixed into cereals. The heat of the cereal may cause some fatty acid loss, but not as much as if the seeds were cooked with the cereal, or used in baked goods. Its best to buy whole flaxseeds, and then grind what you need in a coffee grinder, to keep the oils from going rancid.

Flax seed oil is of course a very good source of Omega 3 fatty acids. I love the taste, and use it on my salads with lemon juice. Some people think the taste is revolting, but I am convinced that they are consuming rancid oil. It is important to buy cold-pressed flax oil, that is sold in the refrigerated section of the market. I've used Barlean's, Spectrum, and Udo's Choice, and they are all tasty to me.

Flax seeds are such a good source of the otherwise difficult to obtain Omega 3 fatty acids, that it makes more sense to use them ground and raw in salads or on cereals, rather than to cook with. There should be plenty of fiber already in cereals and whole grain baked goods, so that the additional fiber from flax seeds is not as important a contribution as the Omega 3 oils they are so rich in. They are tasty when added to baked goods, though. I just got some raw flax crackers, which were made with sprouted flax and sunflower seeds, and onions and garlic. They sprout the seeds, mix them with a puree of the veggies, and then dehydrate them into crackers at low enough temperatures to protect the live enzymes. They need lots of good chewing, though, to extract the nutrients from the whole seeds. They are very yummy!

You can also get Omega 3 fatty acids from hemp seeds and oil, leafy greens, and walnuts. Hemp seeds and oil are really tasty too, and hemp seed oil has such a pretty green color. You can only get hulled hemp seeds, though, since they don't want folks to be able to sprout them and grow plants. :whistle:

[my3labs]

See, I knew I would find the right answers here :agree:
Does $20 for a small bottle of flax oil seem right to you?

[Oracl]

Its best to buy whole flaxseeds, and then grind what you need in a coffee grinder, to keep the oils from going rancid.
______________________________________________

Flax seed oil is of course a very good source of Omega 3 fatty acids. I love the taste, and use it on my salads with lemon juice. Some people think the taste is revolting, but I am convinced that they are consuming rancid oil. It is important to buy cold-pressed flax oil, that is sold in the refrigerated section of the market.
I'll go along with both these statements. :agree:

I grind flaxseeds as I need them in a coffee grinder. I also use cold-pressed flaxseed oil, which I buy from a health shop which keeps it refrigerated and which I always keep refrigerated, it is very yummy. :yum:

[Oracl]

See, I knew I would find the right answers here :agree:
Does $20 for a small bottle of flax oil seem right to you?
I pay about $10 (AUD) for a 250 ml bottle of organic or $7.50 for chemical free.

[Fauxmage]

:o :D

I just paid $13.99 for a 12 ounce bottle of Barlean's Highest Lignan 100% Organic Flax Oil. The regular variety without extra lignans was $8.99 for 12 ounces, so $20 seems high, unless the bottle is more than 12 ounces. I wonder if you have a Trader Joe's nearby, and whether they might sell it. The last time I looked, they sold it in softgels, which might not be vegan, and isn't the best way to take flax oil, anyway. But it was less expensive.

[Oracl]

$10.00 AUD = $7.95893 USD :)

[Fauxmage]

And 12 ounces is 350 ml. :updn:

[Soynut]

Trader Joe's flaxseed oil bottles are not refrigerated, unfortunately, so I would say that's a no go. I buy mine at Whole Foods or Co-op. Good stuff.:stir:

[thevegantwins]

Some people think the taste is revolting, but I am convinced that they are consuming rancid oil. It is important to buy cold-pressed flax oil, that is sold in the refrigerated section of the market. I've used Barlean's, Spectrum, and Udo's Choice, and they are all tasty to me.
:no: It's not that people are consuming rancid flax oil because I have tried a wide variety of cold-pressed organic flax oils including Udo's Oil and I hate the taste. I hate the taste of flax seeds. I tried mixing them in smoothies when I was pregnant, made me sick. I tried after I was pregnant, same thing. The kids get flax oil on their toast and even the smell makes me gag. :blecch:

[Fauxmage]

Oh, that's too bad. I'm the same way with fresh cilantro. Just the smell upsets me. I love coriander seed, though.
Have you tried hemp seed oil?

[thevegantwins]

I use hemp seeds in different recipes. I just bought hemp milk for the first time. It's okay, tastes good in smoothies. I do take an Omega 3 capsule daily though.

[Soynut]

Tell me about the taste, it's like eating liquid fish!!:crying: :medusa: :tired: But I can actually tolerate it on my hot oatmeal or in pasta dishes. A while back I used O-omega-Zen3 capsules from Vegan Essentials and I loved them. It's marine algal oil which is supposely a good source of omega-3 (one of the best I've heard... somewhere). The only drawback is the price, 18.95 + shipping for 40 capsules. But if you HATE the taste of flaxseed oil (like I do) it's worth it IMO.:)

[thevegantwins]

I started buying Omega 3 from www.bodybuilding.com. Cheapest price around, it comes out to about $35 for a 3-month supply.

[my3labs]

Well, I tried my flax seeds and they were pretty tasty but I think I will invest in some flax oil for the omega 3.

[Soynut]

I started buying Omega Zen 3 from www.bodybuilding.com. Cheapest price around, it comes out to about $35 for a 3-month supply.

How many bottles is that?

[thevegantwins]

How many bottles is that?
1 bottle with 90 pills. The brand is Deva which makes excellent vegan supplements. Also, these pills are less 'fishy' than the Omega Zen brand.

Oops, I just corrected this. I originally put 30 pills, it's actually 90.

[Soynut]

Thanks!:)

[Fauxmage]

1 bottle with 90 pills. The brand is Deva which makes excellent vegan supplements. Also, these pills are less 'fishy' than the Omega Zen brand.

Oops, I just corrected this. I originally put 30 pills, it's actually 90.
Nobody seems to know this little bit of trivia, and people actually argue with me when I tell them, but the thing that gives fish their "fishy" smell is actually the algae that live under their scales. I don't think they are symbiotic algae, fish are just full of algae through and through on account of living in the water. Its like the bacteria that live in people's armpits that are really responsible for BO.

[my3labs]

Nobody seems to know this little bit of trivia, and people actually argue with me when I tell them, but the thing that gives fish their "fishy" smell is actually the algae that live under their scales. I don't think they are symbiotic algae, fish are just full of algae through and through on account of living in the water. Its like the bacteria that live in people's armpits that are really responsible for BO.

Nice factoid Fauxmage.

[Fauxmage]

I'm full of useless factoids. Maybe I need some Preparation F. :D

[Oracl]

Maybe you could write Factoids for Dummies? :bhead: :D

[Gliondrach]

Or make dummies for baby factoids. (Dummies are those rubber things babies suck on)