Food of the Week: Flax
It seems like flax is everywhere these days -- it's certainly one of those nutrition "buzz words" at the moment, as evidenced by all the grocery store labels boasting about it, in cereals, granola and a host of other products.
Not all of these nutrients du jour are worthy of the hype, but flax appears to be. What's more, many of the things it contains are things those of us with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome need.
Flax provides:
- Omega-3 fatty acids, which fight inflammation
- Most B vitamins, which boost energy
- Magnesium, which eases muscle pain
- Fiber, for heart health, intestinal function, blood-sugar regulation
- Antioxidants, which protect you from cellular damage
- Lignans, which help balance female hormones
The fiber content in flax is high enough that you should integrate it into your diet (or supplement regimen) slowly, because it can act as a laxative. If you have irritable bowel syndrome, be especially careful with flax.
If you buy raw flax seed or meal to cook with it, you'll need to know how to store it correctly. Here's a great article from About.com Low-Carb Diets Guide Laura Dolson -- it's got selection and storage tips, plus serving suggestions and links to lots of recipes: Buying, Storing & Cooking With Flax.
I take flax in supplement form and also try to get it through my diet. When I had to stop taking anti-inflammatory meds because of elevated liver enzymes, I upped my omega-3 intake and it really helped.
Do you use flax medicinally? What effects has it had? Do you cook with it? Leave your comments below!
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What foods have Flax in them? is there a recommended amount one should take of the supplements? I have fibro, IBS, and DDD – was really wondering if Flax would help?
I’ve used flax seed meal for a long time and never thought about how to store it or how long I should keep it until reading this. My fiance always insists that we store it in the refriderator and she’ll be happy to know now that she was correct. I assumed it was like bread where bread goes stale quicker when in the fridge compared to outside or in the freezer.
I’ll have to head to Whole Foods soon to get some fresh flax seeds and start grinding them myself (any suggestions?).
Also, I was wondering if you had any good comparisons between flax seed and wheat germ, with regards to anything. We use both at our place, I prefer flax seed meal and she prefers wheat germ, but it’s all revolved around texture and taste. I would really appreciate it if you had any comparisons or could weigh them.
Thanks for the info too!
I was on the lower end of Fibro and I only had to take 75mg of Lyrica twice a day. Still, I hated taking it because it made me feel “weird” and sleepy, not to mention the weight gain. So almost one month ago I read an article about the benefits of flax seed oil and decided to give it a shot. I haven’t taken a single Lyrica caplet since I began the flax seed oil pills.
I know this isn’t typical of everyone, but I’m happy that it helped me and I don’t have to take meds anymore. Of course I also take magnesium and a B complex daily as well. I don’t feel 100% every single day but when I am tired or sore it is very manageable. And if you’re wondering how much I take, I only take two 1200 mg liquid flax capsules a day (one at breakfast and one at dinner). I’m hoping that it continues to work, but I’m worried about winter quickly approaching (which is when I tend to feel worse). My fingers are crossed though!
Faith
I put flax seed meal in smoothie concoctions made with plain yogurt, a banana, frosen fruit de jur, low fat milk and splenda. I throw in a tablespoon and my husband both have a tall glass onmost days.
I started doing it for my heart because I have a chooesterol problem and wanted to get the omega 3s boosted.
I can’t say it has any affect on the fibro. Mine has been pretty resistant to anything. I just have to be really careful about pacing.
I find yoga helps more than anything.
In order for the body to digest the flax seeds & thereby benefiting from all their properties, they must be ground. To prevent them from turning rancid, it’s best to grind & store them in smaller amounts. The ground seed must be kept refrigerated.
I add the ground seeds to just about everything I eat, including yogurt, salads, pasta or rice dishes, etc.
Enjoy & take good care!
I have been taking flaxseed oil for about 3 years, it is an important supplement for FM and CFS sufferers.
I have sometimes suffer from IBS & Leaky Gut I find ground flaxseed can cause my FM symptoms to worsen and bring on a flare up. I have to be careful with all nuts & seeds etc because of this problem I can’t digest the shell like coating or even the nut kernals, even ground flaxseed are difficult. My advice to sufferers with FM CFS if you have Leaky Gut or IBS problems it could be kinder to use flaxseed oil. When I go abroad on holiday I take flaxseed capsules.
Group Leader Sheffield Fibromyalgia Self Help Group.
On the advise of a health counselor I tried chia seeds instead of flax and love them. They don’t have to be ground up like flax and they have a higher amount of omega-3’s. I put them in smoothies but there are tons of ways to use them. Definitely worth trying and a quick google search will give more info than I can remember about them.