Flax Seed

[Run_Out]

Hey Guys

I just recently retired and relocated to west Texas. During that process I had to introduce myself to a new doctor and have my medical records transferred from Dallas.

My new doctor is a very nice lady and we discussed my general health, I have been blessed with generaly good health but I do take a blood pressure medicine.

During our discussion I asked about herbs and foods that were good for us to consume. She discussed avoiding as much as possible the usual suspects, fried foods, processed foods, high fat foods. She did mention flax seed, she said it was very good for lowering cholesterol and maintaining a healthy body. She maintains it contains the Omega 5 oils that are in the fish that we consue.

My question for you guys is do any of you use flax seed or have any experience with it. One thing is she told me it was a blood thinner but that shouldn't be an issue for me.

Thanks

 

[shpj4]

I never heard of Flax Seed but I am certainly going to do some research on the subject I too have high blood pressure and I take a pill each morning for it.

Thank you.

Jill and Jolie

 

[jpmcgrew]

Flax seed is good for high cholesterol also.I take it when I can.You can put it on anything,bake withit and so on.But it must be ground seed not whole as your body wont digest the whole seeds to get any benefit from it.Flax seed is perishable especially the ground.You can drind your own in a coffee grinder or buy ground up already.It has a nice nutty flavor but can get a little gummy if you leave in in a liquid too long.

 

[jpmcgrew]

Here is a little more info.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flaxseed

 

[jkath]

I've taken flax seed oil (in a soft-gel type vitamin) for a couple of years, (recommended by my doc) and it's really helped my dry skin a lot.

 

[FryBoy]

It's hard to find RELIABLE information about flax, not because it's not out there but because there's so much garbage from unreliable sites that push vitamins, body building, etc. But I did find a couple that I would consider trustworthy, including this from the University of California Berkeley's Wellness Letter: http://www.wellnessletter.com/html/ds/dsFlaxseed.php

That and other reliable sites stress the need to grind the seeds, or to chew them well, to get the benefits of flax. I also understand that simply taking flax seed oil doesn't provide the benefits of the entire seed.

It's also not without some risk, and there are questions about its efficacy, as discussed by the Mayo Clinic:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/flaxseed/NS_patient-flaxseed

 

[Robo410]

I like a natural cerial which contains flax seed (ground etc. ) It is a strong nutty flavor. I'm not dead yet.

 

[Half Baked]

I buy the whole flaxseed, grind it and keep it in the freezer. I'll add a tablespoon to a smoothie, soup, salad etc.

The seeds have to be ground up a bit or the beneficial 'stuff' can't get out of the shell.

 

[ChefJune]

A doctor I'm acquainted with recommends grinding it yourself in a clean coffee grinder and using that as a crunchy topping on salads. I've done that... It tastes okay.... but I consistenty take the gel caps of flax seed oil... I understand it's not quite as good as eating the seeds, but they carry better when I'm traveling.......

 

[buckytom]

it is true that whole flax seed does not give you the nutritive benefits, but it does add fiber. good for the crapper, as it were. so a mix of mostly ground but also whole flax seed is best.

 

[prada]

i hear it is high in omega 3 and it is really good for you so i sprinkle a spoonful on my oatmeal every morning

 

[Hades]

It's quite tasty too. I often eat a commercially available kind of bread here that contains (among a lot of other bird food) broken lineseed and line oil (next time I buy it, I'll check the full ingredients list). Absolutely delicioius.
And you can even run cars on the oil and make luxury clothes from the stems.

 

[Run_Out]

Thanks guys I really appreciate the help. I purchased the seeds, grind in a coffee grinder and so far they are pretty good . I really like the price $1.20 pound at the United, a pound is really a lot of Flax seed.

later

 

[Maidrite]

I have went from taking Fish Oil Soft gels ( Yucky Belchs) to Flax Seed Oil Pills, it not only has Omega 3 it also has Omega 6, and 9.
It is good for Transition from menopause, promoting skin health, blood pressure, and immune function. I just got my tests back for my blood cholesterol levels and it went from 226 to 105 . I might mention I also take Garlic and a low dose asprin a day.
I take soft gels twice a day of both Flax Seed oil and Garlic.
Note I am not a Doctor, But I will say I have tried other things and this was my way, Also High Cholesterol and High Triglycerides run in my family so the Doctor told me she was impressed with my results. Please check with your Doctor first however before starting anything new.

 

[mudbug]

this is interesting. All I ever used linseed oil for was to protect old wooden furniture. Gotta be a different blend for that kind of use.