Essential Fatty Acids From
Flax - The Wonder Grain

Given the fact that encapsulated fish oils have been shown to contain very high levels of lipid peroxides and are expensive to use at therapeutic dosages (1.8 grams per day of eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA), flaxseed oil has emerged as the preferred source of omega-3 fatty acids. Flaxseed oil contains more than twice the amount of omega-3 oil compared to fish oil and is also a good source of linoleic acid. In addition, flaxseed oil may offer other benefits over fish oil and GLA products. Flaxseed oil is also much less expensive than these products.

Flax is being discovered anew as the wonder grain of the 90's. The following list shows the ingredients of flaxseed (Shown per 100 grams to more easily see the ratios and percentages.).

Flax oil: (35 grams which include:)
Alpha Linolenic Acid 20.7 grams
Linoleic Acid 4.9 grams
Oleic Acid 6.7 grams
Stearic Acid 1.4 grams
Palmitoleic Acid 1.8 grams
Minerals: (14 grams which include:)
Potassium .74 grams
Phosphorus .70 grams
Magnesium .38 grams
Calcium .21 gram
Sulphur .21 gram
Sodium .046 gram
Chlorine .043 gram
Iron .0077 gram
Zinc .0057 gram
Manganese Trace
Silicon Trace
Copper Trace
Fluorine Trace
Nickel Trace
Cobalt Trace
Iodine Trace
Molybdenum Trace
Chromium Trace
Protein: 26 grams
Fiber: 14 grams
Mucilage: 12 grams
Water: 9 grams
Carotene, Vitamin B1, B2, C, E, Lecithin and phospholipids: Flax contains all the anti oxidants it needs to naturally keep the oil fresh within the seed. When the seed is cracked, the anti oxidants will keep the oil fresh until they are all used up. If we keep light and oxygen away from the seed pulp or oil by not breaking up the seed until just before use, the natural, fresh anti oxidants will be used within our bodies in their strength.
Fiber: Fiber is a must for intestinal and colon health. And Flaxseed has one of the best, mucilage. Its 12 percent mucilage makes flaxseed the best natural laxative available. Its also great for acidic stomachs and lowering cholesterol by preventing the re absorption of bile. It has many other useful properties as well. (Flaxseed oil has the fiber removed.)
Lignans: Lignans have anti viral, anti fungal, antibacterial, and anticancer properties. And flaxseed contains 100 times more lignans than the next closest source. (Flaxseed oil only has 2% of the lignans flaxseed has.)

For Do-It-Yourselfers!
How To Prepare Flaxseeds For Eating
Ingesting unbroken flaxseed just passes right through us. For our bodies to digest flaxseed, the hull or shell must be broken. There are a several ways of doing this.

Blenders: Flaxseed grinds up very nicely without any water. Put 3 tablespoons in your blender and set it on the "grind" speed. This seems to work a little better if the small 1 cup blender jars are used, but the open top blender works also.

Or better yet, add some raw sunflower seed. (Cooked sunflower seed contains damaged oil.) Three tablespoons of flax blended with 3 to 4 tablespoons of sunflower seed contains a balanced blend of all the essential fatty acids you need.

Grain Grinders: Grain grinders come in a couple of different types. But some are better suited for grinding flax than others.

a. Stone Grinder: Stone grinders have two donut shaped, porous stones. The outer stone turns and the inner stone is stationary. Grooves in the inner half of the stone forces grain through the stones where it is ground. These grinders can be electrically or manually operated. Stone grinders can grind flax, but there are a couple of precautions you must take. Flax is so full of oil that it will quickly gum up the stones in your grinder. For a stone grinder to grind flax, it must be mixed with wheat, or some other dry grain in a ratio of at least 3 parts grain to 1 part flax. This generally takes care of the plugging problem. And it may be necessary to take the stones apart occasionally and clean the oily residue out of them.

b. Burr Grinder: Burr grinders use metal wheels with protruding burrs which grind the grain and are an excellent choice for flax. They also come in manual and electric models.

c. Impact Grinder: These grinders only come in the electric variety and are extremely fast grinders when considered next to the stone or burr grinders. The blade grinder has several rows of blades that turn inside each other at extremely high speeds. For private use these grinders are the top of the line. When purchasing one, be sure it is designed for all types of grains and beans. Not all of them are! All the impact grinders that I know of must be mixed with dry grains when grinding flax or they will plug up.

Cooking: Put your freshly prepared flax /flour mixture in pancakes, bread, muffins, or biscuits. Put the fresh oil over salads. Be creative. Recipes and ways to use the oil in your diet can be found in the books listed at the end of this page.

I don't recommend: Boiling flaxseed turns it into the most disagreeable slime due to the mucilage. Even though chewing the seed works, and chews much easier than wheat, I would not recommend it except to the most hearty folks who have a good set of teeth. Chewing it takes a couple of minutes to break open all the seed shells.

Don’t Have Time For All That!
Just Show Me Where To Buy Good Flaxseed Oil
Where do you get good flaxseed oil? I would nice if I could tell you it is as easy as going out to the grocery store or health food store and buying already extracted oil. But, there is more to it than that. I’ll explain oil extraction and processing methods and which are good or bad. Then, I will tell you a simple solution, a simple way to get the best essential fatty acids.

Several methods of manufacturing have been recognized as destructive to polyunsaturated oils and the nutrient cofactors they contain. Mass commercialized oil products are produced under extreme pressures and extreme temperatures in order to obtain high yields. The seed meal is then placed in a chemical solution in order to obtain every trace of oil. Then comes the remaining twenty or so refinement and stabilization steps. One of these steps, hydrogenation, effectively transforms an unsaturated fatty acid molecule into a fat similar to a saturated fat as well as distorts the molecule from a healthful "cis" configuration to an unnatural, unhealthy "trans" configuration. The hexane, or chemical extraction method uses a solvent. There is some question as to whether the solvent can be completely removed from the resultant oil. Supercritical fluid extraction (SCFE) is more damaging to polyunsaturated oils than the hexane method. SCFE oils have less chemical stability, higher average lipid peroxide levels (rancidity), altered fatty acid profiles, decreased mineral content, fractionated triglyceride formations, and are absent of phosphatides and stripped of tocopherols. Cold pressed oils only means that "no form of external heat is applied during extraction." The pressure used in pressing the seeds creates extreme heat which is destructive to the oils.

Preferred oil extraction methods are expeller pressing and modified atmospheric packing (MAP). These methods protect the oils from destruction and unnecessary alteration.

Hallmarks of quality oil products are:

- Products certified as organic by a reputable third-party source, indicated on label or promotional material.
- Products extracted by modified expeller presses only at temperatures that do not exceed 98 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Products contained in opaque (light-resistant) plastic containers.
- Products delivered manufacturer-direct to retail health food stores or your home.
- Products recommended by reputable health and nutrition authorities.
- Products found in the refrigerated section of health food stores or in a gelatin capsule that is protected with antioxidants like carob.
- Manufacturers that are willing to supply you with a third-party laboratory analysis of their product upon your request.
- Products backed with educationally based supportive materials.
- Quality products with dating codes on the label with the recommended use-by date.

AVOID oils that are not third-party certified organic. AVOID oils that are heavily refined or that have a bitter aftertaste, rancid flavor, or no flavor at all.

A simple way to get the best essential fatty acids and have them shipped right to your door is to order them from the company that I recommend. Click on the Ordering Information link at the bottom of this page for more information.

Each 1000 mg softgel capsule in the product I recommend contains the following key ingredients:

100% Certified Organic Flaxseed Oil (830 mg)
100% Certified Organic Borage Oil (170 mg)


Each capsule provides: Omega-3 (LNA, 445 mg), Omega-6 (LA, 200 mg), Omega-9 (oleic, 165 mg), and Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA, 40 mg).

I suggest supplementing your diet with 2-4 capsules per day. Along with supplementation, you can obtain enough good fats in your diet by following the 40-30-30 Zone Diet plan as outlined in Gene and Joyce Daoust’s book, 40-30-30 Fat Burning Nutrition.

Sources of Information on EFAs
Fats that Heal Fats that Kill, by Udo Erasmus, published by Alive Books, Burnaby, BC, Canada 1 800 661 0303. Mr. Erasmus is largely responsible for North America's increased awareness of Essential Fatty Acids and is one of the recognized authorities on the subject.

Understanding Fats & Oils - Your Guide to Healing with Essential Fatty Acids, by Dr. Michael T. Murray, available through Progressive Health Publishing, 315 First Street, #U-198, Encinitas, CA, 92024.

Flaxseed Oil and the Power of Omega-3, by M. Johnston, C.N. and James R. Johnston, Ph.D., Keats Publishing, Inc., New Canaan, Connecticut.


EFA's (essential fatty acids)(60 capsules) (1 month supply)
Retail cost $24.95
Member cost $15.95
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