Nutrition & Diet Flaxseed / linseed

[CrazyCatLady]

Hey,
I have a packet of ground flaxseed and am sprinkling it on some meals to try increase my omega oil intake...but I don't know how much is worth it? Iv also heard u can consume too much (though I doubt I'm doing that) xxx

 

[mary1]

One tablespoon per day is good.

 

[CrazyCatLady]

Thanks. Think it's left a funny taste in the back of my throat :-( boo xxx

 

[hungryraccoon]

You could try chia seeds! They're tasteless. I really like adding them to my oats (before cooking.)

If you google them you'll see they're pretty darn great little seeds full of goodness.

 

[Kasandra]

i must try the chia seeds... going to try and find some

 

[SummerRain]

Hmm I'm not a nutritionist by any means, but my book on plant based nutrition by the vegan society suggests rapeseed oil is also good for getting enough omega 3 - and where I am certainly rapeseed oil is much cheaper than ground flaxseed, and if you use it while cooking then it's a no-thinking/remembering/effort/taste-difference required way of getting a good omega3-6 balance.

 

[Alice-Bee]

^Thats good to know. Flax is expensive. Im all for putting good food into my body but I am slightly unemployed and on a budget right now :/

 

[SummerRain]

Yeah, it's a really good book (I found it in a charity shop!). Sunflower oil is high in omega 6, and I think the omega 3-6 balance is the important part, so by switching oils you help two-fold by reducing a high omega-6 oil and increasing a high omega-3 oil. Rapeseed oil is still more expensive than sunflower mind you, but much cheaper than flax.

http://www.vegansociety.com/lifestyle/nutrition/essential-fatty-acids.aspx explains it in a technical way.

 

[CrazyCatLady]

Update on the bad taste in my mouth...it stayed for a few days. I then decided to have a look in my mouth an realised one of my tonsils in swollen. Lol! Sorry flaxseed for blaming you!! xxx

 

[shyvas]

Update on the bad taste in my mouth...it stayed for a few days. I then decided to have a look in my mouth an realised one of my tonsils in swollen. Lol! Sorry flaxseed for blaming you!! xxx

I didn't think that linseed was the culprit. Sorry about your tonsils.

It is better to buy whole linseed and grind small amounts and store it in the fridge. I always add a few spoons to my dough when baking bread. It is also nice when making veggie burgers.

 

[toad1]

Iv also heard u can consume too much (though I doubt I'm doing that) xxx

There are some studies that show too much is correlated with some cancers...but nothing definitive.

The daily recommendation for omega-3 is 1.6 grams a day. One tablespoon of ground flaxseed has around 2 grams, so you really don't need to use much. That is especially true if you're eating a diet rich in vegetables (leafy greens are rich in omega-3) and are minimizing oils or at the very least using canola or olive oil.

I think ground flax has a funny taste and my tonsils are fine =)

^Thats good to know. Flax is expensive. Im all for putting good food into my body but I am slightly unemployed and on a budget right now :/

Perhaps things are much different in the UK, but here, that is California, you can get whole flax seed for as cheap as $1.20/lb and ground for $2/lb.

 

[Photojess]

NO on the rapeseed oil...that's canola oil and it's genetically modified and is still a contributer to cardiovascular disease. According to Dr Caldwell Esselstyn, ( author of Reverse and Prevent Heart Disease), we do not need to, and should not consume any refined oils at all, but get our fats from whole foods. Flax seeds ground, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and walnuts are all good sources of Omega 3 fatty acids. Even up to 2 Tbsp of ground flax seeds is completely fine for you. The finer you grind your flax, the less texture issue there is too. I don't think there's a funny taste to me, but I can tell if I don't grind it fine enough. I use about 1 1/2 T-2 T in my oatmeal, after cooking each morning. I"m not big on walnuts, so I try to get all I need through flax.