Welcome to Ounce of Prevention’s Words On Wellness. In this issue we’ll discuss the many benefits of flaxseed oil. We hope you enjoy reading Ounce of Prevention’s Words On Wellness.
All statements made have not been evaluated by the FDA. All statements are based on studies and/or research, are for informational purposes only and are not intended to diagnosis, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The nutritional supplement discussed in this newsletter is not a drug and should not be used as a drug or in lieu of drugs prescribed by your physician. Always consult with your physician before taking any pharmaceuticals and nutritional supplements.
Heart Disease, Cancer & Stroke
We look both ways before crossing the street. We buckle our seatbelt when we drive our
cars. We lock our doors and secure our windows in our homes. We do these things almost
instinctively as a means of protecting ourselves from the hazards of our environment. We
do these things because we like to feel safe and protected. But when it comes to
protecting ourselves from the three leading causes of death and disability in the United
States, we seem disinterested until it’s too late.
Heart disease, cancer, and stroke. Three conditions that have the capability of striking
fear in the minds of most Americans, and for good reason: They are the three leading
causes of death and disability in this country. It’s unfortunate that most of us have
experienced either first hand the devastating effects of one or more of these diseases or
have witnessed friends and family wage battle against these all-consuming conditions.
We are both grateful and fascinated by medical breakthroughs in surgical procedures, new
drug therapies and other treatments aimed at "curing" these conditions. But,
there’s a problem with these cures: They’re reactive approaches to
fighting disease. You need to develop the disease before you can benefit from the
treatment. As an example, in 1996 the FDA approved a drug to be used for the treatment of
stroke. The only problem with this drug is that you have to suffer a stroke first. Only
then can the drug be of use and only if it is administered at the proper time following
the stroke.
A better approach to fighting stroke, heart disease and cancer is one of proaction:
Instead of waiting until you develop one of these diseases, initiate a "preventive
treatment plan" aimed at lessening the chances of developing one of these conditions.
Since it’s a fact that most Americans diets and lifestyles contribute greatly to the
development of these diseases, the best place to start your treatment program is to make
diet and lifestyle modifications. One of the best, simplest and most important diet
modifications you can make is to ingest adequate amounts of "healthy" fats. You
read it right... Research has shown that decreasing your dietary intake of
unhealthy fats and increasing your intake of healthy fats can have a beneficial
effect on your overall health, including reducing the likelihood of developing heart
disease, cancer and stroke.1, 2
Healthy Fats and Unhealthy Fats
It seems a day doesn’t go by that we’re not bombarded with advice on cutting the
fat our of our diets. While it is true that the typical American diet contains far too
much fat and we justifiably need to reduce our intake, it is also true that there are
certain fats that are beneficial to our health that the average American isn’t
getting enough of in his or her diet.
The bad fats typical of our diet are saturated fats. These are generally animal
fats and are solid to semi-solid at room temperature. The good fats, derived from
vegetable sources, are known as unsaturated fats and usually are liquid at room
temperature (we typically refer to liquid fats as oils). But before we buy a bottle of
Wesson and start drinking it, we need to realize that all unsaturated fats are not created
equal. It’s important to select fats or oils that have a high content of what are
known as essential fatty acids.
Essential Fatty Acids
There exist two essential fatty acids (essential meaning that the human body cannot
synthesize the fat from other molecules - we need to ingest the fat in its final form)
that are important to the diet. These are alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic acid.
Alpha-linolenic acid is an omega-3 oil and linoleic acid is an omega-6 oil. These oils
have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, decrease the viscosity
of blood and reduce the buildup of plaque within arteries.3 Additionally, they are
components of all cell membranes and contribute to the production of hormone-like
substances called prostaglandins.
Due to their widespread function, a dietary decrease of these healthy fats have directly
been linked to the three most common causes of death and disability in the United States
at discussed above: Heart disease, cancer and stroke. Most Americans have diets that are
quite deficient in these essential fats. And to make matters worse, our typical fats
(saturated fats and the partially hydrogenated fats of margarine, shortening and the
majority of prepared foods) have been shown to interfere and inhibit the body’s
utilization of the essential fatty acids.3 Fortunately, we do ingest some omega-3 oils and
omega-6 oils in our diets; however, of interest is that the ratio of omega-6 oils to
omega-3 oils in the average American diet is estimated to be 20:1. Studies indicate that
the optimum ratio should be about 3:1 to 4:1. With this in mind and based on the fact that
the body is able to manufacture important cellular substances from omega-3 oils,
researchers believe that by increasing our intake of essential fatty acids, specifically
omega-3 oils, we have the greatest chance of optimally improving our level of health and
position ourselves to better prevent disease.
Flaxseed Oil: Nature’s Best Source
of Omega-3 Oils
As stated above, research is demonstrating that by increasing our intake of omega-3 oils,
optimum health benefits are achieved. Although many different sources of omega-3 and
omega-6 oils exist, nature has provided us the best source, both in content and cost, in flaxseeds.
Not only do flaxseeds have a high content of these essential oils, their ratio to one
another is about 3:1; a daily tablespoon of flaxseed oil will provide about six grams of
omega-3 oil (alpha-linolenic acid) and two grams of omega-6 oil (linoleic acid), just
about a perfect ratio.
And there’s an added benefit associated with flax. Substances found in the shell hull
of the flaxseed react with our intestinal bacteria to produce compounds called lignans.
Lignans are demonstrating tremendous benefits including relieving menopause-related hot
flashes and they posses antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral characteristics. Most
important, however, is the role lignans play in protecting us from cancer, especially
breast cancer. With as many as one in eight women developing breast cancer, flaxseed oil
high in lignans should be a routine addition to the daily diet of women at risk of breast
cancer.
Selecting a Quality Flaxseed Product
It’s important to select a quality flax product. Since flaxseed oil is
polyunsaturated, it is extremely susceptible to the damaging aspects of the heat that
occurs during certain pressing processes. It is important to select a flaxseed oil that
has been expeller-pressed with the temperature remaining below 96 degrees. Additionally,
look for an oil that is 100% certified organic. Non-organic flaxseeds may contain
contaminants such as pesticides. Ounce of
Prevention carries online encapsulated flaxseed oil that does not require
refrigeration making it safe for shipping.
So, look both ways when crossing the street, buckle your seatbelt, lock your doors, secure your windows and most importantly, take your flaxseed oil!
