Flaxseeds? Flaxseed Oil? Flaxseed Caps? Best??

[loverofnaps71]

I just finished my month's supply of flaxseed capsules. I also take the actual flaxseeds. Someone suggested that I take the oil, not the capsules. Which of these three forms will give the best results, in your opinion?

The flaxseed oil makes me regular. The capsules are huge and hard to swallow. The seeds must be grinded and it takes a lot of effort.

I also want to know which form is best for weight loss.

 

[BrEE]

in my nutrition class from what i can remember my teacher said if you eat flax seeds the way it is you wont get the full benefits unless you grind it up. and as for the capsules, youd have to take alot of them a day, the oil would be your best bet. but she also said she wouldnt recommend the oil version to an overweight person b/c it's a 100 calories.

 

[Ebony]

aren't flax seeds sold already grinded up?

 

[Isis]

Bree - I agree totally with your nutrition teacher except I've learned (and experienced) that flaxseed oil burns up other kinds of fat and will help overweight people to lose weight. I've assisted some of my friends to lose weight by having them just add flaxseed oil or ground flaxseeds to their diet. There are certain fats that make people thin, which do not add pounds but actually helps one reduce. This is an essential fatty acid. In this case, it doesn't matter how many calories it has - all fats and oils have about the same number of calories but the body uses certain fats differently. The recommended amount for flaxseed oil is 1 TBSP per day for every 100 pounds of body weight.

Flaxseeds MUST be ground up or they pass through the body undigested. One can get the same benefits as the oil and even more by eating the equivalent 3 TBSP of ground seeds each day per 100 pounds of body weight (3 TBSP = 1 TBSP of oil). The added benefit is the fiber from the ground seeds. There’s more info out there about the seeds that are interesting. If it's a hassle to grind them (I use a regular blender), the ground seeds can be safely stored in the fridge for a few days, so it doesn't have to be done everyday.

And seeds are much cheaper than the oil. The oil is much cheaper than the capsules. It usually takes 14 capsules to equal 1 TBSP of oil and they jack up the prices even more than it's worth. I've only bought the capsules when traveling, for convenience.

I use the flaxseed oil the most.

 

[Isis]

Ebony

Yes, you can buy the seeds already ground up. It just costs a little more than the whole ones. The whole ones are usually sold in bulk at health food stores (or online)very cheaply.

 

[miss_brown]

Thanks for all the info, y'all.

Isis - how exactly do you grind up the seeds? In a regular blender? And how long do they last in the fridge?

TIA

 

[Ebony]

ok, thanks. if i do get the whole ones, i can use my chopper.

 

[loverofnaps71]

Thank you so much, Isis! I am constantly trying to lose weight. I bought the oil yesterday. It's got a god-awful taste, but I take one tbsp in the morning with breakfast and one in the evening. I am about 140lbs. I just want to lose 10 measly pounds but it's the hardest thing to do, and I'm quite active.

Thanks so much. Think I'll add the seeds for a little fiber, though. I'm not getting hardly enough...

 

[queenofmean68]

I've thought about adding flaxseeds to my diet. How do you suggest taking them? Do you add them to salads? Mix them in yogurt?

 

[Isis]

Miss Brown, you can use a coffee grinder or a regular food blender or food processor to grind the seeds. (Even a mortar and pestle works well, in case there's no electricity!). With the blender, you just add the whole seeds and press the grind button. Nothing else is added.

Whole seeds last at room temperature for up to one year, in a cool area. The ground can get rancid pretty fast because of the oil so ground seeds can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 months, in a tightly sealed container. I've never stored it that long - I grind enough for about a week at a time.

 

[miss_brown]

Thanks! I think I'm going to try this when it's time for me to re-up on my EFA's.

 

[cherish]

I buy the Whole Ground Flax Meal by Bob's Red Mill from Trader Joe's. It comes in an opaque bag because once grinded it should not be exposed to too much light or heat. I add it to my salads, and sometimes oatmeal. It has a wonderful nutty flavour.

Flax meal is very popular amongst bodybuilders because it's a good fat burner, and has fiber.

 

[Isis]

Loverofnaps and Queenofmean-

The oil can easily be added to food so you're not taking it straight, if you don't like the taste. I make a salad dressing with mine, adding spices and herbs.

The seeds can be sprinkled on salads, added to yogurt. As I mentioned on another thread about this, on the Health and Fitness board, I like to mix mine with just a little honey, chopped raw almonds, raisins or chopped dates and raw sunflower seeds for a sweet treat. You may want to check out that board.

Here are some important info and tips I found from this site. They have a recipe link also.

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=81

A Few Quick Serving Ideas:
Sprinkle ground flaxseeds onto your hot or cold cereal.
Add flaxseeds to your homemade muffin, cookie or bread recipe.
To pump up the nutritional volume of your breakfast shake, add ground flax seeds.
To give cooked vegetables a nuttier flavor, sprinkle some ground flaxseeds on top of them.
Add a tablespoon of flaxseed oil to smoothies.

 

[Isis]

I like that nutty flavor too Cherish. I've never bought Bob's Red Mill but I see it all the time at the health store. It's a great fat burner and has numerous other health benefits. And of course, its excellent for our hair!!

 

[BrEE]

i see your point isis. i'm pretty sure she meant an overweight person who is not altering their diet and just plans to take this in addition. i do remember her saying this was a good source of omega 3 fatty acids.

 

[Isis]

I've learned and seen that one can just add this oil to their diet - without altering their diet - and lose weight because it burns up other fats. Like what Cherish mentioned about bodybuilders using the ground seeds to burn fat. Your teacher Bree, is right about it being a good source, I would say one of the best and highest sources of omega 3 fatty acids. She may not know about the fat-burning benefit of it for anyone, including overweight people.

 

[soulchild]

I posted this on the health board. http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=Fitness&Number=327617&Forum=f9&Words=flaxseeds&Searchpage=0&Limit=25&Main=325029&Search=true&where=bodysub&Name=2790&daterange=1&newerval=6&newertype=m&olderval=&oldertype=&bodyprev=#Post327617

I was just going to buy some flaxseeds today too.

 

[Vanessa22]

I take flaxseeds and I usually add the grounded flax seeds to either yogurt, or salads. The taste isn't bad either!

 

[BrEE]

isis, i just looked it up, you're absolutely right.you know your stuff, too bad my teacher doesnt.unless i misunderstood her,oh well.

 

[carameldiva]

i guess i'm alone- i take two capsules a day and 4 capsules a day of the fish oil.

 

[soulchild]

I just went to the healthfood store today and I purchased some flaxseeds.

I got a one pound bag of whole golden flaxseeds for only $2.29.

The milled kind was only about 50 cents more. The golden kind supposedly has a better taste, so I choose that instead of the dark brown.

I immediatley went home to grind some with my coffee grinder and added some to my Wheaties. It actually tasted very good. Then I tried it with strawberry yogurt and I was happy with that too

I'm very pleased with my purchase. I'm not going back to the oil.

 

[Isis]

That's great Soulchild! Make sure you're drinking lots of water though because of the fiber (and we're all supposed to anyway! LOL!). Various sources say we should drink one additional glass of water for each tablespoon of ground flaxseed we eat.

Edited to add:

Besides the Omega 3, another reason why flaxseed is so good for our hair is the protein content - about 20% protein, same say 22%.

 

[miss_brown]

Isis - couple more questions...

1. How much Flaxseed (ground) is recommended per day? For weightloss? For hair?

2. About how long did it take for your friends to notice the weightloss results?

 

[Isis]

Miss Brown, just 3 tablespoons of ground seed per 100 pounds of weight. I've seen that amount work for weightloss and hair. My friends, including my bf, started noticing weightloss within about 2 weeks, just adding this. My bf who lost weight very quickly last summer, was also sprinkling kelp powder on his food everyday. Kelp is great for weightloss (normalizes insulin levels) as well as for hair growth and hair health. With him, it was hard to tell which was doing what because he started both kelp and flaxseed at the same time. He added these to his junkfood/fastfood diet and lost almost 50 pounds just over the summer! He was so happy and told all his friends and family.

 

[miss_brown]

Thanks again for all the insight, Isis!

 

[loverofnaps71]

Would any of you recommend the Whole Ground Flax Meal? If so, how do you use it? Thanks a bunch!

 

[loverofnaps71]

Isis, I promise not to bother you after this, but where did your bf purchase the kelp powder?

 

[loverofnaps71]

bumping for everyone who asked questions

 

[lala]

I use the golden flaxseeds (ground) and the flax oil (high lignan). I've only used them for dietary purposes per my doctor's recommendation. My doctor said that the seeds are best ground in a coffee grinder and then added to a protein shake, oatmeal, etc. The oil (1-2 tbsp.) are taken daily in 6-8 ozs. of juice or added to oatmeal. HTH.

 

[sengschick]

Lover,

I wouldn't suggest pre-ground seeds, b/c the oils released in the meal can only be protected if it's refridgerated. We discussed this recently in this thread.