Last weekend, while shopping at Costco, I purchased a 40-oz container of organic, cold-milled, quadruple-cleaned, ground, golden flax seed with 2700 mg of Omega 3 and 800 mg of Omega-6 per serving of two tablespoons. Was this typical of all flax seed brands? Or, had I stumbled upon a super, high-quality processor? I purchased it and called the manufacturer’s toll-free number to find out.
I had expected to reach a call center in India, but much to my surprise, I reached Stephanie Stober at her family’s farm in North Dakota, where most of this country’s Flax crop is grown. The Stober farm has been in their family for five generations and growing consumer awareness of Flax as a “super” food has propelled their business, Flax USA, over the last few years. In addition to Costco, the Stober’s Flax product can be purchased at some Sam’s Club, SuperValu in the Midwest, as well as in select pharmacies throughout the country.
Stephanie explained to me how high quality Flax should be harvested and processed and why it is such a healthful food. Our follow-up email exchange follows:
Wendy: Why is Flax so important to our diets and beneficial for menopausal women in particular?
Stephanie: Flax is one of those super foods that offer multiple health benefits. We’re even starting to see interest in adding Flax to pet food! The Flax plant is one of the richest sources of Omega 3 fatty acids, which the FDA states is beneficial in reducing coronary heart disease. It also has a high concentration of alpha linoleic acid (ALA), fiber, lignans and other minerals. I’ve read that it also can help reduce cholesterol and control blood glucose levels. We use Golden Flax seed in our Real Cold Milled Flax that you purchased at Costco. It has high levels of Omega 3 oil, 10 grams of protein and 11 grams of Fiber per 1/4 cup serving.
What makes Flax particularly beneficial for menopausal women are the lignans that are found in the outer shell of the Flax seed. They contain a phytoestrogen, which may be helpful in reducing reducing symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes. They may also help with PMS. (Women who have or have had breast cancer should check with their doctors before adding Flax to their diets).
It takes about 24 pounds of Flax seed to make 5.3 oz of lignans. So, when you consume our Real Cold Milled Flax Seed, you’ll automatically get the benefits of lignans. We also offer a pure Lignan Flax Hull product on our website.
Wendy: I’ve seen different types of Flax in the store: brown and golden; liquid and seed; and whole and ground. Does it matter how Flax is ingested? What do you recommend?
Stephanie: Keep in mind that all Flax seed is not created equal. There are two types; brown and golden. Both are about the same nutritionally, but we use the golden variety for the food market and brown for animal products. Brown Flax has a slightly different taste – it’s not as nutty tasting as our Omega golden seed.
There is also Flax oil and capsules. If you want the BEST, I recommend sticking with the whole food! If you take Flax oil, you are cheating yourself of all the benefits Flax offers your body. The oil is extracted from the seed, but crushing it leaves behind the precious fiber and lignans. By taking the Flax seed in whole seed form (grind it first) or by consuming our Real Cold Milled Flax, you’ll get all the benefits of Flax. As for capsules, I’ve been told that it takes 53 of them to equal just one tablespoon of Flax seed.
If you do buy whole Flax seed, be sure to grind it or it won’t do you any good unless you chew it about 100 times! Keep in mind that one tablespoon of Flax seed is equal to two tablespoons of our Real Cold Milled Flax. So be sure to take it with a lot of water as Flax is very fiberous. I personally like to add a little unsweetened cranberry juice. You can use fresh cranberries and the Fat Flush Cocktail that’s posted on my website.
Wendy: What makes one brand of Flax Seed better than another?
Stephanie: At Flax USA, we start with a quality seed, clean it thoroughly using a four-step process for the whole seed. If you grind whole Flax seed at home, or even if you buy it at health food stores, the grinder will heat up the oil of the seed somewhat, so you only want to grind enough for the day or, at most, for the week, and it must be refrigerated. That isn’t the case with our product: we use a special grinder process that doesn’t crush or liberate the seed, which could damage the precious oils. It enters and exists the mill at the same temperature of the room so the oil does NOT heat up or turn rancid. That’s why our Real Cold Milled Flax is one of the best out there with a 22 month shelf life, unrefrigerated.
Note: There are testimonials on Stephanie’s website from women who say that Flax has helped them with hot flashes, and reduced cholesterol levels, among other benefits. Let us know if Flax has helped you by leaving a comment here. Stephanie will gladly answer any questions about Flax that you post.
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I had read an article in one of the health newsletters I receive regarding the benefits of flax prior to me hitting menopause. I have never been a great one for fish oil, so this was a good alternative. The advice also was to take the “golden” for the maximum benefits. I was rather intermittent when it came to taking it. When I started going thru menopause and started getting hotflashes, it didn’t take me long to figure out the flax controlled that. I watched so many women suffer from hotflashes and nite sweats, I will be eternally grateful for finding this natural cure. I use the ground flaxseed and the flaxseed oil in my yogurt every day. The only time I had a problem with symptoms was if I forgot for a few days. Once I was back on my regiment, the sweats and flashes went away.
Thanks for your comment, LadyBeams. You mentioned that you use Flax seed oil along with the Flax seed with your yogurt every day. Stephanie Stober mentioned above that the lignans of the flax seed, found in the shell, may be helpful for menopausal women because they contain phytoestrogens. Thus, the processing of the seed to produce Flax seed oil, won’t contain these lignans. So it may be the ground seed that’s giving you the most benefit. It’s terrific that you’ve found a natural solution for your hot flashes. Also, I take fish oil made by Nordic Naturals. It’s flavored with strawberry, so there’s no fishy aftertaste – you might want to give that a try.
I have reached those menopausal years and have found that hot flashes and night sweats are very dysfunctional. About a year ago, I was excited to find that golden flax seeds were an excellent alternative to hormone replacement therapy. I have been taking about one tablespoon of whole seeds in the morning and one tablespoon of wholes seeds in the evening. I grind them fresh each time for optimization. Now, within the last month, I find that the 2 tablespoons a day is no longer effective. Does the body get accustom to the amount of lignans in the flax? What is the safe maximum amount of flax seeds that I can take a day and still get some relief from the symptoms of menopause? Is there any particular way to take the milled flax seed (such as on an empty stomach, before meals, after meals etc.) that would maximize the effect of the seeds? Any help or suggestions would be helpful.
Hello Cindy and to all who are interested in this flax seed discussion:
I am a Naturopathic Doctor (ND) currently practicing in San Francisco, California. It’s not that the body gets accustomed to the lignans in the flax, but rather that hormone levels are constantly changing; dropping off. Woman who are menopausal may require evaluation of their clinical nutrients, herbal medicine(s), and/or homeopathics, as the body adjusts to new levels of decreased hormone production. Diet modifications may also require fine tuning as hormones levels decline.
For improving mild menopausal symptoms, 40 grams of crushed flax seed has been used with success and is a safe amount that woman can take daily. Orally, flax seed can cause digestive symptoms similar to other sources of dietary fiber including bloating, flatulence, abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, dyspepsia, and nausea. Flax seed can significantly increase the number of bowel movements and the risk for diarrhea; doses greater than 45 grams per day may not be tolerated for this reason.
To answer your last question about flax seed administration, I normally suggest to my patients that they take the seeds with some food. Breakfast seems to be the best time, I.e. in a smoothie or in cereal. When the seeds are combined with additional fiber, they aid in the elimination of toxins from the body, and add a synergistic fiber effect. I also suggest that the seeds be taken away from any minerals (I.e. multivitamins), as they act like a “sponge” and can flush out crucial nutrients that we want the body to hold on to.
Shaila Schwartz, ND
Naturopathic Doctor
Thank you Shaila for your explanation. I didn’t realize that flax seed, when taken at the same time as multi-vitamins, can absorb and flush out the beneficial nutrients that we need. Typically I take two tablespoons of flax seed with yogurt in the morning, then vitamins after break fast. I should probably postpone taking multi-vitamins until lunchtime.
I’m always into discussions on anything organic, so this read made me feel at home.
I’ll bookmark the site and subscribe to the feed!
Added benefits of flax: A good friend of mine, Olga Stevko (www.DrOlga.com) (an MD and a fabulous hypnotherapist) suggested ground flax seed for my constipation. Although I was skeptical as I have suffered all my life with sever & chronic constipation, I tried it. Believe me when I say it works! I am so happy. And the extra benefit is that I now have lovely long nails that are “strong as nails”.
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