Flax seed oil is derived from a plant called Flax which is also known as Common Flax or Linseed. This plant is native to the regions of eastern Mediterranean to India and also commonly found in Canada and the United States.
Flax seed oil has become a buzz word in natural health these days. Medical and nutritional researches have revealed that flax seed oil has high content of Omega 3 fatty acids which is good many systems in the human body including the immune system, circulatory system, cardiovascular system, nervous system and the reproductive system.
Aside from the rich Omega 3 fatty acids, flax seed oil also contains other good stuff like omega-6 and omega-9 essential fatty acids, lecithin, B vitamins, magnesium, potassium, protein, zinc and fibers. It is also thought that flax seed oil may have anti-thrombotic,anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative effects.
According to the same researchers, flax seed oil may come in second to multi vitamins as the most important health supplement.
Nutrition experts have noted that most of our diets do not come close to meeting the daily requirements for essential fatty acids. Aside from flax seeds, other sources of essential fatty acids are soy, canola and cold-water fish, as well as common daily foods such as red meat and egg yolks.
Recently, a study done on some animals has suggested that flax seed may possible have a role in the treatment of some cancers particularly the mammary cancer. A study involving human trial is hopefully underway.
Branded products for flax seed include New Energy (Advanced Nutritional), FiProFlax (Health From the Sun), Tona-lean 1000 CLA (Action Labs), BioEFA Flax 1000 (Health From the Sun), Bioflax (Bio-tech Pharmacal) and Linum-20 (Key Company).
