Key Findings:
This work comes from a laboratory that is assessing multiple beneficial effects of flaxseed. In this early study, the investigators assessed the bioavailability of ALA from whole flaxseed vs whole milled flaxseed vs flaxseed oil. Plasma ALA levels was significantly higher with flaxseed oil, ground flaxseed and whole flaxseed, but greater in subjects fed ground flaxseed compared to those fed whole flaxseed. Circulating cholesterol or triglyceride levels were not affected by any form of flax. None of the modes of flaxseed delivery caused changes in platelet aggregation. All forms of flaxseed induced some gastro-intestinal discomfort. However the whole seed group experienced more side-effects. Ground flaxseed delivers ALA, has a better shelf half-life than oil, and has other important nutrients such as fiber and lignans that also may have health benefits and are not present in the oil. The levels of EPA and DHA did not change despite large increases in plasma ALA levels following the consumption of flaxseed oil and milled flaxseed.
ABSTRACT:
Dietary flaxseed may have significant health-related benefits due to its high content of the omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). However, before extensive work can be undertaken in clinical populations to determine its efficacy, basic information on ALA bioavailability from flaxseed and the physiological effects of its ingestion need to be examined. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to determine the bioavailability of ALA when the flaxseed was ingested in the form of whole seed, milled seed or as flaxseed oil. The flaxseed components (30 g of seed or6gofALAintheoil) were baked into muffins for delivery over a 3 month test period in healthy male and female subjects. Flaxseed ingestion over a 1 month period resulted in significant (P= 0.005) increases in plasma ALA levels in the flaxseed oil and the milled flaxseed supplemented groups. The former group had significantly (P= 0.004) higher ALA levels than the milled flaxseed group. The subjects supplemented with whole flaxseed did not achieve a significant (P> 0.05) increase in plasma ALA levels. An additional two months of flaxseed ingestion did not achieve significantly higher levels of plasma ALA in any of the groups. However, no significant increase was detected in plasma eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) levels in any of the flax-fed groups. There were no changes in plasma cholesterol or triglycerides or in platelet aggregation at any time point in any of the groups. Subjects in all of the groups exhibited some symptoms of gastro-intestinal discomfort during the early stages of the study but these disappeared in the oil and milled seed groups. However, compliance was a problem in the whole flaxseed group. In summary, ingestion of flax oil and milled flaxseed delivered significant levels of ALA to the plasma whereas whole flaxseed did not. Whole seed and oil preparations induced adverse gastrointestinal effects within 4 weeks and these were severe enough to induce the withdrawal of some subjects from these two groups. No one withdrew from the group that ingested milled flaxseed and, therefore, may represent a good form of flaxseed to avoid serious side-effects and still provide significant increases in ALA to the body. (Author’s abstract)
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