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2002/07/18, 08:47 AM
I was doing a search to figure out the REAL shelf life of flax seed oil once opened and ran across this article:
Mike
If you are trying to restore the balance between Omega-6 and Omega-3 essential fatty acids in your diet, you may want to eat a tablespoon or two of flax seeds every day. Flax seeds are the richest commonly available seed source of alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3's). We recommend eating whole flax seed rather than flax seed oil because you get the whole package: the protein, fiber, minerals and phytochemicals along with the omega-3's.
100 grams of flax seed yields about:
35 grams of fat (60% omega-3 polyunsaturated, 18% monounsaturated, 10% saturated)
26 grams of protein
26 grams of fiber (14 grams insoluble, 12 grams soluble)
4 grams of minerals
9 grams of water (1)
Flax seeds are also the best source of the phytochemical lignan, (not to be confused with lignins, a type of fiber.) Flax contains 100 times the concentration of lignan as wheat bran, the next best source. This phytochemical is believed to have anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-cancer properties (1)
Unless you do something to break the hard outer coating of the flax seeds, they may pass through undigested. Whirl them in a blender for a few seconds to break them into rough pieces, or mash them with a mortar and pestle. Or you can grind them into a meal with a coffee mill or spice grinder.
Omega-3's are the least stable of the fatty acids, so the oil turns rancid quickly if it is exposed to heat, light or air. Grind the seeds shortly before you eat them, and store any surplus in the refrigerator. Sprinkle your seeds on cereal, into salads or any other food. They have very little flavor and just a bit of crunch. If they taste unpleasant, they're rancid and you need a new batch.
A caution: you should not eat more than three or four tablespoons of raw flax seeds a day (we think one or two is plenty.) They contain cyanogen which is harmless in small amounts, but in large amounts can act to keep your thyroid from taking up enough iodine. Cyanogen is rendered inactive by cooking (2). Add some flax seeds to your healthy diet that is full of vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains and other seeds. Don't go overboard and eat them by the cupful!
(1) Erasumus, Udo, Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill, Alive Books, 1993, 279-288.
(2) Simopoulos, Artemis P., The Omega Diet, Harper Perennial, 1999, 149-150.
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