Organic, Cold-Pressed Flaxseed Oil – Facts and Myths

FACT:  FLAXSEED HAS BEEN A PROVEN HEALTHY SUPPLEMENT FOR CENTURIES

Flaxseeds have been cultivated and used as a nutritional supplement for centuries. This crop is emerging as an important functional food ingredient because of its rich α-linolenic acid (ALA, an omega-3 fatty acid), lignan, and fiber content. Flaxseed oil, fibers, and flax lignans have potential health benefits, such as a reduction in cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, osteoporosis, and autoimmune and neurological disorders. Flax protein also helps prevent and treat heart disease, and further supports the immune system. 

MYTH:  ESTROGEN CONTENT IS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED WHEN COLD PRESSED

The most common question we get about flaxseed oil is about its estrogen content. Estrogen in flaxseed is in the form of phytoestrogens, which are contained in the fibrous portion of the seeds and husks. 

Pure Form Omega eliminates these phytoestrogens during the cold-press extraction, so in the oil portion, there are little to no phytoestrogens.

FACT: FLAXSEED OIL CONTAINS ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS

Flaxseeds are 35-45% oil, which contains 9-10% of saturated fatty acids (palmitic and stearic), about 20% of monounsaturated fatty acids (mainly oleic acid), and more than 70% alpha-linolenic fatty acid. The alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is an omega-3. The omega-3 is used in the fatty acid cascade as shown in this link:

Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are necessary for human health and can only be obtained through food; however, food processing, modern farming, and even “fresh” food preparation often destroys EFAs.

FACT: THERE ARE MANY HEALTH BENEFITS OF FLAXSEED OIL

According to a 2019 review by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, flaxseed significantly reduced circulating concentrations of hs-CRP and TNFα, which are markers used to predict a person’s risk of heart disease and cancer. These reduced concentrations of hs-CRP and TNFα suggest flaxseed oil may lower your risk of these diseases. 

Overall, flaxseed oil is an important component of any fatty acid supplement, and there are many benefits to ingesting properly extracted and stored flaxseed oil. 

FACT: OXIDATION, HEAT, AND LIGHT AFFECT THE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF OILS (EFAS)

When extracting the oil from the flaxseed, it is extremely important to avoid exposing the oil to oxygen in order to preserve the functionality of the supplement. Oxidation, just like heat and light, is a major enemy of all healthy consumable oils as it reduces the benefit through degradation.

Pure Form Omega is never exposed to oxygen as it is extracted under a blanket of nitrogen. The capsules themselves have a bubble of nitrogen in them, ensuring a long shelf life. The liquid comes with a recommendation to use the whole bottle within two months of opening. 

FACT:  PURE FORM OMEGA IS EXCEPTIONALLY PURE

The p-anisidine value of Pure Form Omega is 4, while fish oil is 19. Anything above 20 is considered toxic! Each lot of Pure Form Omega is tested, and it has proven to exceed Health Canada’s purity test by 3000%.

REFERENCES

Rahimlou, M., Jahromi, N., Hasanyani, N., & Ahmadi, A. (2019). “Effects of Flaxseed Interventions on Circulating Inflammatory Biomarkers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.” Advances in Nutrition, 10(16), 1108-1119. doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmz048