See also : [[Omega-3]]
==Special Precautions of Flaxseed==
* Flaxseed oil does contain omega 3s. But the omega 3s found in plant-based sources are short chain fatty acids (ALA). The fatty acids your body needs most for cardiovascular, brain and skin health are the long chain fatty acids (EPA and DHA).Your body can convert ALA to EPA and DHA, but it is a very inefficient process. And while many factors can impact the amount you convert, most studies show that about 15 percent of the ALA you consume is converted to EPA. Then only five percent of that amount is converted to DHA.In other words, to get the all-important DHA your body needs, you would have to consume a huge amount of flaxseed oil.Or... you could take fish oil. Fish oil is made up almost entirely of usable EPA and DHA. So, if you want the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits of omega 3s, take fish oil, not flax oil.
*For sure, the health benefits of consuming flaxseeds far outweigh its concerns, but it is important for you to know what these health concerns are before supplementing your diet with flaxseeds. Flaxseeds contain an agent called cyanogenic glycosides, a chemical that occurs in over 2,000 plants. These compounds are part of the sugar molecules in the plant and convert to cyanide, a poison, in the human gut. If you consume too much of these compounds from plants you could become very ill, or it could be fatal.However, you would have to consume a huge amount, 200-300 ppm, in a short period of time, for these compounds to adversely affect you as the human body rapidly breaks down cyanide compounds within 30 minutes. A lethal dose would be 0.5mg to 3.5 mg per kilogram of body weight in 30 minutes.Even though it is highly unlikely anyone would intake a fatal dose of these compounds in using flaxseeds, it is important to be careful giving them to small children and adults with low body weights. Make sure they are stored in an area that a small child cannot get into and accidentally ingest more than they should.The usual, safe, adult dosage for flaxseeds is under 50 grams, or 2 tablespoons. Heat used in cooking, or baking flaxseeds in foods, such as muffins and breads, destroys the detrimental compounds.
**Some people can experience mild gastrointestinal upsets and flatulence when eating flaxseeds for the first time but this usually goes away as your system gets more used to processing them. If it does not, or if it worsens, you may have a food sensitivity, or allergy, to flaxseeds and you should stop eating them.