What is Flaxseed?Natural source of ALA,Omega-3 EFAs,lignans,benefits and utility uses...

Contents

• Botanical Identification and info of flaxseed.
• Origin and Bible literature of Flaxseed.
• Botanical Description of Flaxseed.
• Constituents and Phytochemicals of Flaxseed.
• Natural ALA,Omega-3 source(Omega-3 EFAs).
• Comparative advantage of omega-3 supply between Flaxseed and deepsea fish oil.
• Rich source of lignans and the functions of flaxseed lignans.
• Uses of parts of Linum usitatissimum.
• Medicinal and Nutritional application,Therapeutics and Pharmacology of flaxseed.
• Health Benefits Highlights and Tips of Flaxseed.
• Other uses and actions of Flaxseed.
• Nutrition Facts of flaxseed: Why Use Flax Seed.
• Dosage and administration of Flaxseed: How much to take.
• Traditional Research of flaxseed.
• Modern Reasearch of Flaxseed.
• Research Update:Linum usitatissimum L.

Natural ALA,Omega-3 source(Omega-3 EFAs).:

Flaxseed is an important richest source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a plant source of omega-3 series of essential fatty acids. Flaxseed is one of the richest sources of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the main compound of valuable omega-3 fatty acids.

 Rich source of ALA(alpha-linolenic acid):

 ALA is the precursor to eicosapentaenoic acid and the Series 3 prostaglandins (PGE3), which are critical hormones regulating cellular activity.

 Flaxseed is by far the richest source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the parent compound of the omega-3 fatty acids. In comparison, fish contain only trace amounts of ALA and fish oil can adversely affect the taste and odor of food products. Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid because it cannot be synthesized by the body. Research indicates that ALA improves immunity, the body's ability to defend itself against foreign substances. Studies have also shown that alpha-linolenic acid may lower the risk of stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. Both the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization recommend an increased daily intake of omega-3 fatty acids.


 Rich source of Omega-3 EFAs(Omega-3;Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids):

 The omega-3's are one of two families of essential fatty acids, which are necessary for growth and development and cannot be made by the body. Omega-3's are the building blocks of eicosanoids, hormonelike compounds that regulate blood pressure, clotting, and other body functions.

 The body does not naturally produce certain essential fatty acids, so it is necessary to receive them via the diet. Flaxseed supplements the body with these fatty acids, which are vital for maintaining body temperature, building nerve insulation, protecting tissues and producing energy. Fatty acids are important for building prostaglandins, which are necessary for several body processes, including dilation of blood vessels, cholesterol metabolization, and other critical bio-chemical functions.

 Prostaglandins are essential hormone-like substances that help regulate systems functions, including immune, reproductive, cardiovascular and nervous systems. Several scientific studies show that consumption of sources of omega-3 oils leads to a substantially lower risk of death from coronary heart disease. Until recently, experts believed the best sources of omega-3 were fish oils.

 However, Flaxseed contains twice to three times as much omega-3 essential fatty acids as fish oil products, without the fishy aftertaste. The common name Flax also includes the species Linum lewisii and Linum perenne, which are used interchangeably with Linum usitatissimum.


 Numerous studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids help lower cholesterol and blood triglycerides, and help prevent clots in arteries which may result in strokes, heart attacks and thromboses.

 Other fatty acids, omega-6's, are abundant in vegetable oils such as corn, soybean, safflower, and sunflower oils as well as in the many processed foods made from these oils. They're also available in the meat from grain-fed livestock.

 The discoveries about omega-3's and omega-6's are relevant to flaxseed as well as to fish oil. Our bodies function best when our diets contain a well-balanced ratio of these fatty acids, meaning no more than 4 times as much omega-6 as omega-3. But we typically eat 10 to 30 times more omega-6's than omega-3's, which is a prescription for trouble, says Artemis Simopoulos, M.D., president of the Center for Genetics, Nutrition, and Health in Washington, D.C., and author of The Omega Plan. This imbalance puts us at greater risk for a number of serious illnesses, including heart disease, cancer, stroke, and arthritis, he says.

 As we've noted, an excess of omega-6 fatty acids, when not checked by a complementary amount of omega-3's, can lead to the overproduction of potentially inflammatory biochemicals called prostaglandins and leukotrienes.

 A deficiency of omega-3's is linked to various skin disorders, arthritis and joint stiffness, irritable bowel syndrome, premenstrual syndrome, immune dysfunction, and depression, says Michael Janson, M.D., president of the American College for Advancement in Medicine, based in Laguna Hills, California, and author of The Vitamin Revolution in Health Care. As the most abundant plant source of omega-3 fatty acids, flaxseed helps restore balance and lets omega-3's do what they're best at:balancing the immune system, decreasing inflammation, and lowering some of the risk factors for heart disease.

Reference:

• 1.What is Flaxseed?Natural source of ALA,Omega-3 EFAs,lignans,benefits and utility uses...

This article written and edited via herbalist of MDidea Extracts Professional. They run a range of online descriptions about this herb,including general information related and summarized updating discoveries from findings of professional scientisits this field related.Describe style aimed to form a useful detecting literature space where the intertwined threshold and related questions raise out and visualize themselves.

♣ last edit date:18th,Oct.2010.