Flax Seed oil?

[Guest guest]

Ok,

So I went out to the health food store with my mother-in-law and since I saw the

flax seed oil I picked it up. Now my question is this. Can I just use this

like I would vegetable oil? Can I use it in stuff like brownies and cake or

will it make it taste different/weird? What is the best way to get it in

? Advise the clueless, please! (lol)

[Guest guest]

Flax seed oil shouldn't be used at temperatures above 210-degrees (F)

because it oxidizes when exposed to heat, light and air. That's why

it's stored in the refrigerator section of stores, and you must store

it in the refrigerator and use within three months after opening the

bottle.

Most people don't like the flavor but like anything else, can

acclimate to it over time. Some stir it into yogurt, cottage cheese,

smoothies, oatmeal (and other warm cereals), or add to juice and shake

it up then quickly drink before the oil and juice separate.

Since is tube fed, you can probably mix with her enteral feeds.

If you use flax seed oil *instead* of flax seeds, then choose an oil

that has lignan-extract added to get the full flax benefit. (The

lignan content is removed during oil processing.) Look for flax oil

that has a processing date and use by date on the label.

On the other hand, if you eat the raw seeds or raw flax meal, then you

should probably limit daily intake to no more than 3-4 tablespoons per

day. (Moderation is the key to everything, isn't it?)

The raw seeds and raw meal contain cyanogen, which the body converts

to thiocyanate. If you have high amounts of thiocyanate for long

periods, then this may effect your thyroid gland's ability to uptake

iodine, increasing risk of goiter.

However, if you add flax seeds and flax meal to doughs and batters for

baking then there is no daily limit because cooking destroys the

cyanogen. Flax oil doesn't have cyanogen (but again, flax oil doesn't

contain lignan, except when it's specifically added by some

companies).

Kim

--- " ANDREA FITTING " <drea@m...> wrote:

Ok,

So I went out to the health food store with my mother-in-law and

since I saw the flax seed oil I picked it up. Now my question is

this. Can I just use this like I would vegetable oil? Can I use it

in stuff like brownies and cake or will it make it taste

different/weird? What is the best way to get it in ? Advise

the clueless, please! (lol)

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

See comments between yours below.

--- " ANDREA FITTING " <drea@m...> wrote:

>Ok, Let me see if I've got this right. Don't cook with it but add

>it to things that are already cooked or don't need to be cooked.

Correct, don't cook with the oil if you're heating over 210-degrees

F., but do add the flax oil to other foods, salad dressing, etc.

>It is ok to shoot it through her g-tube or put in her feeds.

Yes, I don't see a problem with putting the oil in her enteral feeds

for the g-tube. But, I don't have experience with tube feeds so I

don't know if any oils over time will degrade the plastic tubing. You

will probably want to start with a low amount (1-2 tsp.) so you can

gauge whether you'll have to adjust her enzymes.

>The oil I got is Barlean's highest ligan flax seed oil. It is dated.

Barlean's is one of the brands that Dr. Simopoulos recommends in her

book because it does have the lignan extract added. And she says

Barlean's oil doesn't have such a strong flavor as other brands. I've

never used flax oil. I don't think I could use it up before it spoils

and I like eating and cooking with the seeds and meal.

>What is a ligan and is there such a thing as too much ligans?

Lignans are a good thing; that's why you want lignan extract in your

flax seed oil. Lignans are a class of compounds found in plants that

are chemically related to phenylalanine metabolism. Lignans have

proven cancer-inhibiting and tumor fighting abilities (people with a

diet high in flax seeds/flax meal have less cancer than non-flax or

low-flax eaters), and in Chinese medicine, lignans are used to treat

viral hepatitis and protect the liver.

>If I decide to but the seeds is it ok to cook with them? - can I put

>the seeds in things like brownies, muffins......? - can I add them

>to her veggies while they are being cooked?

The sky is the limit to your imagination with the seeds. You can eat

them whole or slightly ground -- either raw or lightly toasted, and

add them to just about anything.

The seeds are good sprinkled on green salads and tossed into fruit

salads and fruit salad dressings; blend into smoothies, yogurt,

cottage cheese, warm cereals such as oatmeal, cream or wheat or cream

of rice; add to a bowl of cold breakfast cereal; mix into peanut

butter for sandwiches (I sprinkle the cracked seeds directly on top of

a glop of peanut butter to use as dip for apples, carrot and celery

sticks);

You can bake into cookies, brownies, muffins, pancakes, rolls, bread,

quick breads.

When you add 3 tbs. seeds, you can omit 1 tbs. butter or oil called

for in a recipe.

Or for every 1 c. of flour called for in a recipe, remove 2 tbs. flour

and replace with 2 tbs. flax seed meal.

You can make your own flax meal by grinding the seeds in a clean

coffee grinder.

>Sorry I have so many questions, but I really know nothing about flax

>seeds/flax oil.

You'll probably want to get the book, " The Omega Diet " by Artemis

Simpoulos, MD. She clearly explains the bad fats-inflammation link,

gives buying guides and recommendations for flax and olive oil, and

the book has lots of very easy recipes.

Kim