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Benefits of Flax Seed Oil

Posted Oct 22 2008 4:26pm 1 Comment

The recent studies regarding flax seed and the benefits of flax seed oil are great news for anyone interested in fitness and bodybuilding, since flax seed oil turned out to be one of the best sources of an essential fatty acid called alpha linolenic acid. In the human body, alpha linolenic acid is converted into an omega-3 fatty acid and enhances the insulin sensitivity within the muscle cells. In addition to this, flax seed oil stimulates steroid production and serves as a valuable source of energy.

As if this is not enough, the flax seed comes packed with a long row of other desirable characteristics. Did you know that for every 100 grams of flax seed you eat you get 25-30 grams of protein? If you eat 100 grams of ham, you only get around 15-20 grams of protein, and the celebrated tuna fin normally lands around 23 grams of protein per 100 gram serving.

To make things even better, 100 grams of flax seed will provide you with no less than 1.9 mcg folic acid, 8.65 mg niacin, 0.24 mg B1, 0.25 mg B2, and 9.43 mcg B12. The oil found inside the seed also contains ample amounts of fat soluble vitamins – 655 mcg of vitamin A, 4.5 mcg of vitamin D, and 1 mg of vitamin E.

If you want to enjoy the benefits of flaxseed oil, it is important to ground the seeds before you eat them or use pure flax seed oil from a bottle. The flax seed is too hard for the stomach to digest and if you eat whole flax seeds they will just pass through you without releasing any nutrients. (They will however work wonders if you ever become constipated!)

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Flax seed oil is arguably the healthiest oil ever discovered.  The benefits on an individuals physique and health are very impressive.

 But remember, for flax seed oil to go to town in the body, it needs to be converted to its long-chain (stronger) omega 3 acids, EPA and DHA. This requires delta-5-desaturase and delta-6-desaturase, which are dependent on magnesium, zinc, biotin and niacin. So make sure you get your omega 3s, and the minerals/B vits required to process them!

Marek - West London Nutritionist and Personal Trainer

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