Flax: It's Not All It's Cracked Up To Be

It seems like common knowledge these days that consuming foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids (fish, nut oils, flax) will likely result in a decreased chance of developing heart disease. Many health conscious folks supplement their diets daily with fish oil capsules, buy any of the many food products that have been infused with Omega-3's, or add a couple of spoonfuls of ground flax seeds to their morning cereal. Unfortunately not all Omega-3 sources are created equal, and some, namely Flax Seed, may even cause more harm than good if taken in excess.

Drawing from yet another fantastic post over at Mark's Daily Apple, I provide you with the following:

The preponderance of research supports the particular power of EPA and DHA as the two kinds of omega-3 fatty acids that provide cardio-protective benefits.

Flax seed is rich in a form of omega-3 fatty acids called ALA (alpha-linolenic acid). The human body isn’t terribly effective at converting ALA to either DHA or EPA. (Women’s bodies are a little better at this conversion. Research has shown that young women convert 21% of ALA to EPA (compared to 8% in men) and 9% to DHA (compared to 0-4% in men). The difference, apparently, is linked to estrogen levels.)

...some studies and reviews over the last few years have linked high ALA intake (from both flax oil and milled seed) with higher incidence of prostate cancer.

The bottom line here is that it takes a lot of flax to make very little DHA and EPA, and what doesn't get converted seems to potentially cause trouble.

07:30:

30/20/10:
Wall Ball Shots
Swings @ 24/16kg
Sumo Deadlift Highpull @ 75/55lbs

Rachel: 13:11
*Jean: 11:50
*Marcy: 13:08
*Kurt: 14:05
*Sue: 14:48
*Anne: 15:30

09:00:

30/20/10:
D-Ball Slams
Swings @ 24/16kg
Pull-ups

Jenn: 19:49
*Leanne: 15:08
*Erica: 17:05