In many countries , Flax seeds also known as Linseeds are being treated as Superfood due to the presence of its Fiber and Alapha Linolenic Acid known as plant omega -3 . Vegans and vegetarians use this as source of plant omega 3, though hardly 2-3% of ALA may get converted to EPA/ DHA in human body
Now studies points that flax seed also contains "Amygdalin" which on degradation gets converted in to Cyanide which is poison.
Side effects of flaxseed include:
allergic reactions.
diarrhea (oil)
intestinal obstruction.
bloating.
stomach ache.
constipation.
gas (flatulence)
Higher doses are likely to cause more GI side effects. There is some concern that taking large amounts of flaxseed could block the intestines due to the bulk-forming laxative effects of flaxseed. ... However, alpha-linolenic acid from plant sources, such as flaxseed, does not seem to affect prostate cancer risk.
Links:-
Amygdalin (aka Vit B17) is a common substance. It’s found in more than 1,200 foods, not just flaxseed !! E.g. Lima, kidney & mung beans, peas, barley, millet, buckwheat, lentils/dhal, garbanzo (channa, chickpea), cranberry, plums, bamboo shoots, spinach, yam, sweet potatoes, potatoes, cassava, and esp. apricot kernels ... :- ) or :- ( ??
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Thanks for the informative post !
My take on the subject is that we come across many things in the literature/ internet/ text in our efforts to learn something new..
But if there is new research or study by some reputed agency, I may have to give due attention! This seems to have come from none other than EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) as a warning to people very recently I.e. 19th August, 2019..
Having said that it is possible that other foods which contain Amygdalin may not produce Cyanide if it is existing in a different set of molecular structure and perhaps flax seeds have a unique & typical structure with a lot of Lignans or Lignons, a Rich source of Estrogens and the richest source of Alpha linolenic Acid on the Earth , which all could react with each other during metabolism in our body to produce Cyanide during metabolism- I am not sure though.
In fact science keeps evolving. For example , Cyanocobalamin B12 vitamin supplement which we take was also found to have Cyanide in small quantities as a metabolite which science perhaps never knew until recently. So while in small amount of Cyanocobalamine is ok to take, but if someone has to take a large quantities because of B12 deficiency, it would be a problem and so the pharma industries have come out with an alternative formulation of B12 which contains Methylcobalamine which does not produce Cyanide and can be taken at a higher dose and though it's absorption rate in our body is low.
If you are having b12 deficiency, in all probability, your physician will prescribe you Methylcobalamine .☺️
We live in a very dangerous world ... with all the "natural" toxins around. Think of the anti-nutrients in food e.g. gluten, phytates, saponins, goitrogens, lectins, oxalates, tannins, protease & trypsin inhibitors, agglutinin, carcinogens, and yes, salicylates too!! Add to that mercury in tulsi, arsenic [found in rice, increasingly], natural fluoride in tea - the list goes on. What about the pathogens - bacteria, fungi, viruses, protazoa, etc. that we have to put up with every day? Add to that the 84,000 thousand man-made chemicals on the market, a fair number of which [pharma drugs] have been flushed down the toilet and made their way to the waterways. And the most troubling is glyphosate for it surpasses DDT in toxicity. And it's already implicated as a causal factor in diabetes. Glyphosate's been dubbed the 'ultimate killing machine'. Amazing isn't it that humanity in general is so resilient and can still manage to hang on with just some scratches!weedkillercrisis.com/topics...
Totally Agree with you Haldin !
Wanted to add that in our food processing industry where we màke eatables like candies, beverages, ready made cereals, snacks , condiments, bread, biscuits etc....
we add many food additives which are synthetic in nature in name of enhancing flavour, preservatives, thickeners, leavening agents and colouring agents, Emulsifiers, Stabilisers, Anti- oxidants ...
And these additives are mentioned in code number which people can not understand easily unless you google it out and each of these item is responsible for some health hazard found out through research somewhere .. somewhere it has been banned and yet somewhere the party is still on...
For example , antioxidants E320, E321 known as as BHA/ BHT
(Butalyted Hydroxy Anisole / Tolune) is known carcinogen but being used widely by world renowned MNC's making Muesli/ cornflakes.....
.. . And Colouring agents E124 - Red colour can cause thyroid cancer ...
E133 Blue banned in Europe can cause chromosomal damage..
E110 yellow banned in Norway and Sweden ..
Pottassium bromate E924 being added in bread making to strengthen the dough is carcinogenic. Popular MSG added to enhance flavour in all all noddoles, soups ... .can cause heart problems ....
Preservatives such as E221 Sodium benzoate , sodium nitrite , sod sulphite linked to Asthama....
Propyl paraben linked to fertility in women....
As if it is not enough, 😀 There was a demand of artificial sweeteners from diabete community which do not add to Calori and do not raise blood sugar... .
And here came Artificial sweeteners such as Asparatame, Sucralose, Saccharin, Acesulfame, Neotame, Erythritol, Isomalt, Xylitol, Maltitol ....
I agree 100% with you Haldin. Live your normal life without phobias. Enjoy while you live without worrying too much about should you eat flaxseed or papaya or not. Sooner or later we all will have to go, whether you eat flaxseed or almonds
namaha Thanks mrjoe for your wise words. The point that needs making is that flaxseeds, despite containing cyanide, has been shown to have numerous benefits esp for diabetics, that is, it's diabetic-friendly, diabetic-heathful, diabetic-gainful. See the research literature below. I've not heard of cyanide poisoning cases so far though the alarm that namaha sounded is worth noting esp with regard to 'how much' of a good thing is taken at any one time on a daily basis. I know of a respected researcher/academic who would not touch either flaxseed or almond. He only uses linseed oil for his oil paintings and wall painting in his house!
[1] Whole flaxseed has significant effects on improving glycemic control. greenmedinfo.com/article/wh...
[2] A flaxseed-derived lignan supplement has therapeutic value in type 2 diabetics.greenmedinfo.com/article/fl...
[3] Flax and Pumpkin seeds mixture supplemented in diet of diabetic rats may be helpful to prevent diabetes and its complications. greenmedinfo.com/substance/...
[4] The Effects of Dietary Flaxseed on Atherosclerotic Plaque Regression. greenmedinfo.com/article/ef...
[5] Flaxseed lignan appears to have potential anti-diabetic properties. greenmedinfo.com/article/fl...
[6] Meta-analysis: Flaxseed consumption may reduce blood pressure greenmedinfo.com/article/me...
[7] A dietary mixture of sesame, pumpkin and flax seed added to a habitual diet lowered triglyceride and CRP, TNF-alpha, IL-6 levels greenmedinfo.com/article/di...
[8] Flaxseed cookies used as a snack may be a useful tool for decreasing constipation symptoms, weight, glycemic and lipid levels in T2D patients.greenmedinfo.com/substance/...
This article should interest you, namaha : Why Do Vitamin B12 Supplements Contain Cyanide? greenmedinfo.com/blog/99-vi...
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