You’ve probably worn and touched more flax than you’ve eaten. Linen, that cool staple of summer wardrobes, is made from flax, as is linseed oil, which is used in paint and varnish. But the blue-flowered flax plant is cultivated for more than cloth and paint. Researchers have turned up some pretty convincing evidence that flaxseed and flaxseed oil may improve heart health, fight breast and colon cancers, boost the immune system, ease rheumatoid arthritis, cool down hot flashes, and provide other healthy benefits.

Flaxseed is the richest source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a plant source of omega-3 fatty acids. As mentioned in the fish oils chapter, 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 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.

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.

These small brown seeds hold some big promise for combating breast and colon cancer. In animal studies, flaxseed has significantly reduced existing breast and colon tumors while stopping new ones from getting started. In one study, researchers at the University of Toronto were able to reduce tumor size by more than half in animals that were fed flaxseed over a seven-week period. Flaxseed and flaxseed oil reduced the growth of existing tumors, but another component of flaxseed, called lignans, appeared to help prevent the development of new ones.

Lignans are plant-based compounds that can block estrogen activity in cells, reducing the risk of certain cancers. Many plants have some lignans, but flaxseed has at least 75 times more than almost any other plant.

Lignans are phytoestrogens, meaning that they are similar to but weaker than the estrogen that a woman’s body produces naturally. Therefore, they may also help alleviate menopausal discomforts such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness. They are also antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral.

Flaxseed also appears to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. One way that ALA helps the heart is by decreasing the ability of platelets to clump together, a reaction involved in the development of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), says Dr. Janson. ALA also lowers levels of dangerous LDL cholesterol and helps the body rid itself of blood fats called triglycerides, which, at high levels, can also be harmful to heart health.

Need more convincing? The ALA in flaxseed oil has an anti-inflammatory effect that can benefit a number of illnesses, says Emily Kane, N.D., a naturopathic doctor in Juneau, Alaska, and senior editor of the Journal of Naturopathic Medicine. In her practice, she recommends flaxseed oil for inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, and asthma.

Flaxseed oil and lignans have also been credited with reducing inflammation of the kidneys experienced by some people with a condition known as lupus nephritis. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that affects the skin and other organs.

Flaxseed oil comes in liquid and gelatin capsules, but you may want to skip the oil and just add flaxseed to your diet. The oil contains only trace amounts of the cancer-protective lignans because they are removed during processing, says Diane Morris, R.D., Ph.D., a nutritionist in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Flaxseed is also an excellent source of fiber, whereas the oil has virtually none. As little as ¼ cup of ground flaxseed contains six grams of fiber—as much as 1½ cups of cooked oatmeal. The fiber is beneficial for treating constipation and diarrhea, says Dr. Janson.

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