Have you heard about the value of taking flax seed oil during pregnancy? Find out how it could benefit you during your pregnancy.
It is really important that mothers-to-be firstly understand the distinction between whole flax seed and flax seed oil, as this is causing some confusion when people are doing their own internet research on the subject.
Whole flax seed and flax meal (a by-product of the oil pressing) do contain significant amounts of plant oestrogens called lignans. The anti-estrogenic effects of lignans could potentially help reduce the risk of hormone-associated cancers (breast, uterine, ovarian, bowel and prostate). However, one study where mice were fed flax seed did give a small, but not statistically significant, reduction in birth weight, so I have put a caution on taking products containing flax meal and advise that you talk to your health professional before using such products during pregnancy.
Flax seed OIL, on the other hand, only contains very small amounts of lignans so there are no issues around using the oil when you are pregnant. Lignans are water soluble, which is why they do not go into the oil - you would get about the same amount of lignans from a slice of whole grain bread or a brassica.
Flax bloom is a delicious blend of pure, fresh, cold pressed brown and golden flax seed oil, enriched with blackcurrant, pumpkin, coconut and evening primrose seed oils. It thus includes the five important polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids and lauric acid, all in the right balance to give your pregnancy the very best start. I have carefully formulated flax bloom to contain the right proportions of secondary Omega-6 and Omega-3 to give balanced supply for the body to make the prostaglandins it needs for the stage your pregnancy is at. Flax bloom also contains more of the primary Omega-3 to help bring your body into balance during your pregnancy.
If you don't eat additional Omega-3 your baby will rob your body of Omega-3 to build its own brain and leave you short and vulnerable to postnatal depression. The Omega-3 prostaglandins wind you down from stress, so all the "flax seed oil" babies I have come across are really more placid than usual and alert.
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By David Musgrave owner of Waihi Bush Organic Farm |
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