The long-chain fatty acids derived from ALA and LA are not essential because the body can make them from ALA and LA. Nonetheless, the long-chain fatty acids in the omega-3 family and many in the omega-6 family are called “essential” in the medical literature because their importance in maintaining health and preventing disease is widely recognized.

Diane H. Morris, PhD
Flax A Health and Nutrition Primer

ALA also plays a valuable role in inflammation and swelling that usually accompanies serious training as well as helps in muscle repair at the cellular level by improving the speed and quality of tissue repair.

Not only does flax provide these essential fatty acids, but flaxseed is an excellent source of protein which is usually an important component of an athlete’s diet. Flax is a very easy to add into any diet and works well in a daily protein drink where you can receive all the nutritional benefits of flax by adding about 1 tablespoon of milled flax. You can also try adding flax as a salad topper as you would sunflower seeds or croutons or mixed in with oatmeal or yogurt.
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First, flax seed contains many nutrients that are beneficial to both men and women, and these are reason alone to consume flax seed. Flax includes the Omega-3 fatty acid alpha linolenic acid, and more. Flax seeds also contain fiber and antioxidants. Our bodies need all of these to be healthy, especially the Omega-3 fatty acids. Many people believe these fatty acids can only come from fish, but they actually appear in several other types of foods as well. By adding flax seed to your diet, you add another source of Omega-3 fatty acids. This is a great way for those who do not enjoy eating fish to get these essential nutrients.

However, these are benefits that both genders can enjoy. What does flax seed offer men exclusively? Well, the main reason men may want to add flax seed to their diet is that flax seed can help prevent prostate cancer and prostate tumor growth. In one study, men consumed 30 grams of flax seed every day for a month before having surgery for prostate cancer. These men were then compared to a group of men who had the same surgery but did not consume flax seed. The men who added flax seed to their diet had many fewer complications and had an easier time with the surgery overall. Researchers believe this was because the Omega-3 fatty acids in flax seed actually stopped cancer cells from clinging to other cells, while the lignans slowed the blood supply to the tumor.

Like many studies, further research is necessary to confirm these effects. However, it appears that flax seed is very beneficial to those with prostate cancer and may, in fact, help prevent prostate cancer in men.

In 261 subjects followed by researchers over a 4.6 year period, 101 participants with diagnosed AMD progressed to advanced AMD. The intake of fish more than twice a week was associated with a lower rate progression to advanced AMD. The National Eye Institute division of the National Institutes of Health is planning a randomized double-blinded study that will evaluate the association between DHA intake and the rate of disease progression in greater than 4000 AMD patients.

Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are required in the diet as they can not be made by humans. The two established EFAs are linoleic acid (C18:2n-6, LA) and ALA. ALA can be converted in the body into EPA and DHA. LA is converted in the body to another long chain fatty acid arachidonic acid (AA) – both LA and AA are omega 6’s. Figure 1 shows the pathway of conversion of LA and ALA to their longer chain omega families.

AA and EPA are further metabolized to produce very powerful hormone-like substances (called ‘eicosanoids’) that effect physiological functions such as cell growth and division, inflammatory responses, muscle activity, blood pressure, and immune function. Eicosanoids formed from AA are released in the body in response to injury, infection, stress, or certain diseases. EPA forms eicosanoids that behave in opposition to those derived from AA and may help protect against heart attacks and strokes, as well as certain inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, lupus and asthma.

The conversion of ALA to EPA is very individual and will be affected by diet. A diet rich in LA can reduce ALA conversion by as much as 40%, and a high intake of LA by pregnant women lowers EPA and DHA levels in umbilical plasma, suggesting reduced ALA conversion and availability of omega 3 fatty acids for the developing fetus33. Other factors that interfere with ALA conversion include the intake of dietary cholesterol, saturated fat, and trans fatty acids. High intakes of omega 3 fatty acids can also block ALA conversion.

Kelley Fitzpatrick
Director of Health & Nutrition
Flax Canada

• Lower risk of mortality from heart disease. The omega 3’s can reduce the chance of uncontrolled heart rhythms and developing fatal blood clots, two major causes of heart disease deaths. Omega 3’s, therefore, lower the chances that heart attacks will be fatal.
• Improved heart rhythms. Dangerously fast heartbeats or disordered heart rhythms can be fatal. Omega 3’s help maintain stable heart rhythms by affecting the electrical activity of the heart. Thus, it is more difficult for uncontrolled heart rhythms to develop. Unstable and uncontrolled heart rhythms underlie sudden death, the cause of nearly half of all cardiac mortality. By stabilizing heart rhythms, omega 3s reduce the chance of dying suddenly.
• Improved heart rate. Heart rate is the number of beats a minute that the heart pumps at rest. It accelerates to increase the amount of blood ejected by the heart. Heart rate is lower in people who are physically fit and higher in the obese. Usual heart rate is between 60 and 80 beats per minute and usually increases with age. Heart rate adapts to changing conditions and generally speaking, the greater adaptability of the heart, the better its condition. Consumption of omega 3’s is associated with lower heart rate and with greater heart rate variability, conditions that reflect better heart health and lower the chance of heart attack.
• Less chance of having a first heart attack. There is evidence that people who do not have signs of heart disease may be able to avoid having a first heart attack if they consume omega 3’s often. For people who have had a heart attack, risk of another is also substantially reduced. Consuming these fatty acids regularly improves heart rhythms, reduces the likelihood of blood clots forming, reduces the low-grade inflammation that accompanies heart disease, and improves blood lipid patterns – all effects that discourage heart failure.
• Less chance of stroke. A stroke results from a blood clot blocking an artery in the brain. Clots may develop there or be carried to the brain from elsewhere. Non-fatal strokes can cause serious disability. In most western countries, ischemic strokes, the kind caused by blood clots or lack of oxygen, are the most common type. Omega 3’s have been shown to lower the chance of having a stroke.
• Improving blood lipids. The blood carries different types of lipids, including fats and cholesterol, throughout the body. High levels of blood lipids lead to deposit in the walls of arteries called plaques. These reduce blood flow and supply of oxygen to the heart. ALA, EPA and DHA improve blood lipids by lowering the amount of LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides, respectively, in the blood, these improvements in blood lipids are especially important in people with type 2 diabetes who have high triglycerides and low HDL.
• Reduced blood clotting. Some blood clotting is essential for life, but an excessive tendency towards clotting increases the risk of blocked arteries. These can be fatal when a clot completely closes a blood vessel in the heart, lungs, or brain. Omega 3’s reduce platelet clumping and affect certain clotting factors reducing the tendency for blood to clot. Omega 3’s also improve blood flow and make red blood cells more flexible so they pass through tiny blood vessels more easily.

Kelley Fitzpatrick
Director of Health & Nutrition
Flax Canada

The omega 6 AA produces eicosanoids that stimulate pro-inflammatory; vasoconstrictive (blood vessel narrowing) and pro-thrombotic (blood clotting) reactions in the body. When diets are high in omega 6 fatty acids, AA and its potent eicosanoids are produced in abundance, resulting in an over-active immune system that may contribute to chronic diseases like cancer, stroke, diabetes and coronary heart disease.

In contrast, the omega 3, EPA forms eicosanoids that counteract those of AA and cause vasodilation, anti-thrombotic and anti-inflammatory reactions in the body.

Kelley Fitzpatrick
Director of Health & Nutrition
Flax Canada