All Pizzey’s Premium Milled Golden Flax products are known for their superior quality (18-24% Omega-3 ALA content), pleasing flavor and long shelf life (2 years with no refrigeration necessary). Our patented MeadowPure™ cleaning and selection process screens out immature or damaged flaxseed of diminished nutritional value.

One Flax Single has 7.5g of Pizzey’s Premium Milled Golden Flax.. Each box contains 14 Singles.

- 1 box (14 Singles) $12.99

Try adding Flax Singles to:

* Yogurt and fruit
* Cottage or ricotta cheese and fruit
* Yogurt or ricotta with a sugar-free syrup
* Smoothies and shakes
* Mix it into pancake or muffin batter, or other baked goods

If you have any other suggestions on how to use flax, please comment on this post.

Thanks, FM

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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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

Although preliminary, omega-3 fatty acids have shown considerable promise in reducing risk of AD. In one such study, the association between DHA levels in the blood and dementia in 899 men and women (average age 76) was examined. The participants, who were free of dementia at the start of the study, provided blood samples and underwent neuropsychological testing. After an average of nine years of follow-up, the researchers documented 99 cases of dementia, including 71 with AD. Men and women who consumed the highest level of DHA over the nine years, had a 47 % lower risk of developing dementia and 39 per cent lower risk of developing AD than those consuming lower DHA levels.

Low levels of dietary EPA and DHA have also been linked to the severity of depression64. For example, the regular use of cod liver oil has been correlated with lower levels of depressive symptoms in the general population. The prevalence of depressive symptoms among those who used cod liver oil daily was 2.5% versus 3.8% in the rest of the population. A comprehensive analysis of the literature in this area revealed a protective effect of DHA and EPA in mood disorders, particularly in depression.

In humans, omega 3 fatty acids reportedly play a role in the etiology of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and aggression. Children and adults with ADHD have been found to have significantly lower levels of blood DHA. A sample of 35 young adult college students with clinically diagnosed ADHD has recently been studied in comparison with a matched group of 112 students without ADHD. Significant inverse relationships were found between blood cell DHA levels and inattention and hyperactivity, suggesting that lower DHA status was associated with more severe behavioral symptoms.

Kelley Fitzpatrick
Director of Health & Nutrition
Flax Canada