Active Ingredient Flaxseed And Flaxseed Oil (linum Usitatissimum)

a plant genus of the family linaceae that is cultivated for its fiber (manufactured into linen cloth). it contains a trypsin inhibitor and the seed is the source of linseed oil.

Source:

medlineplus herbs and supplements: flaxseed and flaxseed oil (linum usitatissimum)

Medical Condition	Uses based on scientific evidence	Grade*
attention deficit disorder of childhood with hyperactivity	preliminary evidence supports the idea that deficiencies or imbalances in certain highly unsaturated fatty acids may contribute to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd). based on one trial, alpha linolenic acid-rich nutritional supplementation in the form of flax oil may improve symptoms of adhd. more research is needed to confirm these results.	c
diabetes mellitus without mention of complication	human studies on the effect of flaxseed on blood sugar levels report mixed results. flaxseed cannot be recommended as a treatment for diabetes at this time.	c
heart disease unspecified	people who have had a heart attack are reported to benefit from diets rich in alpha-linolenic acid, which is found in flaxseed. good studies that examine the effect of flaxseed on heart disease in humans are not available. it is unclear whether flaxseed supplementation alters the course of heart disease.	c
human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) disease	there is a lack of strong evidence available in this area, and no recommendation can be made without further research.	c
malignant neoplasm of female breast	there is a lack of information from human studies that flaxseed is effective in preventing or treating breast cancer.	c
malignant neoplasm of prostate	there is limited high quality research of the effects of flaxseed or alpha-linolenic acid (which is in flaxseed) on the risk of developing prostate cancer. this area remains controversial as there is some data reporting possible increased risk of prostate cancer with alpha linolenic acid. prostate cancer should be treated by a medical oncologist.	d
mixed hyperlipidemia	in laboratory and animal studies, flaxseed and flaxseed oil are reported to lower blood cholesterol levels. effects on blood triglyceride levels in animals are unclear, with increased levels in some research, and decreased levels in other research. human studies in this area report mixed results, with decreased blood levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein ("bad cholesterol") in some studies, but no effect in other studies. most human research has not been well-designed, and	c
other psychalgia	early information from one study in women, the results of which have not been fully reported, suggests that flaxseed may reduce menstrual breast pain. however, further study is needed before a recommendation can be made.	c
symptomatic menopausal or female climacteric states	there is preliminary evidence from randomized controlled trials that flaxseed oil may help decrease mild menopausal symptoms. additional research is necessary before a clear conclusion can be drawn and this remains an area of controversy. patients should consult a doctor and pharmacist about treatment options before starting a new therapy. overall effects on bone mineral density and lipid profiles remain unclear.	c
unspecified complication of pregnancy	it has been proposed that alpha-linolenic acid, provided as flax oil capsules, may delay the timing of spontaneous delivery, but the available evidence does not support this use.	c
unspecified disorder of kidney and ureter	there is a lack of strong evidence available in this area. more research is needed before a firm recommendation can be made.	c
unspecified essential hypertension	in animals, diets high in flaxseed have mixed effects on blood pressure. one study in humans suggests that flaxseed might lower blood pressure. the evidence in this area is not clear, and more research is needed before a recommendation can be made.	c

*Key to grades
A: Strong scientific evidence for this use;
B: Good scientific evidence for this use;
C: Unclear scientific evidence for this use;
D: Fair scientific evidence against this use;
F: Strong scientific evidence against this use.