My turn for a question on Flaxseed Oil

[wilson6]

Where is the literature, in humans, that shows that Flaxseed Oil cannot be turned into bodyfat? If it is calories above what you burn in a day, then what happens to the extra flax? Don't give me a website, I want a paper.

I think Flax has benefits, but not to the extent everyone makes it out to be. Show me the studies............

W6

 

[MS]

I was not aware that there are folks claiming that flaxseed oil can't be stored as fat! But I admit I haven't read all the post on that topic around here. That is ludicrous, and the best advice I could give anyone thinking about adding in flaxseed oil to their diet is 'don't eat too much fat, and don't eat too many calories'.

Now I will agree that essential fatty acids are, ummm, essential but it's hard to see how taking in more than your body needs can be good for you. I also see the flaxseed fad as yet another symptom of imbalance. Why not design a diet that has adequate nuts, avocados, fish etc... to meet your EFA needs, while reducing your intake of saturated fats?

 

[Phemomena]

MS basically took the words outta my mouth...

a calorie is a calorie is a calorie

 

[new@gettinbig]

Flax can be turned to bodyfat just as easy as anything else.....if a person is taking in to many calories and not watching saturated fats etc. But just like anything...you can consume more than what is essentially needed. Its a good fat to consume in your diet, while keeping your saturated fats low and maintaining your caloric intake, or reduced caloric intake while dieting..But the rest of your diet needs to remain balanced and in tack.

 

[bigNat]

I think it has all been blown out of context. These " experts " should say that Flaxseed ( Omega 3 of w3 ) is the least likely of the fats to be stored as bodyfat. You see it comes down to the degree of saturation, the fewer double bonds in a fatty acid, the lower it's oxidation rate. For example the 18 carbon chain stearic acid ( 18:0 ) burns slower than the omega 6's ( 18:2 ), which is slower than w3 ( 18:3 ). Therefore w3's are oxidised faster, metabolic rate increases and does energy production.
So I think that the plan should be to first lower carbs ( which will be the bodies preferential fuel source ) increase protein to make up the calorie defecit and avoid saturated fats and replace them with w3's.
I'll be back with some journal ref's later.

 

[macrophage69alpha]

omega 3 are weak uncouplers of oxidative phosphoralation. But they will get stored as fat. I believe that they also have 7 cal per gram(though dont quote me on that) Though due to almost certain deficiency(american diet contains little Omega 3), rate of conversion to fat will be limited at beginning of usage.

 

[poohbear]

I do enjoy an intelligent conversation.

Bump for the logic of it all

 

[tripleV]

Found this on the topic of EFA's and Evening Promrose Oil.

If the bodybuilding world has an expletive, it’s the three-letter word fat. Fat, however, has gotten a bad rap. Not because the things said about it are incorrect, but because not all fats are created equal.

Bad-mouthing all fats is like saying that all carbohydrates are alike. Yet we know that complex carbs are infinitely healthier than candy bars and other simple sugars. The same goes for fats, the list of which includes saturated fats, essential fats, polyunsaturated fats, linoleic acid, linolenic acid...it goes on and on. The terminology may get confusing, but suffice to say that you absolutely need some fats in your diet if you’re serious about building muscle. These are the essential fats, meaning your body doesn’t make the stuff, so you need to include them in your diet.

If you’re on a very low-fat diet, consuming a minimal amount of essential fatty acids (EFAs)--perhaps up to 3% of your daily caloric intake--would be wise. Besides playing an integral role in your overall health, EFAs provide energy, insulate nerves and are a component of all cells. They play an important role in the integrity of the cell membrane and ultimately whole-body function.

It appears that the higher the level of unsaturated fats comprising a cell membrane, the greater its insulin sensitivity. A diet with a low ratio of polyunsaturated fats to saturated fats is believed to be a contributing factor in hyperinsulinemia (excess insulin secretion). A higher unsaturated fat composition in cell membranes is also important for glucose transport into cells. These factors are obviously crucial to bodybuilding; insulin is a vital anabolic hormone that regulates the uptake of glucose and amino acids into muscle fibers. Who would’ve thought that the kind of fat you eat would impact that?

Two key EFAs are linoleic and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), and the former is converted into the latter. Evening primrose oil is perhaps the richest source of GLA. So what do the EFAs found in evening primrose oil do for you? Some of the possible benefits include normalization of glucose metabolism, an anti-inflammatory effect, a reduction in blood cholesterol and treatment for PMS (who needs Motrin?).

Sore Joints & Sluggish Muscles
In a study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia), researchers examined the clinical efficacy and side effects of GLA on 37 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and active synovitis (joint inflammation with stiffness and swelling). The 24-week study was randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled; the patients, scientists and doctors were all in the dark as to who was given the placebo or the GLA.

Each patient was treated daily with either 1.4 grams of GLA (in borage seed oil) or the placebo (cottonseed oil). The researchers assessed joint tenderness, swelling, morning stiffness, grip strength and the ability to do daily activities, finding that the GLA group experienced an approximately 30% reduction in the number of tender and swollen joints. These patients also experienced an overall reduction in the disease’s symptoms. The GLA was well-tolerated and didn’t have any adverse effects. It should be noted, however, that GLA isn’t an approved treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.

Essential fatty acids have also been shown to benefit diabetic animals. In a study on diabetic rats whose nerve-conduction velocity was reduced 15%–29% because of the disease, researchers tested the effects of treatment with either 100% corn oil, 100% evening primrose oil or a mixture of evening primrose oil (80%) and fish oil (20%). Evening primrose oil corrected this deficit more effectively than the evening primrose/fish oil combination, while corn oil had no effect. When muscle contractability was examined, the soleus muscle contractions were slower in the diabetic animals. This condition was partially corrected by each form of treatment, with evening primrose oil being the most effective. Furthermore, the administration of evening primrose oil increased capillary number in the diabetic animals.

GLA & the Bodybuilder
Fats, in this case GLA, can apparently have profound and beneficial effects. But what does this mean to the bodybuilder? Not many bodybuilders have rheumatoid arthritis, but joint pain and tenderness aren’t uncommon complaints. Could some of the anti-inflammatory effects of GLA seen in arthritis patients benefit those who exercise intensely and suffer joint pain and inflammation? What about those who overtrain and can’t seem to get rid of nagging joint aches and pain? Perhaps GLA could reduce the inflammation and help speed the recovery process. No human studies have tested this idea, but heck, if GLA can help arthritis, it seems plausible that it could also help joint aches that are less serious in nature.

GLA’s positive effect on nerves and muscle in diabetic animals suggests that abnormal fatty-acid metabolism may play a role in this disease. The role of GLA in nondiabetic muscle needs to be further explored to see if it has similar effects.

GLA has been shown to lower blood cholesterol in humans, and this is of obvious benefit to those who either eat too much saturated fat or use androgens (anabolic androgenic steroids). Both androgen use and high saturated-fat intake have detrimental effects on blood cholesterol. I’m not saying that taking some evening primrose oil will completely offset a bad diet or drug use, but taking 1–2 teaspoons (approximately 1,000–2,000 mg) daily may help you derive some of its numerous benefits.

REFERENCES Cameron, N.E., et al. Essential fatty- acid supplementation. Effects on peripheral nerve and skeletal muscle function and capillarization in streptozocin-induced diabetic rats. Diabetes 40:532–539, 1991.
Fukushima, M., et al. Comparative hypercholesterolemic effects of six vegetable oils in cholesterol-fed rats. Lipids 31:415–419, 1996.
Garland, H.O., et al. Dietary essential fatty-acid supplementation, urinary calcium excretion and reproductive performance in the diabetic pregnant rat. Journal of Endocrinology 153:357–363, 1997.
Johnson, M.M., et al. Dietary supplementation with gamma-linolenic acid alters fatty-acid content and eicosanoid production in healthy humans. Journal of Nutrition 127:1,435–1,444, 1997.
Leventhal, L.J., et al. Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with gamma-linolenic acid. Annals of Internal Medicine 119:867–873, 1993.

 

[tripleV]

i for one had no idea what the heck was evening primrose oil. i only thought it was for PMS. The reason i researched it was because I saw on Lobos Everything you wanted to know about Vit and Min thread that he was taking evening primrose oil and i was like wtf?!?

 

[jeangenie]

bump. great info.