Due to the constant advertising of flaxseeds, flax meal, and flaxseed oil lately, many people might think that flax is a must-have for anyone who cares about their health. However, it’s quite possible that a lot of individuals are actually harming themselves by using products made from this seemingly harmless seed. Unfortunately, we’re only hearing the part of the story that boosts sales, not the full picture we need to make a well-informed choice.
Cadmium Toxicity
Flaxseeds can be easily contaminated, particularly with cadmium, which is harmful even in small amounts. The body struggles to get rid of cadmium, leading to its buildup in tissues. Unlike essential heavy metals like copper, iron, and zinc, cadmium doesn’t help our health at all. Research has shown that cadmium can encourage the growth of breast cancer cells. A test by Consumer Lab found that certain flaxseed brands had four to five times more cadmium compared to others grown in similar conditions. Flaxseed can take in dangerous levels of cadmium, especially in regions like Canada, the top producer of flaxseed, where the soil has high cadmium levels. North and South Dakota, the leading U.S. states for flaxseed production, also have soils rich in cadmium. Other significant producers include China and India, where some areas face heavy metal pollution.
Some of the studies:
- Environmental exposure to cadmium in breast cancer – association with the Warburg effect and sensitivity to tamoxifen
- Dietary intake of household cadmium-contaminated rice caused genome-wide DNA methylation changes on gene/hubs related to metabolic disorders and cancers
- Exposure to environmental chemicals and cancer risk: epidemiological evidence from Japanese studies
Flaxseed is highly estrogenic
Research conducted on rats indicated that when mothers consumed a diet rich in flaxseed during either pregnancy or breastfeeding, their offspring were more likely to develop breast cancer.
Quote from the above study:
“Mammary tumor incidence and multiplicity, induced by administering the offspring 5 mg 7,12–dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) at the age of 50 days, was reduced in the whole wheat flour–exposed offspring and increased in the defatted flax–exposed offspring.”
People who eat flax should understand that regularly consuming it over a long period is a topic of significant debate among scientists. Flax is a relatively new food that has the highest known amounts of plant estrogens, and it was never a main food source for any traditional culture.
Flax and Cyanogenic Glycosides
Flaxseeds have substances known as cyanogenic glycosides, which can produce hydrogen cyanide when the seeds are ground and mixed with water. This potential danger is why some health experts recommend being careful about how much raw flaxseed you eat. Moreover, these glycosides can turn into the well-known poison, hydrogen cyanide, through the bacteria in our gut. While these toxic compounds are present in various foods besides flaxseeds, they are usually neutralized by common cooking methods like boiling or blanching.
AntiNutrients in Flax
Flaxseed has some compounds like phytates and oxalates that can interfere with the absorption of different minerals. It also contains linatine, which is known to hinder the absorption of vitamin B-6. Additionally, phthalates act as endocrine disruptors. This means they can imitate hormones in our bodies, causing hormonal imbalances. The negative effects of phthalates on reproductive health are well documented; they can reduce testosterone levels, lower sperm counts, and are associated with issues like childhood obesity, asthma, neurological disorders, heart problems, and even cancer.
Interestingly, food scientists have faced several challenges when trying to incorporate flaxseed meal into poultry diets. One major issue has been the stunted growth of the birds, which researchers believe is partly due to the linatine’s effect on vitamin B-6 absorption.
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