by Mark Bricklin, Editor of Prevention Magazine
Instead, it may just be what today's film producers and other trendsetters will be eating tomorrow.
Mo' --meaning more. Flax --meaning flaxseed.
This seed, two different studies now show, could be on of the most powerful natural cholesterol controllers yet discovered.
Flaxseed does more than just lower total cholesterol. It specifically seems to attack LDL, or "bad" cholesterol. Actually, it wallops the stuff. In the newest study, flaxseed brought LDL in 13 men and women with high blood lipids down by an average of 18 percent.
Mo Flax should get an Academy Award for that performance.
But here's the best part. Baked into bread, flaxseed actually tastes good. Some say it tastes great!
Now, I must admit when I first found out about eating flaxseed, I didn't even know what flax was, although I remembered reading poems about maidens with flaxen hair. That didn't exactly get my mouth watering.
But I had the wrong part of the plant in mind. I was thinking of the stalk of the plant used for its fibers, which the ancient Egyptians wove into fine linen and are still used today for making cloth. This cloth, when finished for weaving, is a pale yellow in color--hence the flaxen hair of all those maidens.
The seeds of flax are what's eaten--a practice that began thousands of years ago. Because raw flaxseed contains a toxin that is neutralized by heating, the seeds are typically ground into a meal and added to flour for baking.
The New story about falxseed comes largely from the Jordon Heart Research Group, in Montclair, New Jersey, whose staff is affiliated with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
This group, which has been doing nutrition research for years, showed in 1991 that flaxseed has a strong effect on cholesterol. The problem was how to make it palatable.
Tom Watkins, Ph.D., chief author of the newer study, recalls, "I began baking bread with flaxseed in it at home, and I ate six or eight slices a day. I took some into the clinic, and people liked it--so we decided to do another study. By the ends of the study, everyone wanted more. They really liked it."
"That's important," he emphasizes, "Some would say that getting people to like food that is good for them is half the battle. I'd say it is the battle. By using flaxseed in bread--a healthful food to begin with, and one most people like, too--the potential for a beneficial impact on health is very great."
The Participants in the study ate six slices a day of bread in which ground flaxseed replaced part of the flour.
Switching from their regular diets to a regimen of eating six slices of "normal" bread and then to six slices of flax loaf, their cholesterol profiles were decidedly better on the latter.
After one month on the flaxseed regimen, their average total cholesterol fell about 10 percent, while the more harmful LDL cholesterol went from an average of 162 mg/dl (milligrams per deciliter) down to 133. That's a big drop, too, which translates into a probable reduction in heart attack risk of some 30 to 40 percent.
Meanwhile, the beneficial HDL cholesterol did not go down at all, so the overall profile of lipids was dramatically improved.
Flaxseed is available in many health food stores that sell grains. We developed a really delicious recipe for flaxseed bread in our Prevention Test Kitchen. Enjoy it as a sandwich bread or toast and spread with soft margarine or nonfat cream cheese.
But start off slowly --flaxseed is high in fiber, which can cause gassiness and bloating if you are not used to it. Another reason to ease into eating flaxseed bread is the possibility of an allergic reaction. Start out with a small piece of bread, about the size of a penny, the first day. If you experience any problems, see a doctor before eating any more of the bread. If you have no reaction, try a whole slice of bread the next day and increase slowly from there.
Don't worry that you're not eating six slices a day like the study participants. Because the drops in cholesterol were so big, eating only half that amount can still produce good results.
August 1993, Prevention Magazine, Page 37-38 & 136
*This Article was too old and not in their archives.
Per slice: 168 calories, 4 gram's fat (22% of calories), 4.9g. protein, 29g. carbohydrates, no cholesterol, 91 milligrams sodium.
- 1 tbs. active dry yeast
- 1 3/4 cups warm water
- 3 tbs. honey or 1/8 cup sugar
- 1 tbs. oil (safflower or olive)
- 1/2 tsp. salt (may be omitted)
- 1 cup flaxseed meal * See notes below
- 3 cups of fresh ground whole wheat flour
- In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warmed water. Set aside until bubbly, about 5 minutes.
- Mix in the honey or sugar, oil, salt, flaxseed meal, and half of the flour. Mix well.
- Stir in the rest of the flour. Adding it a 1/2 cup at a time until it makes a soft, kneadable dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.
- Coat a 9 x 5 inch pan with oil or nonstick spray. Shape the dough into a loaf and place in the pan. Cover; let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk. For about one hour.
- Bake at 350F for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the loaf is browned on top and sounds hollow when tapped.
- Cool for 10 minutes and tap pan to remove. Top may be brushed with butter or olive oil. Best sliced with a serrated knife and then wrapped in plastic. May be frozen, if not used in a few days. Since it has no preservatives it will mold quickly.
* As a general rule, 2/3 cup of flaxseed yields 1 cup of meal.
* This flaxseed meal may be added to any good bread recipe, replacing some of the flour and should have good effects on cholesterol.
* Adjusted the original Prevention's Recipe to accommodate my family's preferences.
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