HealthBeat News

Category: Nutrition and Health

  • Pregnancy Risks With Flax?

    By Nurse Mark

    There is no natural substance so good that it cannot be overdone!

    And there is no substance, natural or otherwise that cannot have an alarming article written about it based on someone’s reading of a tangentially related research study!

    We get letters… frequently they are from folks who have seen some alarming little tidbit in some article or other and they are now suddenly worried – understandably so, since they are taking the substance that is in question in the cautionary article.

    Here is the note we received:

    Hi there,  My daughter just sent me the link below to an article about flax seed.  I am curious as to your thoughts on what this writer expresses.  Birgitta

    http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2009/03/flax-seed-and-oil-phytoestrogens-phytic-acid-and-pregnancy-risks.html

    something to keep in mind, especially with the oil. I’m still going to make the bread and eat it, but I don’t think the
    amount of ground flax in there is high enough to make me nervous.

    And here is Dr. Myatt’s reply:

    Hi Birgitta:

    We’ve talked about flax and phytoestrogens before, but here’s the short course.

    LOTS of foods have mild estrogenic properties, most of which are protective against stronger estrogens in the environment. And lots of foods have some anti-nutrients. Soy is one of the worst.

    At recommended doses these are really "non issues."

    Also, there are a long list of things not to do when pregnant; pregnancy is an entire different metabolic circumstance than non-pregnant. Heck, in natural medicine we often use a tablespoon or two of castor oil to stimulate contractions, but yes, any oils might start labor.

    All in all, there’s nothing new in this article and nothing that contradicts the way in which I advise people to use flax.

    In Health,
    Dr. Myatt

    Like Dr. Myatt, I reviewed the article – a nice article, but one that looks to be written by a layperson. This person has read a single study from Canada (not a country that is especially friendly toward natural solutions over pharmacology) which offers a rather alarming headline – as seen here:

    Pregnant women consuming flaxseed oil have high risk of premature birth

    Université de Montréal study looks at the dangers of some natural products

    A study has found that the risks of a premature birth quadruple if flaxseed oil is consumed in the last two trimesters of pregnancy. The research was conducted by Professor Anick Bérard of the Université de Montréal’s Faculty of Pharmacy and the Sainte-Justine Hospital Research Center and Master’s student Krystel Moussally.

    In Canada, 50 percent of pregnant women take prescription medication. Yet many of them prefer to use natural health products during the pregnancy. "We believe these products to be safe because they are natural. But in reality, they are chemical products and we don’t know many of the risks and benefits of these products contrarily to medication," says Bérard.

    Bérard and Moussally set out to conduct one of the largest studies ever undertaken on by analyzing data from 3354 Quebec women. The first part of the research established that close to 10 percent of women between 1998 and 2003 used natural health products during their pregnancy. Before and after pregnancy they were respectively 15 and 14 percent to use these products. The increase means that about a third of women consuming natural health products stopped during the pregnancy.

    The most consumed natural health products by pregnant women are chamomile (19 percent), green tea (17 percent), peppered mint (12 percent), and flaxseed oil (12 percent). Bérard and Moussally correlated these products to premature births and only one product had a very strong correlation: flaxseed oil.

    "In the general population, the average rate of premature births is 2 to 3 percent. But for women consuming flaxseed oil in their last two trimesters that number jumps up to 12 percent," says Bérard. "It’s an enormous risk."

    The correlation existed only with flaxseed oil, yet women consuming the actual seed were unaffected. Even if more studies must be undertaken to verify these results, Bérard recommends caution when it comes to consuming flaxseed oil.

    If we read this article carefully we see that the researcher (who is not a doctor but rather a "professor") looks to have a bit of a bias against natural products to begin with. We then see that amounts of flax oil consumed by the subjects of this study are not given and that the risks are increased for those taking this unknown amount during the last few weeks of pregnancy. Finally, there is the somewhat grudging admission that this effect was seen in women consuming this unknown amount of flax oil – and not those using flax seed.

    So, I am left to wonder if this effect is the same effect that might be seen with the consumption of any amount of any oil during the late stages of pregnancy. As Dr. Myatt mentioned in her note to Birgitta a couple of tablespoons of castor oil is a time-honored natural way of stimulating the contractions of labor – and  a dose of oil taken too early could possibly stimulate the premature labor of the researchers headline…

    The bottom line?

    There are two: All things in moderation. And, pregnancy changes the rules – proceed with caution and with the assistance of a good holistic / naturopathic physician to ensure a happy and healthy outcome for all!

  • Want To Do Something About Your Heart Health?

    Heart-Healthy Protocol Rejuvenates Youthful Function

    Do you recall a time when you were younger and had absolutely no worries about your heart? After all, it’s not nearly so common for a person in their 20’s or 30’s to suffer from heart disease, and you probably knew that. Your life wasn’t focused around living close to a hospital, curtailing physical activity because of fear, or even thinking at all about your heart, which just ticked along perfectly from day to day, week to week, and year to year.

    Would you like to return to that liberated, confident feeling, knowing that your heart is healthy and immune to problems, and enjoying the physical and emotional freedom that dependable heart function brings? Why not give yourself the enduring gift of heart-confidence by following these simple, proven, protective measures that can lower your risk of heart disease to that of a 20-year-old? Your heart is a very forgiving organ and can be rejuvenated. Here’s how:
    1.) Stop smoking. Smoking is one of the single biggest causes of heart disease. If you need a good reason to quit, dramatically lowering your risk of heart disease might be the impetus you need.

    2.) Eat a heart-healthy diet. High carbohydrate diets lead to overweight and high blood sugar levels, and very often, to diabetes. As you continue to read this list, you’ll see that these factors are each independent risk factors for heart disease. A VLC diet (very low carbohydrate diet), high in Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids, is the fastest, surest way to lower insulin and blood sugar levels, lose weight, decrease inflammation and slash heart disease risk at least four-fold. Diets higher in "good fats" (NOT low-fat diets!) and low in carbs have proven to be the heart-healthiest.

    3.) Get optimal doses of heart-healthy nutrients. Certain nutrients are essential to healthy heart function and are often missing in the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.). Nutrients needed by the heart include:

    • B complex vitamins, needed for normal nerve function and homocysteine levels.
    • magnesium, the relaxing, anti-arrhythmic mineral that is absolutely necessary for normal heart function. Unfortunately, magnesium is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in the SAD diet.
    • antioxidant nutrients (especially vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene). Studies have shown that people with higher blood levels of antioxidants have a lower incidence of heart disease. Among people who have a heart attack, higher levels of  antioxidants decrease free radical formation and reduce heart damage.
    • chromium helps stabilize and lower blood sugar levels, thereby lowering sugar-associated heart disease risk.
    • Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oils) are so well-known to decrease inflammation and heart arrhythmias that the FDA now allows label claims for fish oil. We now also have an over-the-top expensive prescription fish oil for heart patients (many of whom would have less stress on their hearts if they bought fish oil for $20 instead of $200!).
    • soluble fiber helps keep blood fats, including cholesterol, at a happy level, although high cholesterol is not the big heart disease risk factor it has been portrayed to be.

    4.) Increase physical activity. If you don’t use it, you lose it. Make your heart work harder than getting up from your easy chair and going to the refrigerator once in a while. This doesn’t mean you need to train for a marathon. As little as ten minutes of brisk walking per day, especially if this is more than you currently do, will improve heart function.

    5.) Lower body-wide inflammation Subtle inflammation, as measured by an hs-CRP test ("highly sensitive C-Reactive Protein", a simple blood test), is a more sensitive measure of heart disease risk than cholesterol or other elevated blood fats. This type of inflammation, which is often so minor that you may not feel it but which irritates the blood vessel lining and sets the atherosclerotic process in motion, can be corrected by simple diet changes, nutritional supplements and anti-inflammatory herbs. Decreasing inflammation also lowers your risk of cancer, arthritis, Alzheimer’s and other "age related" diseases.

    6.) Lower your blood pressure naturally. There’s a lot of evidence that higher blood pressures (especially systolic B.P.’s consistently over 140) are associated with higher risk of heart disease. Interestingly (at least to this physician!), there are a number of big, long-range studies which show NO BENEFIT to lowering B.P. with drugs. People with "normal" blood pressures who were only "normal" because of medications are still at significantly higher risk of heart disease. As naturopathic as this conclusion sounds, these studies point to the fact that lowering blood pressure naturally, by correcting the cause of the elevation, is life-saving where chemical control is not.

    7.) Curb depression, anxiety and stress. The emotional factor doesn’t get much "press" or discussion in the cardiologists office, but there are numerous studies showing that negative emotional states increase subtle inflammation. Possibly because depression and stress (or more accurately described as our reaction to stress) increase inflammation, these emotional states are associated with higher risk of heart disease and poorer prognosis in people with already-existing heart disease or who are recovering from heart surgery. If you suffer from depression, be sure to get help. One common source of stress is marriage and close personal relationship difficulties. And remember that depression isn’t caused by a Prozac deficiency!

    8.) Lower high blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels, high insulin levels or outright type II diabetes are major risk factors for heart disease. The pitiful part of this connection is that type II diabetes is completely curable through diet alone, usually in under three months. Sadly, I find that many diabetics would rather live with the risk (and worry about their risks), rather than make a few healthy diet changes that would erase this major danger. Go figure.

    9.) Achieve and maintain a normal weight. Overweight increases subtle inflammation, which as you should know by now (if you’ve been paying attention!) is an important risk factor for not only heart disease but also cancer, arthritis, Alzheimer’s and more. When an overweight person loses weight, their hs-CRP (inflammatory marker) also comes down, corresponding to a lower heart disease risk. Of course, the low-carb, high Omega-3 fat diet that lowers blood sugar and corrects diabetes also leads to weight loss, making it easy to correct several problems at once through diet changes alone.

    These same measures that dramatically lower your risk of heart disease also increase natural immunity, slash your risk of cancer, diabetes, arthritis, depression, Alzheimer’s and senile dementia and a host of other diseases that we fall prey to with age. Even at advanced age or stages of disease, much improvement and protection is possible (in other words, you can reclaim a lot of healthy ground), by turning a few habits around in a healthier direction.

    Obviously, a full in-depth examination of each of these factors far is too large for a single newsletter. If you’d like to know more about exactly how to implement these heart-healthy changes, please watch for our soon-to-be-released White Paper!

    References:

    1.) Smoking cessation normalizes coronary endothelial vasomotor response assessed with 15O-water and PET in healthy young smokers. J Nucl Med. 2006 Dec;47(12):1914-20. Summary: some negative cardiac effects of smoking, such as inflammation of blood vessels and abnormal contraction of blood vessels, returns to near-normal after one month of non-smoking in otherwise healthy individuals.
    2.) Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: Cost-effectiveness comparison. Int J Technol Assess Health Care. 2007 Winter;23(1):71-9. Summary: Quitting smoking is the most cost-effective heart disease prevention measure; statin drugs are the least cost effective measure.
    3.) Cardiovascular risks associated with smoking: a review for clinicians. Eur J Cardiovasc Prev Rehabil. 2006 Aug;13(4):507-14. Summary: Smoking results in sudden death, myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease, worsened outcomes after angioplasty or bypass surgery, cerebrovascular disease, aortic aneurysm, peripheral
    vascular disease, increased risk of complications of hypertension and impotence.
    4.) Smoking and cardiovascular disease. Am J Med. 1992 Jul 15;93(1A):8S-12S. Summary: Cigarette smoking is the most preventable cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Smoking has been associated with a two-to fourfold increased risk of coronary heart disease, a greater than 70% excess rate of death from coronary heart disease, and an elevated risk of sudden death. Smoking cessation results in a dramatic
    reduction in the risk of mortality from both coronary heart disease and stroke.
    5.) Effects of moderate-fat (from monounsaturated fat) and low-fat weight-loss diets on the serum lipid profile in overweight and obese men and women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 79, No. 2, 204-212, February 2004. Summary: a moderate fat diet was more beneficial in lowering heart disease risk than a low-fat diet.
    6.) Preventive nutrition: disease-specific dietary interventions for older adults.Geriatrics. 1992 Nov;47(11):39-40, 45-9. Conclusion: Fats, cholesterol, soluble fiber, and the trace elements copper and chromium affect the morbidity and mortality of CHD. Decreasing sodium and increasing potassium intake improves control of
    hypertension. Calcium and magnesium may also have a role in controlling hypertension. A decrease in simple carbohydrates and an increase in soluble dietary fiber may normalize moderately elevated blood glucose levels.
    7.) Antioxidant treatment prevents cardiac protein oxidation after ischemia-reperfusion and improves myocardial function and coronary perfusion in senescent hearts. J Physiol Pharmacol. 2006 Dec;57(4):541-52. Summary: In conclusion, antioxidant treatment fully protects the senescent heart against ischaemia/reperfusion but not against prolonged ischaemia injury, indicating that oxidative stress plays a central role in the age-associated vulnerability to ischaemia-reperfusion.
    8.) Relationship between low cardiorespiratory fitness and mortality in normal-weight, overweight, and obese men. JAMA. 1999 Oct 27;282(16):1547-53.CONCLUSIONS: In this analysis, low cardiorespiratory fitness was a strong and independent predictor of CVD and all-cause mortality and of comparable importance with that of diabetes mellitus and other CVD risk factors.
    9.) Inflammatory biomarkers, hormone replacement therapy, and incident coronary heart disease: prospective analysis from the Women’s Health Initiative observational study.JAMA. 2002 Aug 28;288(8):980-7. Summary: Increased hs-CRP and IL-6 (another marker of subtle inflammation) independently predict vascular events among apparently healthy postmenopausal women.
    10.) C-Reactive Protein Distribution and Correlates among Men and Women with Chronic Coronary Heart Disease. Cardiology. 2007 Feb 1;107(4):345-353 [Epub ahead of print]. Summary: Elevated C-reactive protein is associated with atherosclerotic disease. BMI (body mass index) is positively associated with CRP: the higher the BMI, the higher the CRP.
    11.) Blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, glucose intolerance, and smoking: Relative importance of borderline and elevated levels of coronary heart disease risk factors. Ann Intern Med. 2005 Mar 15;142(6):393-402.
    12.) Stroke and coronary heart disease in treated hypertension — a prospective cohort study over three decades. J Intern Med. 2005 Jun;257(6):496-502. There was no relationship observed between achieved systolic or diastolic blood pressure and the risk of stroke or MI nor was there any relationship between the change in blood pressure and such cardiovascular complications. CONCLUSION: In spite of a substantial reduction of their blood pressure, treated hypertensive middle-aged men had a highly increased risk of stroke, MI and mortality from coronary heart disease compared with nonhypertensive men of similar age. The increased risk of cardiovascular complications escalated during the latter course of the study.
    13.) Survival in treated hypertension: follow up study after two decades. BMJ. 1998 Jul 18;317(7152):167-71. Summary: Hypertensive men treated with drugs to attain normal B.P.’s did NOT have lower risks of heart disease.
    14.) Sadness and broken hearts: neurohumoral mechanisms and co-morbidity of ischemic heart disease and psychological depression. J Physiol Pharmacol. 2006 Nov;57 Suppl 11:5-29.Summary: Inflammation is associated with heart disease and is also seen in sadness and depression. It appears that sadness and depression may be risk factors for heart disease.
    15.) Biological mechanisms in the relationship between depression and heart disease. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2002 Dec;26(8):941-62. Summary: Psychological depression is shown to be associated with several aspects of coronary artery disease (CAD), including arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, heart failure and sudden death.
    16.)Negative impact of depression on outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease: mechanisms, treatment considerations, and future directions. J Thromb Haemost. 2005 May;3(5):897-908. Summary: Depressive symptoms are common in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients, and are associated with increased cardiac risk.
    17.) Impact of metabolic syndrome criteria on cardiovascular disease risk in people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes. Diabetologia. 2006 Jan;49(1):49-55. Epub 2005 Dec 10.Summary: High blood sugar and type II diabetes can increase heart disease risk up to FIVE-FOLD. DR. Myatts note: Type II diabetes is completely curable through diet alone.
    18.) Insulin resistance, the metabolic syndrome, and incident cardiovascular events in the Framingham Offspring Study. Diabetes. 2005 Nov;54(11):3252-7. Summary: Metabolic syndrome (fancy name for high blood sugar, high insulin levels) is an independent risk factor for heart disease. DR. Myatts note: Metabolic syndrome, like Type II diabetes, is completely curable through diet alone.
    19.) Glycemic control and coronary heart disease risk in persons with and without diabetes: the atherosclerosis risk in communities study. Arch Intern Med. 2005 Sep 12;165(16):1910-6.
    20.) Metabolic syndrome and mitochondrial function: Molecular replacement and antioxidant supplements to prevent membrane peroxidation and restore mitochondrial function. J Cell Biochem. 2007 Jan 22; [Epub ahead of print]. Summary: Antioxidant therapy restored mitochondrial function in people with metabolic syndrome.
    21.) Insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction: the road map to cardiovascular diseases. Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2006 Nov-Dec;22(6):423-36.
    22.) Midlife body mass index and hospitalization and mortality in older age. JAMA. 2006 Jan 11;295(2):190-8. Conclusion: "For individuals with no cardiovascular risk factors as well as for those with 1 or more risk factors, those who are obese in middle age have a higher risk of hospitalization and mortality from CHD, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes in older age than those who are normal weight."

  • Stevia – "We Told You So!"

    Deborah from Oklahoma wrote recently to ask:

    Do you have a take on this Truvia sweetener?

    Well, as a matter of fact we do have a take on it!

    I wrote about the future of stevia a little while ago in Another Chance For Stevia – where I predicted that this natural sweetener was getting ready to have a new lease on life as far as the FDA is concerned.

    You see, I had noticed the rumblings in the financial news – certain stocks were going up, based on the work of the American Industrial giants Coca Cola and Pepsico who were preparing to market their own patented versions of the age-old natural sweetener.

    I predicted that as soon as these industrial giants made it known to the FDA that they wanted no regulatory resistance to their new products then the "natural" forms of stevia would also have to be "recognized" to be safe since the new, patented sweeteners Truvia and PureVia are nothing more than isolates of natural stevia. My understanding is that the substances are not patented, the process for obtaining the substance is patented.

    So, what’s my take? I think it is great news that Coca Cola and Pepsico have listened to consumer demand and that the FDA is finally forced to listen to good sense – perhaps now Americans can begin to turn away from the toxic synthetic sweeteners marketed by the chemical and pharmaceutical industries and enjoy some nice, sweet, natural stevia.

    Are the new, patented sweeteners Truvia and PureVia going to prove to be safe over the long haul? My first reaction is to say "yes" – though with any substance that is isolated from the natural substance there is a risk that by isolating one small part of it we may be discarding another important part that somehow serves to prevent harm. The natural "sweet leaf" stevia has a history of safe use that spans thousands of years – Truvia and PureVia can’t say the same thing though there should be no reason for them not to be just as safe.

    Here at the Wellness Club we’ll continue to use natural stevia – but it sure is a pleasure to be able to find stevia in it’s natural form and it’s new patented forms on the shelves of our local grocery store! Coca Cola and Pepsico have given stevia it’s freedom and respect back.

    Thank you Coca Cola and Pepsico – did you ever think you would hear us say that here?

  • A Great New Wellness Club Service For You!

    New – Brief Medical Consultations by Telephone.

    Get Fast, Professional Answers To Your Most Pressing Health Questions

    Do you need a few medical questions answered but don’t want or need a full patient consultation – complete with in-depth case study, research, and written recommendations – at this time?

    A Brief Phone Consultation with Dr. Myatt may be all you need to get your questions answered.

    Dr. Myatt is now available for brief telephone consultations. Each 15-minute increment costs only $40, and many people find that a single 15-minute session with Dr. Myatt is sufficient to get their most pressing questions answered.

    • Struggling to understand hormone balance?
    • Wrestling with weight loss and wondering about the benefits and risks of the different diets?
    • Want the straight scoop on cancer treatments?
    • Wondering what the latest research is on diabetes treatments and how it affects you?
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    The answers to these questions and many more are just an inexpensive phone call away.

    Knowledge is power. Knowledge is also your key to good health. Don’t deprive yourself of valuable knowledge any longer!

    Please visit our website here: Brief Medical Consultations  for more information on how this great new service works for you and to book your Brief Medical Consultation now!

  • We Got ‘Spanked’ Over Salba?

    Some time ago I wrote an article about the latest “Miracle Food” being proclaimed and promoted variously as “nature’s most perfect food” and “the food of the gods”… It was a good article, well-researched, and our readers enjoyed it. Well, most of them did… For a few others, it seems that I touched a raw nerve… A fellow named Gary wrote to take us to task for publishing a “misleading” article – in other words he says we lied to you.

    Well, here is the article that cause Gary such upset – read it for yourself and see what you think. I stand by every word of it.

    And here is Gary’s letter to us:

    Name:   Gary Gxxxxxx
    Email:  garyxxxxxx@yahoo.ca; xxxxxx@corenaturals.com
    Comments:       Dear Dr. Myatt:

    I switched over from flax to Salba and found a great improvement in my overall health.  This is a misleading article because the numbers attributed to Salba in the article are in actuality the nutritional information for Chia on the USDA website.  If you had wanted to compare Salba and Flax in a truthful manner, you could have gone to any of the Salba websites for the true and accurate nutritional information.  Did you happen to notice on the USDA website for flax that there is a caveat from the USDA that because of cyanogenic glycosides, they do not recommend more than 12% flax be added to a product, or ingested.  There is no such caveat with Salba.
    Why don’t you put a warning on your packaging for Flax about this.

    I will continue to take Salba because it has proven in a very short time through clinical research that it is superior to flax.  I know I speak for many people when I say that no one minds paying more when they know exactly what they are getting.   I believe it is very fair to pay less than $1.00 a day for the proven benefits that Salba offers.  Do your due diligence and don’t play games with your valued readers.

    Yours truly,

    Gary Gxxxxxx

    P.S.  I have no affiliation with Salba.

    Hmmm… Gary, you say you have no affiliation with salba, but Gary, the “from” line of your email lists two addresses: garyxxxxxxx@yahoo.ca and the address of the CEO of the Florida-based company that touts itself as being “The Exclusive U.S. Distributor of Salba.” What’s up with that Gary?

    Dr. Myatt takes this sort of letter seriously, and though it has taken her a while to reply to it (after all, patients come first!), reply she has: fully researched and referenced as is her usual way. Here is what Dr. Myatt has to say to Gary in response to what I’m sure he thought was a stinging rebuke to us:

    [Dr. Myatt Notes: Note to readers: I believe this letter is a “plant,” written by someone with an agenda to promote Salba (chia seed), not a legitimate reader. However, I’ll answer it anyway to hopefully discourage other such bogus “responses”! (And to prove that we do in fact perform our “due diligence” when writing articles). ]

    Dear Gary

    I’m glad you’ve found salba helpful. However, I stand by every word we spoke about chia vs. salba, and it is YOU who needs to do your “due diligence” in this regard.

    Here are the facts (fully referenced) in case you’re really interested.

    Salba is a variety of the mint family; it’s botanical name is Salvia hispanica. Chia is the same herb, botanical name Salvia hispanica. Salba is just one varietal of Chia. Ergo ipso, Chia and salba are two common names for the same plant. Varietal differences do not show any significant nutritional differences. Learn more about this from a book written by the leading researcher on chia, Dr. Wayne Coates. (1).

    The marketing of chia (sold under brand names of “Salba,” “Benexia,” and “Aztec White” ) are, in my opinion, largely designed to obfuscate that it is merely a brand of chia seed being sold. “Exotic” usually sells unwitting consumers better than “gee, is that the same stuff as my chia pet?” would. But somewhere on the label you’ll see the botanical name, Salvia hispanica. Again, “exotic sells.”

    As to your comment that I should get the “real” nutritional information from the sellers website? Hahahaha! This is tantamount to saying “find out what a drug REALLY does by going to the drug company’s website.” Yeah, right. Independent research, not information presented by the seller, would seem to be a more reliable place to gather such “real” nutritional information.

    In fact, here are the nutrition claims from salbausa.com, the website I was referred to when I typed in the site you gave me, corenaturals.com. Every nutrition claim they make on their website’s homepage is either false or at least misleading. (Can you say “marketing hype”?) The website claims:

    “More omega-3’s than salmon.” This is a half-truth, which makes it also a half-lie. Salmon contains pre-formed DHA and EPA. Flax seed and chia both contain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a form of Omega-3 that must be converted in the body to EPA and DHA before it can used. Many people have problems making this conversion, so ALA is not truly equivalent to EPA and DHA.

    Further, although this website claims “30% more Omega-3s (ALA)” than flax seed, there is no reference cited for this claim.  According to USDA nutrition data files and other sources, flax actually has slightly more ALA than chia.(2)

    “25% more fiber than flax seed.” This one is closer to a truthful statement than any other made on the website. Actually, chia has approx 20% more fiber per 100 grams than flax seed. It also contains approximately 28% more carbohydrates than flax, making it a more “expensive” (in terms of carbohydrates) way to obtain those extra grams of fiber.(2)

    Other claims don’t compare chia to flax, they compare it to something else, such as “more magnesium than broccoli.” Of course, flax has more magnesium than broccoli, too. And so goes the list of other chia-to-NOT-flax comparisons.

    All in all, flax and chia are very close nutritionally. Chia may have more calcium and a wee bit more magnesium, but flax has a lot more potassium, zinc, copper, manganese and vitamins C and B-6. Remember, however, that most people are taking these seeds for Omaga-3 (ALA) fatty acids and fiber, not as a vitamin and mineral supplement.

    There is one important nutrient that the chia folks avoid mentioning, and that is a special type of fiber called lignan. Lignans are a special class of fiber that:

    • contain phytoestrogens (plant estrogens) which balances human estrogen levels (3-7)
    • has anti-cancer effects, especially in hormone-related cancers such as breast, prostate, ovarian and uterine cancer (8-18)
    • has bone-building effects (19-20)
    • has heart-protective effects (21-24)
    • improves blood sugar control (25-29)
    • may decrease the risk of lung (30) and colon (31) cancer
    • and may DECREASE ALL-CAUSE MORTALITY! (32)

    Flax seed is the richest known dietary source of lignans. (33,34) I can find no authoritative data demonstrating that chia seed contains any lignan, although I suspect it does. But how much? And since all lignans are not the same, and the effects/studies quoted above have been done on flax lignans specifically, even if chia proves to contain significant lignans, it remains to be studied if these will have the same effects as flax lignans.

    Here is a good t
    able of comparison, with information derived from USDA  and other authoritative sources: http://www.eatchia.com/flax.htm

    So.. flax has about the same fiber (a bit less, but also less carbs) than chia, it has more Omega-3 ALA and is high in protective lignans. And it costs a lot less. You can buy expensive “Salba” and other trademarked-brands of chia seed, but for my money, I’m sticking with organic flax seed for now.

    Got flax seed? Get it here.

    In Health,
    Dr. Myatt

    P.S.: “Cyanogenic glycosides,” also known as laetrile or vitamin B17, have long been used (with much supporting data) as a prevention for cancer. Laetrile is found in a wide variety of foods including berries, currants, millet, black beans and black-eyed peas. Populations with high intakes of laetrile have lower rates of cancer. Entire books have been written about studies on laetrile and the FDA’s cover-up of this valuable, naturally-occurring substance.

    Of course, the FDA and other government agencies claim laetrile is dangerous (to protect Big Pharma’s strangle-hold on cancer treatment). So when you state that I should warn people about the laetrile content in flax, I think it should go the other way. I should actually brag about laetrile’s content in flax and the potentially important role it has to play in cancer prevention. Meanwhile, you can trust the FDA’s word on flax seed toxicity if you choose to. I’m sticking with the numerous proven health benefits of laetrile and the paucity of “evidence” the FDA uses to condemn it.

    [Nurse Mark Notes: Dr. Wayne Coates whom Dr. Myatt refers to in her response to Gary is perhaps the world’s foremost educator on chia seeds. A research professor at the University of Arizona for over twenty-five years, Dr. Coats was among the first to grow chia seeds experimentally and later for commercial purposes. He co-authored the book Chia: Rediscovering a Forgotten Crop of the Aztecs, 2005.]

    References
    1.) Coates, Wayne; Ayerza,  Ricardo. Chia: Rediscovering a Forgotten Crop of the Aztecs, University of Arizona Press 2005.
    2.)     http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp
    3.) National Cancer Institute. Understanding Estrogen Receptors/SERMs. National Cancer Institute. January, 2005.  http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/understandingcancer/estrogenreceptors.
    4.) Wang LQ. Mammalian phytoestrogens: enterodiol and enterolactone. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2002;777(1-2):289-309.
    5.) Brooks JD, Thompson LU. Mammalian lignans and genistein decrease the activities of aromatase and 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in MCF-7 cells. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2005;94(5):461-467.
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