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How to select a lignan rich flax product |
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How to select a lignan rich flax product
Lignans in Foods and Supplements
Not all flax ingredients are
created equal when it comes
to lignan content.
According to the Flax
Council of Canada,
flaxseed contains between
0.7 and 1.9 percent SDG.
The lignans are concentrated
in the fibrous hulls of
flaxseed, so processing can
remove them. This is why
flax oil is essentially void of
lignans, although flax oil
enriched with ground flax
(containing lignans) is
widely available. However,
the amount of SDG
obtained from a lignanenriched
flax oil depends on
two things: how many lignans
were in the flaxseed to
begin with and how well the
flaxseed particles mix with
the oil. Flaxseed is not soluble
in oil, so it resists
mixing with the oil and settles
at the bottom. Results of
independent testing have
shown a wide range of lignan
content in products that are
commercially available.
New Lignan Ingredients
q
Commercial methods for
extracting lignans from flax
are now available, making it
possible for food and supplement
companies to add
lignans to their products.
Until now, consumers could
never be sure of the amount
of lignans in the flax products
they were buying—although they knew that
flax is the richest source of
these beneficial compounds.
Now companies will be able
to make products with flax
lignans and guarantee the
lignan content. Today the
only standardized flax
lignan ingredient available is
called LinumLifeTM. It is
derived from flax hulls and
contains the highest level of
lignans available on the
market—10 to 30 times
more lignans than conventional
flax ingredients. It
was recently created to fill a
void in the marketplace,
after researchers realized the
health benefits lignans can
provide to individuals but
found no lignan formulas
on store shelves.
LinumLife‘s high lignan
level makes small dosages
possible for application in
dietary supplements and
functional foods.
How much do I need?
Currently there are no set
guidelines for lignan intake
but science gives us some
indication. Human clinical
trials studying lignans have
used 5, 10 and 25 grams of
flaxseed per day, although
some studies have safely
used larger amounts (30 and
40 grams). One rounded
tablespoon of flaxseed is
equal to about 10 grams.
This amount provides
approximately 50 to 150 mg
of lignans according to the
Flax Council of Canada.
Although this is a wide
range, commercial ingredients,
such as LinumLife,
that are standardized for
lignan content, will allow
manufacturers to add a
daily intake of 50 mg of
lignans to their products
more conveniently.
LinumLife is now
available nationwide in a
number of dietary supplements,
multi-vitamins and
health products.
Where Can I Learn More About Lignans?
For more information on
flax lignans visit:
www.linumlife.com
www.flaxcouncil.ca
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