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I recently started taking flax oil and some strange things have started to happen. After week 1 I started to notice a dramatic decrease in my appetite. I am now on week 2 and have lost approx. 8 lbs. in 4 days and I have not changed my eating habits or started drinking more water. Can someone explain this to me? I am not complaining but...I am not new to dieting and this seems strange to me.
Hi, yoyogirl!!! Maybe you were not eating enough fat (which is actually very necessary for the body, as long as it's the right kind of fat) and the flax has alleviated that. Flaxseed oil is great and I've noticed similar effects from taking it ... also it hydrates the skin and lots of other good stuff.
Re fat and weight loss, I'm not a scientist (just a person who's lost a lot of weight) and when I was losing the bulk of my weight, I noticed that whenever I was on a plateau, if I ate a tablespoon or so of peanut butter or started the flaxseed oil (fish oil does the same thing), I'd start losing again, so it seems to me that fat is important in metabolism.
I'm sure someone here can give you a more scientific answer ... glad you're enjoying the flaxseed oil. The seeds are good ground up and added to recipes as well! (You have to grind them to get the health benefit, I'm told)!
Flaxseed oil - you should be able to find it at health-food stores or natural food stores. Trader Joe's sells it as well. The major brand is (I believe) Barlean's. Most places will keep it refrigerated. You can buy it either as a liquid oil or in capsules - the liquid oil is generally a MUCH more economical buy. Don't cook with it - heating it up breaks down the good stuff in it.
Another option is ground flaxseed meal - that's what I use - I add a spoonful or so to my oatmeal every morning.
Here's the poop on Flaxseed Oil from supplementwatch.com:
Quote:
Description - Flaxseed is just what it sounds like - the seed of the flax plant. The typical use of flaxseed is as a source of the essential fatty acids linolenic acid (LN) and linoleic acid (LA). Flaxseed oil is about 57% LN (an omega-3) and about 17% LA (an omega-6). LN can be converted into eicosapentaonic acid (EPA) and decosahexanoic acid (DHA) - fatty acids which are precursors to anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic prostaglandins. Another beneficial ingredient found in abundance in flax seed is lignan - a phytochemical with potential for cancer prevention.
Claims - Reduces cholesterol
Decreases blood pressure
Reduces risk of stroke and heart attack
Reduces arthritis pain
Protects against cancer
Alleviates inflammatory conditions such as multiple sclerosis, eczema and psoriasis
Theory - Some of the health benefits associated with flaxseed consumption may be due to the presence of compounds known as lignans, which are known to possess various pro- and anti-estrogenic properties.
Scientific Support - Studies have shown that 40 grams of flaxseed oil each day can reduce blood clotting by reducing platelet aggregation. Regular flaxseed consumption has also been associated with improvements in the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids in the blood - a situation which may offer protection from atherogenesis and relief from inflammatory conditions. A number of animal studies have shown a beneficial role of flaxseed oil in delaying breast cancer progression and preventing against colon cancer - sometimes as much as a 50% reduction compared to control groups not fed flaxseed. A clear and consistent reduction in pro-inflammatory markers (tumor necrosis factor and interleukin) has been noted in human subjects supplemented with flaxseed oil.
Safety - Megadoses (>100 grams) of any type of concentrated oil is likely to induce gastrointestinal distress such as nausea and diarrhea due to a laxative effect. Effective doses of flaxseed or flaxseed oil of 30-40 grams per day are unlikely to pose any adverse side effects. A note of caution is warranted, however, in cases of comprised blood clotting such as hemophilia or liver disease, due to the tendency of flaxseed to reduce platelet aggregation and prolong bleeding times. A similar cautionary note is advisable for individuals undergoing surgical procedures - which may predispose the patient to excessive bleeding.
Value - Concentrated flaxseed oil is available at health food stores and natural foods markets. Relative to other vegetable oils, it can be quite expensive. A more economical alternative is to use whole flaxseeds (ground or blended), which are often a fraction of the price of the oil - while offering the added benefits of providing a significant dose of lignans and fiber in addition to the LA and LN essential oils.
Dosage - Beneficial effects have been observed at daily doses of 30-40 grams (2-4 ounces) of either concentrated flaxseed oil or whole flaxseeds per day. Popular uses include salad dressings and spreads for the oil, while the seeds are often used in baked goods or sprinkled on cereal or other foods.
I also use Flax Seed, yummy, in my protein drinks, oatmeal, and whatever else I can add it too... Instead of using Flax Oil I used Udo's Oil Blends, which is more expensive but has the Omega 3-6-9, I use it on my salads.... Here's a link for it...http://www9.netrition.com/udos_choice_page.html
I think Flax Oil is wonderful!!!!!!! I've been taking it quite some time now for help with my arthritis and I truly believe it's helped!! Well that and Celebrex.
Im not sure about the flax-oil but it sounds like something i will check into. thanks for the info.
my highest weight was 228 got down to 204 then started back up to 221 so i joined t.o.p.s.(take off pounds sensibly) it is a non-profit weight loss support group. 20.00 to join and very low weekly dues (our chapter is .50) There are thousands of chapters around the world. go to www.tops.org to find one near you if you are interested. i guess my motivation is the weekly weigh in and knowing it is being recorded. we have information, support, contest.and more, but most of all we have a lot of fun.
i tell myself every day that i am NOT on a diet but that i have changed my BAD eating habits. i will get healthy and i will survive. it took me 44 years to get to where i am now so dont expect to get rid of it overnight.
i didnt even realize how much i ate when i wasn't even hungry. like at work
( buzzer goes off for break so i would eat) or hubby wants lunch and i would eat too even tho i was not hungry yet (we have been maried 21 years and he still wears 32" waist jeans and weight is 145) . or just board so i would go to the fridge. now i am only eating when i am trully hungey and am eating healthy .i am exercising somewhat but nothing to extreme (walk a mile in 25 mimutes) i joined tops march 11 at 221 1/2 and on march 25 was at 212 1/4 so hope to keep going at this rate, but i wont let a gain discourage me.
Well i better end this and i will keep coming back here for more motivation and support.
i was watching a program on discovery health and this prof said if your body doesnt get the right amount of needed fats then it goes into shutdown and starts conserving fat thinking you are going through a famine something going back to the ancestors seemingly we are not built genetically to have this much good food about and when we start dropping calories our body thinks the food has dried up he also said if you took a troop of baboons and fast forwarded there evolution then there would be supermarkets all over the jungle and thats what supposidly happened to us we got it too good
the flaxseed oil we have is the best of the best. it doesn't have shelf life. infact, you call and request a bottle from the healthfood store and then they order one from the manufacter and its made for you.... its very fresh
i was watching a program on discovery health and this prof said if your body doesnt get the right amount of needed fats then it goes into shutdown and starts conserving fat thinking you are going through a famine
That's a good point! I don't want anyone to think that there is a magical property in flaxseed oil that causes weight loss. It's likely that the OP was not consuming enough fats in her diet, and the flaxseed oil solved that for her.
It's important to remember that you can get too little or too much fat in your diet, and either one can affect your weight loss. There have been several studies lately that have shown that a moderate fat diet is better for weight loss than a low-fat (high carb) or high-fat (low carb) diet. Once again, balance seems to be the key
I take a mixture of flaxseed oil and fish oil capsules. I take 3 grams per day, for heart health. I have also bought ground flaxseed, and would put it in my oatmeal. Jennifer buys the fresh flaxseed oil (find it in the refrigerator at your health food store) and puts it in smoothies.
What is in this stuff?
