Flax Seed Meal

Flax fiber may cut hunger feelings for young men: Study

Scientists from the University of Copenhagen report that adding 2.4 grams of flaxseed fiber to a meal increased both ratings of satiety and fullness, compared with a control meal.

“These results point toward a potential of purified flaxseed dietary fiber to moderate several risk factors through effects on lipid metabolism as well as appetite regulation, although no effect on ad libitum food intake was seen,” wrote the researchers in Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases .

The University of Copenhagen has filed a patent related to the current research.

An expanding market for expanding waist lines

The slimming ingredients market can be divided into six groups based on the mechanisms of action – boosting fat burning/ thermogenesis, inhibiting protein breakdown, suppressing appetite/boosting satiety (feeling of fullness), blocking fat absorption, carbohydrate blockers, and regulating mood (linked to food consumption).

At last year’s SupplySide West Expo in Las Vegas, Tom Vierhile from Datamonitor told attendees that the big growth area for supplements regarding claims is for calorie or fat burning. In 2007, calorie/fat burning was experiencing 1 percent growth, while in 2010 this had increased to 3 per cent, he said.

Satiety continues to receive a lot of attention from consumers, said Vierhile, however such interest does not necessarily translate into product sales, he said. Indeed, according to a recent survey of global consumers by Datamonitor, “consumers talk around satiety, and not about it” .

“Hunger control will potentially resonate more effectively with consumers than satiety,” he advised.

Study details

The Danish researchers recruited 18 young men with an average age of 27 and an average BMI of 25 kg/m2 and randomly assigned them to consume meals supplemented with 1.4 or 2.4 grams of whole flaxseeds per megajoule of energy, or 2.4 or 3.5 g/MJ of flaxseed dietary fiber. During seven hours of study, analysis of appetite-regulating hormones and blood sugar and lipid levels were analyzed.

Results showed that, compared to a control meal, blood levels of triacylglycerols were reduced significantly after consuming the highest dose of flaxseed fiber.

“Higher mean ratings of satiety and fullness was seen following the [high dose fiber] meal compared to [the control] meal,” wrote the researchers.

Flax seed meal revisited: nutritious and low carb | Life after Carbs

A while ago, I wrote about flax seed meal in a post entitled Great foods for a low-carb diet (part 2): seeds.  I was mildly disparaging, not about the obvious nutritional benefits of flax seed meal, but about the taste and consistency. Having now finished my first bag of flax seed meal, it’s a good time for a second-look.

My overall impression is positive. Flax seed meal satisfies my craving for a hot cereal that is easy to prepare and non-grain based.

Pictured is the actual one-pound bag of Bob’s Red Mill Whole Ground Flaxseed Meal that I just finished. I bought it at a local supermarket in late April.  The price was $4.19.

The first thing to note is that I had this bag of flax seed meal for over three months. I was concerned that the meal might go rancid.

Laura Dolson, in an article at About.com, warns that flax seeds “will go rancid more quickly after being ground up into meal. For this reason, many people choose to buy whole flax seed and grind it into meal themselves (this takes seconds in a blender or coffee grinder).”

I considered buying flax seed and grinding it myself as needed.  Apparently, the whole seeds will stay fresh for as long as a year without refrigeration. In the end, though, convenience ruled, and I bought the meal.

As it turned out, the Bob’s Red Mill Flaxseed Meal stayed fresh. It’s sold in an opaque package, which Dolson says is a must, and I kept it in the refrigerator. The package copy also says it can be kept frozen.

I’m not sure I agree that the meal has a “robust, nutty flavor,” as the package copy claims, but it tastes OK.  More to the point, it tasted the same to me in August as it tasted in April. So, based on that, when I buy flax seed meal again (which I plan to do this week), it will be Bob’s Red Meal.  (Note: I am not receiving compensation in any form from Bob’s Red Mill.)

NCCAM (the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health) notes several supplemental uses for flaxseed and flaxseed oil .

Because flax seed contains soluble fiber, like that found in oat bran, it is sometimes used a laxative. It is reputed to decrease hot flashes, though study results are mixed.

It has also been recommended for lowering cholesterol levels, but again study results are mixed, with the cholesterol-lowering effects “more apparent in postmenopausal women and in people with high initial cholesterol.”  NCCAM is funding more studies to establish the health benefits of consuming flax seed in its various forms.

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