Date of Award
4-1-2001
Document Type
Independent Study
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Nursing
Abstract
We have become a society of convenience. Healthy foods that were staples for thousands of years have become replaced by processed foods with long shelf lives. This has been done to the detriment of our nutrition and health. Flax is one such replaced food item. A staple food for hundreds of generations, flax had become scarce in our diet until recent interest spurred by research found flax to be one of the best sourc es on earth for alpha-linolenic acid an Omega- three fatty acid, plant lignans, and contains a large amount of dietary fiber. Potentially these constituents can have great health benefits for many health disparities such as cardiovascular disease including hypercholesterolemia, as well as, conditions such as cancer, inflammation, and bowel regulation.
The purpose of doing this review is to identify the proven benefits of flax supplementation to use in primary care. The main search engines used to search the literature included PubMed, CINAHL, and Google Scholar. The literature shows flax supplementation has proven LDL cholesterol lowering benefits, bowel regulation benefits, inflammatory marker reduction, and enormous potential for further research in many other areas. For this reason it is appropriate in primary practice to support flax supplementation to promote normal cholesterol levels, and for bowel regulation.
Recommended Citation
Held, Samuel P., "A Review of the Benefits of Flax Supplementation" (2001). Theses and Dissertations. 3164.
https://commons.und.edu/theses/3164