Fredrik Murman wrote:
>..start by reading this article:
> http://www.nowagepress.com/comment/sg/advice/advice.html
> It should be enough to keep your lips away from flax oil.

I read this anti-flax essay and found some flaws I'd like to point out.

"Flax once was a staple food of the Roman Empire."
To correct this: flax never was a staple *food*.
It was always what it is today. A source of oil.
The only way to equal out the omega-6 oil surplus in a agricultural
society (this aplies to eaters of farmed animals as well of course).

In non mediterranean areas of the Roman Empire like today's France,
Germany, England etc, there don't grow Olive trees.
The only fat source was hemp and flax and pigs. Pigs were very few and
only a minor source (they had no power food growing in Brazil..).

So, fat was imported Olive oil or it was flax or hemp.
Flax you find from the very beginning of agriculture (in middle Europe).
Many people, also archeologists think of flax as a source of just linen
(textiles). Also your author (Steve Gagne).
I think this is wrong.
 From the earliest days they had sheeps. For milk and wool.
No need for annother textile source. Particularly in the north, where
it's too cold for linen in winters.
Who knows about the omega-3 problem of agriculture will realize that
flax (or perilla or to a lesser extent hemp) is a *prerequisite* of
consuming a lot of the high-energy, high-productive and high-omega-6
fruit (cereals..).

Hemp oil does *not* contain 60% omega-3 oil (it's only about 25% of the
total PUFA of the oil (an ideal combination 1:3).

Flax against constipation... ridiculous. No grain eater ever has to
think about that.

Flax, cancer and Myers made me think.
Ok, "Dr Myers believes there is evidence linking alpha lineolic acid
(the omega 3 fatty acid in flax seed oil) with increased metastatic
prostate cancer. ". With only his, and one more study (which I coulnd't
  access both).
On the other hand I've read dozends of studies that link a great befenit
from omega-3 in general, but also from LNA, against *several* cancers
(and not only prostate cancer as Myers tells).
Flax *oil* is generally good against cancer. But the 3-times unsaturated
LNA is highly sensitive to deterioration. It can produce free radicals
if it's not accompanied by enough antioxidants (Vitamin E!) or if it's
old (rancid). Free radicals are a (probable "the") main cause of cancer.
Unless you've access to really fresh, non-oxidated flax oil or you don't
gent enough vitamin E -- it is dangerous.
So I explain Myers results. With vitamin E they would disappear.

Long chain omega-3's are better than LNA against cancer.
The only really big paleo source of these are brains.
Long chain omega-3's are made in the body out of LNA.
This process is hindered by trans-fats - too much omega-6's too much
SFA's. Conversion problems blah blah blah - the old story.
Paleo eating humans didn't (don't) have this problem stuff in the diet
(provided they weren't eating too much of certain nuts).

At the same time it's proven that the lignans in flax seeds (only 1% or
so are in the oil the rest is in the seed) are *very* beneficial against
cancer. Lignans de-activate the action of certain hormones on cancer
cells. Like tamoxifen (a main breast cancer treatment).
This is well documented. You can read for example the much cited
"hardcore" Dr.Mercola at http://www.mercola.com/2001/jul/21/flaxseed.htm

Flax seeds are not (and haven't been) a dietary staple. They are good
against cancer (in smaller doses). Flax oil (or perilla or to a lesser
extent hemp) is simply a prerequisite for a agricultural society.

Flax contains more such "secondary plant components".
One contains cyanides. I've read (I think at Vitaminb17.org) that such
generally toxic substances kill cancer cells 100-fold quicker than
normal cells. One more reason for _a_little_ flaxseeds against cancer.

Gagne then suggests to stick to the "original omega-3 sources used for
millenia". Cold water fish, dark green vegetables etc.
Cold water fish are available since a very small time only (2-3k years).
(Paleo Cro Magnon hunters in the Rhone valley couldn't catch Walrus,
Herring or Salmon).
Dark green vegetables are the right source.
But they wil never, never be able to adjust agricultural fat intake of
overwhelming omega-6 fats and saturated fats.
I invite anyone talking for a low LNA intake to
1.provide an example of low LNA percentages in any wild paleo diet.
2.provide a means to achieve a diet with such a high  percentage (as
naturally found) without adding flax,perilla or hemp to agricultural
products.
Or going ultra-low-fat (that's IMO the real benefit of low-fat diets -
balancing omega-6,omega-3 and SFA).

regards

Amadeus

(what does the "/" before Frederik mean?)