At 11:36 AM 1/17/04 -0500, Richard Geller wrote:
>I freeze flaxseed oil. It squeezes out in the consistency of toothpaste
>and keeps a long time this way.

Hi Richard;

I do that too although I haven't actually had any flaxseed oil now for
months. Yes flaxseed oil is extremely susceptible to rancidity and it should
be bought refrigerated with a late as possible expiry date, brought home and
refrigerated or frozen immediately.  I wonder though if it's possible to use
it in low-temperature cooking for very short periods? I think in that case
it should be okay. I know that the seed can be baked without destoying the
oils according to http://www.flaxcouncil.ca/pdf/stor.pdf:

. .  .

"Baking effects:
ALA in whole and milled flaxseed also appears to
be stable to heat equal or greater than the
temperatures involved in baking batters and doughs
such as muffins and yeast bread. Thermal stability was
shown in 1992 by the absence of significant changes in
peroxide values and fatty acid composition when both
forms of flaxseed were heated for 60 minutes at either
100°C (212°F) or 350°C (662°F). Furthermore, gas
liquid chromatography showed no signs of new trans
isomers of ALA or of cyclic fatty acid formation in
samples subjected to these degrees of heat 5 . In a
follow-up study the proportion of ALA in the fat of a
muffin mix, where 28.5% of the formula was milled
flaxseed, was virtually unchanged after baking at 178°C
(350°F) for 2h (45.1% ALA before:45.0% after). This
stability was observed even though oxygen
consumption of the flaxseed muffin mix was
considerably greater than that of the control muffin
mix 6 . A subsequent study confirmed the stability of
ALA in baked muffins containing the same amount of
milled flaxseed and noted that thiobarbituric acid
values, as estimates of ALA oxidation were also
unaffected by baking 9 ."

. . .

>I haven't seen real benefit from it, though. I do see great benefit in
>fish oil (Carlson's)

At http://www.udoerasmus.com/articles/udo/fish_oil.htm Dr. Erasmus says

. . .

"All three of these questions were answered in October 2002, by two studies
published in the British Journal of Nutrition (BJN) which measured the
conversion of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the short chain n-3 essential
fatty acid, into the long chain n-3 derivatives EPA, DPA, and DHA. The first
study1, carried out with six women, showed that these women converted an
average of 36% of the ALA they were given into long chain n-3 derivatives
(21% EPA, 6%DPA, 9%DHA).

The second study2, done with six men, showed that the men converted an
average of 16% of the ALA they received into long-chain n-3 derivatives
(8%EPA, 8%DPA). In this study, the men produced no DHA. However, another
study showed that men convert ALA to DHA as well3. 

[...]

Rate of Conversion
 
How much conversion to long chain n-3 derivatives (EPA + DHA) can a woman
accomplish from the ALA in Udo’s Choice Oil Blend? A 100-pound woman taking
the recommended 2 tablespoons of Udo’s Oil per day (1 tablespoon/50 pounds
of body weight per day) will get about 14grams (14,000mg) of ALA. At the 36%
conversion rate found in the study with young women, 14,000mg of ALA
produces a total of 5,040mg of long chain n-3 (2,940mg of EPA, 840mg of DPA,
and 1,260mg of DHA). 36% conversion of the oil blend produces the equivalent
of about 17 large (1,000mg) capsules of fish oil (each containing 300mg of
EPA + DHA), which is close to twice as much as the highest recommended
therapeutic dose of fish oil.

Using rate of conversion measured in the study with men, how much ALA is
converted? A 150-pound man converting 16% of the recommended 3
tablespoons/day (again, 1 tablespoon/50 pounds of body weight/day of Udo’s
Choice Oil Blend) ends up with 3,360mg of long chain n-3 (EPA + DPA), the
equivalent of 11 large capsules of fish oil. This again is more than the
highest recommended therapeutic dose of fish oil. The fact that no DHA was
produced in the study with men prompted the researchers to speculate that
men may need to eat fish or take fish oil supplements, but other studies
find that men do make DHA."

. . .


Marilyn












>
>--Richard
>
>Neil Abrahams wrote:
>> John Holman wrote:
>>
>>> Can someone please explain or point me to an explanation of why
>>> Linseed oil
>>> is good while Rape seed oil (canola) is not.  They are both oils from
>>> seeds!
>>> So what's the difference???
>>>
>>> From "The Paleo Diet," by Loren Cordain:
>>>
>>>
>> /Best: Flaxseed oil /is, hands down, the best oil for you. It contains a
>> very low omega 6 to omega 3 ratio of 0.24. The next best bet is /canola
>> [rapeseed] oil/, with a ratio of 2.0 ...
>>
>> Note: flaxseed oil is extremely quick to become rancid, it should be
>> kept out of light and refrigerated. The best way to get the beneftis is
>> probably by purchasing flaxseeds and grinding small amounts in coffee
>> grinders, then adding the ground seed to foods. It is not used in
>> cooking, in any case.
>>
>
>