Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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I've been consuming two tablespoons of ground flax seeds a day. (Fwiw, this is how I believe Seth Roberts takes his flax, which I privilege because his self-experimental results are impressive.)

Previous threads suggest that flax should be avoided because it contains 4x the phytoestrogens of soy. However, whereas soy tends to be consumed in large amounts - e.g., a cup of soy milk - I only consume 2 tablespoons of flax.

At such a small dose, should I still be concerned about the phytoestrogin content of flax?

Caveat: please don't respond that I should take fish oil instead of flax because of ALA's poor conversion rate into DHA and EPA. I'm working on the assumption that flax and ALA probably have distinct effects. Plus, I already take fish oil every day.

flag	asked Sep 13 2011 at 1:08 Eric S 5,606●12●44

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I like how you are thinking in terms of amount of a particular food rather than simply "is this food good or bad." Even unfermented soy is fine in small amounts relative to total calories. People unnecessarily freak about soy, PUFA, flax, etc. – ben61820 Sep 13 2011 at 1:18

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I wonder if the cold-pressed oil has less phytoestrogen? – Bread-Eating Beelzebub Sep 13 2011 at 1:20

Senneth · Answer 1 · 2011-09-13 17:09:47Z UTC

I get a strong phytoestrogen effect from flax. I tried a flax fiber supplement a few years ago and within 3 days I had female troubles (same effect as if I had eaten soy). Not sure how that would work for a man, but if there are other sources of phytoestrogen in your diet (plastics, water supply, some brands of milk, hemp, environmental factors)..those little bits of estrogen can add up.

majkinetor · Answer 2 · 2011-09-13 07:45:18Z UTC

I think you shouldn't be concerned. Phytoestrogens have different effect (bot positive and negative) but this research is far from concluded. More, soy’s phytoestrogens are not the same as flaxs (isoflavones vs lignans).

Since you are a man, it may influence estrogen pathways in your body which, AFAIK, can prevent or induce big man boobs (phytoestrogens can produce estrogen-like effects or the opposite).

ALA, DHA, EPA have distinct roles in the body, conversion isn't the problem. If you are concerned about the industrialization, eat walnuts, they are very high in ALA.

You should be careful with such big amounts. Its hormonal thing. Note your boobs size and note your libido.

You should also examine your Vitamin E status with flax oil. It can help to stabilize oil, but its also estrogen antagonist. Perhaps taking it is a good idea to minimize phytoestrogen effects which like I said might be good (Rasveratrol) or bad.

Arlokk · Answer 3 · 2011-09-14 21:21:26Z UTC

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Hormones are extremely potent even in small doses. I wouldn't stress about eating some at a potluck, but I wouldn't include them as part of a daily routine.

I'm not familiar with the benefits Seth found, but you list the dangers and alternatives already.

answered Sep 14 2011 at 21:21

Arlokk
1,020●5●17

	He notes cognitive improvements measured by arithmetic and balance tests, healthier gums (Tyler Cowen no longer needed gum surgery after implementing SR's flax protocol), and several readers reported improved recovery from training injuries. It's pretty cool. Here is his omega-3 directory, which almost exclusively focuses on flax. – Eric S Sep 14 2011 at 22:04
	Might improve sleep as well. – Eric S Sep 14 2011 at 22:05

Bill · Answer 4 · 2011-09-13 02:31:59Z UTC

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I was under the impression the Seth Roberts takes the oil? Pretty sure most of his readers who report good results use the oil too.

From my understanding, the oil does not have the phytoestrogens that the seeds do.

answered Sep 13 2011 at 2:31

Bill
1,903●3●7●15

	Took me a few minutes to find this link, but it turns out that my memory was correct, SR grinds whole seeds. Actually, I was only partly right, as his dose is way larger than I thought: 6 tablespoons! blog.sethroberts.net/2011/08/03/… – Eric S Sep 14 2011 at 21:57
	As Eric's link shows, he takes ground flaxseed in yogurt. 2 servings of 3 tablespoons (morning and night). He says in that post why he chooses ground over oil. – sean Nov 20 2011 at 17:57

Nancy · Answer 5 · 2012-09-18 14:25:51Z UTC

I've been taking 2 tablespoons/day of (Organic Traditions brand) sprouted, ground flax seeds, mostly because it's my favourite form of fibre. (I also take fish oil.) In addition to the fibre, I like the fact that it's more of a whole food than its oil would be. Am I correct in thinking that since I'm post-menopausal the phytoestrogens are less of a concern?

Bookworm · Answer 6 · 2013-04-14 12:23:29Z UTC

1 1/2 years ago, I was told by a doctor to take 2 tbsp. ground flax for my IBS-C every morning. It was supposed to provide a non-fermentable fiber that would control constipation. After taking it for over a year, though, I decided to stop taking it as it did NOT make any difference to my condition. It was only when I started my new SCD diet, about 4 months ago, that there was a definite improvement in my health. You may also be interested in this: http://www.austinscdfriends.com/articles/article/3691416/57666.htm.

Janknitz · Answer 7 · 2013-04-14 19:23:57Z UTC

Daily ingestion of ground flax seeds led to heavy (female) bleeding for me that continued for 8 weeks before I finally realized it was the flax and stopped eating it. The phytoestrogens, in my experience, are active. I would approach with caution.

Flax Seeds and Phytoestrogin

7 Answers