Hostname: page-component-5cf477f64f-h6p2m Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-04-06T00:38:57.399Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

High α-linolenic acid flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum):some nutritional properties in humans

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Stephen C. Cunnane ,
Sujata Ganguli ,
Chantale Menard ,
Andrea C. Liede ,
Mazen J. Hamadeh ,
Zhen-Yu Chen ,
Thomas M. S. Wolever  and
David J. A. Jenkins
Stephen C. Cunnane
Affiliation:
Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto and the Clinical Risk Factor Modification Center, St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada
Sujata Ganguli
Affiliation:
Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto and the Clinical Risk Factor Modification Center, St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada
Chantale Menard
Affiliation:
Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto and the Clinical Risk Factor Modification Center, St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada
Andrea C. Liede
Affiliation:
Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto and the Clinical Risk Factor Modification Center, St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada
Mazen J. Hamadeh
Affiliation:
Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto and the Clinical Risk Factor Modification Center, St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada
Zhen-Yu Chen
Affiliation:
Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto and the Clinical Risk Factor Modification Center, St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada
Thomas M. S. Wolever
Affiliation:
Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto and the Clinical Risk Factor Modification Center, St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada
David J. A. Jenkins
Affiliation:
Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto and the Clinical Risk Factor Modification Center, St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Although high α-linolenic acid flaxseed (Linum usitatissitmum) is one of the richest dietary sources of α- linolenic acid and is also a good source of soluble fibre mucilage, it is relatively unstudied in human nutrition. Healthy female volunteers consumed 50 g ground, raw flaxseed/d for 4 weeks which provided 12–13% of energy intake (24–25 g/100 g total fat). Flaxseed raised α-linolenic acid and long-chain n-3 fatty acids in both plasma and erythrocyte lipids, as well as raising urinary thiocyanate excretion 2.2- fold. Flaxseed also lowered serum total cholesterol by 9 % and low-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol by 18%. Changes in plasma α-linolenic acid were equivalent when 12 g α-linolenic acid/d was provided as raw flaxseed flour (50 g/d) or flaxseed oil (20 g/d) suggesting high bioavailability of α-linolenic acid from ground flaxseed. Test meals containing 50 g carbohydrate from flaxseed or 25 g flaxseed mucilage each significantly decreased postprandial blood glucose responses by 27%. Malondialdehyde levels in muffins containing 15 g flaxseed oil or flour/kg were similar to those in wheat-flour muffins. Cyanogenic glycosides (linamarin, linustatin, neolinustatin) were highest in extracted flaxseed mucilage but were not detected in baked muffins containing 150 g flaxseed/kg. We conclude that up to 50 g high-α-linolenic acid flaxseed/d is palatable, safe and may be nutritionally beneficial in humans by raising n-3 fatty acids in plasma and erythrocytes and by decreasing postprandial glucose responses.

Keywords

Flaxseedα-Linolenic acidDietary fibreHumans
Type
Nutritional Effects of High Alpha Linolenic Oilseed
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 69 , Issue 2 , March 1993 , pp. 443 - 453
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1993

References

REFERENCES

Adam, O., Wolfram, G. & Zollner, N. (1986). Effect of alpha-linolenic acid in the human diet on linoleic acid metabolism and prostaglandin metabolism. Journal of Lipid Research 27, 421–426.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beitz, J., Mest, H.-J. & Forster, W. (1981). Influence of linseed oil diet on the pattern of serum phospholipids in man. Acta Biological et Medica Germanica 40, 31–35.Google ScholarPubMed
Bjerve, K. S., Fischer, S. & Alme, K. (1987 a). Alpha-linolenic acid deficiency in man: Effect of ethyl linolenate on plasma and erythrocyte fatty acid composition and biosynthesis of prostanoids. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 46, 570–576.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bjerve, K. S., Fischer, S. & Wammer, F. (1989). Alpha-linolenic acid and long chain omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in three patients with omega-3 fatty acid deficiency: Effect on lymphocyte function, plasma and red cell lipids and prostanoid formation. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 49, 290–300.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bjerve, K. S., Mostad, I. L. & Thoresen, L. (1987 b). Alpha-linolenic acid deficiency in patients on long-term gastric-tube feeding: Estimation of linolenic acid and long chain unsaturated n-3 fatty acid requirement in man. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 45, 66–77.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Budowski, P. & Crawford, M. A. (1985). Alpha-linolenic acid as a regulator of the metabolism of arachidonic acid. Dietary implications of the ratio of n-6/n-3 fatty acids. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 44, 221–229.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Budowski, P., Trostler, N. & Lupo, M. (1984). Effect of linseed oil ingestion on plasma lipid fatty acid composition and platelet aggregability in healthy volunteers. Nutrition Rciseurch 4, 343–346.Google Scholar
Carlson, L. A. & Walldius, G. (1975). Association between a low adipose tissue content of polyunsaturated fatty acids and both glucose intolerance and hypertriglyceridemia in apparently healthy men. Acta Medica Scandinavica 197, 295–298.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cunnane, S. C. (1988). Serum phospholipid fatty acid profiles: A possible indicator of copper status in humans. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 48, 1475–1478.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cunnane, S. C., Stitt, P. A., Ganguli, S. & Armstrong, J. K. (1990). Raised omega-3 fatty acids in pigs fed flax. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 70, 251–254.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dyerberg, J., Bang, H. O. & Aagaard, O. (1980). Alpha-linolenic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid. Lancet i, 199.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Garg, M. L., Wierzbicki, A. A., Thomson, A. B. R. & Clandinin, M. T. (1989). Dietary saturated fat level alters the competition between alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic acid. Lipids 24, 334–339.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Holman, R. G., Johnson, S. B. & Hatch, T. F. (1982). A case of human linolenic acid deficiency involving neurological abnormalities. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 35, 617–623.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jenkins, D. J. A., Wolever, T. M. S. & Kalmusky, J. (1985). Low glycemic index carbohydrate foods in the management of hyperlipidemia. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 42, 604–617.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jenkins, D. J. A., Wolever, T. M. S. & Kalmusky, J. (1987). Low glycemic index diet in hyperlipidemia: Use of traditional starchy foods. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 46, 66–71.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jenkins, D. J. A., Wolever, T. M. S. & Vuksan, V. (1989). Nibbling versus gorging: Metabolic advantages of increased meal frequency. New England Journal of Medicine 321, 929–934.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mazza, G. & Biliaderis, C. G. (1989). Functional properties of flaxseed mucilage. Journal of Food Science 54, 1302–1305.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mest, H.-J., Beitz, J. & Heinroth, J. (1983). The influence of a linseed oil diet on fatty acid patterns in phospholipids and thromboxane formation in platelets in man. Klinische Wochenschrift 61, 187–191.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mohrhauer, H. & Holman, R. T. (1963). Effect of linolenic acid upon the metabolism of linoleic acid. Journal of Nutrition 81, 67–74.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Owren, P. A., Hellem, A. J. & Odegaard, A. (1964). Linolenic acid for the prevention of thrombosis and myocardial infarction. Lancet ii, 975–979.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Poisson, J.-P. & Cunnane, S. C. (1991). Long chain fatty acid metabolism in fasting and diabetes: Relation to altered desaturase activity and fatty acid composition. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. 2, 60–70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Renaud, S. & Nordoy, A. (1983). ‘Small is beautiful’: alpha-linolenic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid in man. Lancet i, 1169.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sanders, T. A. B. & Roshanai, F. (1983). The influence of different types of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on blood lipids and platelet function in healthy volunteers. Clinical Science 64, 91–99.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schilcher, V. H. & Wilkens-Sauter, M. (1986). Quantitative determination of cyanogenic glycosides in Linum usitatissimum with HPLC technique. Fette, Seifen, Anstrichmittel 8, 287–290.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Singer, P., Berger, I. & Wirth, M. (1986). Slow desaturation and elongation of linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid as a rationale of eicosapentaenoic acid-rich diet to lower blood pressure and serum lipids in normal, hypertensive and hyperlipidemic subjects. Prostaglandins Leukotrienes and Medicine 24, 173–193.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Singer, P., Jaeger, W. & Voigt, S. (1984). Defective desaturation and elongation on n-6 and n-3 fatty acids in hypertensive patients. Prostaglandins Leukotrienes and Medicine 15, 159–165.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wade, C. R. & van Rij, A. M. (1989). Plasma thiobarbituric acid reactivity: Reaction conditions and the role of iron, antioxidants and lipid peroxy radicals on the quantitation of plasma lipid peroxides. Life Sciences 43, 1085–1093.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wolever, T. M. S. (1991). Small intestinal effects of starchy foods. Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology 69, 93–99.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed