Why Linseed Oil is healthier than olive oil or rapeseed oil.

Olive oil and rapeseed oil are mainly a mono-unsaturated omega-9 which is a non-essential fatty acid that the body can make it when it needs it from other foods. These oils were once thought to be healthy but have now been shown to have an adverse effect on the arteries predisposing them to atherosclerosis.
Linseed Oil is almost 60% omega-3 which is anti-inflammatory, heart healthy and is an essential fatty acid that the body can’t make on its own and provides balance for other fats, especially the omega-6 family which are inflammatory and are found to a degree in all other vegetable oils, meat, dairy, eggs, nuts, seeds and grains.
Linseed or flax seed oil is 270% more unsaturated than rapeseed oil and contains approximately 70 times more omega-3 than olive oil.

For further information on fats and the heart read "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease" by Caldwell B. Esseltyne.

Reducing Your Risk of Heart Disease

The best ways you can reduce your risk of heart disease are:

Improve your Diet: Implementing a healthy diet, that is tailor-made for reducing cholesterol, is the the single most effective thing you can do. The same diet will help keep blood pressure down, lowers cholesterol, and helps control diabetes. Click here for heart healthy diet.

Smoking: give it up completely.

Reduce your Blood Pressure by increasing your physical activity, lose weight, reduce salt in your diet, cut down on alcohol and eat a balanced, healthy diet, and use prescribed drugs if needed.

Reduce High Blood Cholesterol: by eating a healthier diet, take more exercise, and use prescribed drugs if needed.

Physical Inactivity: do whatever you can to increase your exercise. Aim to do at least 30 mins vigorous activity per day. This needs to be something that makes you comfortably puffed. If 30 minutes is too much, mix more vigorous with gentler exercise while you get your breath back; this builds stamina and strength.

Lose Weight if you are overweight or obese: losing weight is very important and also tends to help get your cholesterol and blood pressure down.

Reduce your alcohol intake: 1 glass a day is plenty, for healthiness make it a glass of red wine as it is a rich source of antioxidants.

Diabetes: The High levels of glucose in the blood makes the walls of the arteries them more likely to develop atheroma (fatty deposits) which increases the risk of heart attack. Diabetes can be controlled with a healthy diet, increased exercise, lowering blood-pressure an d cholesterol. You doctor will provide a regieme for drugs to control your blood sugar levels.

Family History: If you have any relatives with any form of heart disease or any of the medical conditions that predispose you to heart disease then you too may share the genes which predispose you to the disease, this just means you need to extra careful with your diet and other risks. And the same applies if you come from an ethnic group prone to heart disease.

Age: Age increases your chance of getting heart disease and although you can’t actually get any younger but with improving your diet and exercise habits you can reduce the symptoms of aging and can take control of how you age and stay healthier.

Cardiovascular Heart Disease

Looking after our hearts is very important for all of us; Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is the UK’s biggest cause of death of both men and women and it can also be a dreadfully disabling condition so is a threat we should all do what we can do avoid. For those who already have it there are lifestyle and dietary changes you can make to slow down CVD and even reverse it.

Coronary Heart Disease: Atherosclerosis

Cardiovascular disease is a term which encompasses Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) which is the narrowing of the walls of the arteries of the heart (otherwise known as the coronary arteries) by a fatty substance called atheroma. The condition is called atherosclerosis.

Angina

When the atherosclerosis causes the arteries to become so blocked that not enough blood gets to the heart which then doesn’t get enough oxygen to work properly and it causes pain in the chest known as angina.

Heart Attack

Sometimes pieces of fatty material can break away from the artery wall and cause a clot and cuts off the blood supply to the heart so without the oxygen to work it suffers a heart attack. If you think someone could be having a heart attack this is an emergency; dial 999 immediately .

Stroke

If the arteries to the brain become narrowed the brain gets short of oxygen and nutrients. If one of the arteries to the brain becomes blocked or bleeds in the brain it is caused a stroke. If you think someone could be having a stroke this is an emergency; dial 999 immediately. Signs to help you recognise a stroke.

Main Risks of Heart Disease

• Whether you are a man or a woman the main risks of cardiovascular disease can be categorised as: Smoking, High blood pressure,High blood, cholesterol,Physical inactivity,Being overweight or obese,Diabetes,Family history,Age,Ethnicity

Linseed is a good food for a Cholesterol-lowering diet

Linseed is a good heart-healthy food for the heart and is recommended in even the strictest diet. Caldwell B Esseltyn, Jr., M.D. spent many years researching the disease and caring for patients who were extremely ill with heart disease; his successful treatment of these people and the diet he used to reverse their heart disease is described in his book, "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease".

The basis for his successful treatment of heart disease is a very strict cholesterol-lowering diet from which only 10% of the energy comes from fat. The plant based diet contains plenty of protein, essentials fats and micro-nutrients. He recommends a small number of supplements including vitamin B12).

Exclude all meat, eggs, fish, dairy (and that means all – not even skimmed milk), sugar, white bread, nuts, seeds, all snacks and processed foods and all fats and oils (including those olive oil) salt and food contianing tthese components.

Include all fruit in small helpings, lots of vegetables (except avocado which is high in fat), wholegrains, potatoes and 2 heaped tablespoons of ground linseed meal which can be added to wholegrain cereals or fruit.

For further information on this healthy regime read "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease" by Caldwell B Esseltyn.

How You Can Use Linseed as part of a Cholesterol-Lowering Diet To Keep Your Heart Healthy

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If you are trying to lower your cholesterol by adotpting a healthy diet one of the benefits of linseed (or flax as it is also known) is it can be something you can enjoy and it can be positively good for you.

The Benefits of Cold-Pressed Linseed Flax Oil The Benefits Ground Flax Meal Heart-Healthy Linseed Oil Recipes Ground Linseed Flax Meal Recipes Professional Diet Recommendations Cholesterol Lowering Diet

A selection of heart-healthy foods from Flax Farm: click here to shop for Cold-Pressed Linseed (Flax) Oil, Freshly Ground Linseed Meal or Linseed Porridge or Muesli

You may be concerned about heart disease because you have already been diagnosed with CHD or predisposing conditions; or you may have a family history of heart disease or maybe you just want to be sensible and stay as healthy as you can. Diet plays a very big role in controlling or preventing heart disease and Linseed can always be part of your healthy diet.
If you don't feel you need to take as extreme a diet as extreme a diet as Caldwell B Esseltyne recommends you may decide just to make healthy changes to your diet. Often this seems to result in a bland boring diet when you have to give up many of your favourites and fats, oils and rich foods.

We can help make your diet more interesting as both Flax Farm Cold-pressed Linseed Oil and Freshly Ground Meal are heart-healthy foods that add flavour and richness to a your diet.

Linseed Oil is a Heart-Healthy Good Fat Rich in Omega-3
Cold-pressed Linseed Oil is cholesterol-free and is 60% omega-3, which balances other fats in the diet. Cold-pressed Linseed Oil, as a rich source of omega-3, is often credited with being able to lower cholesterol, which it may well do, but we prefer to think of it as part of a heart-healthy balanced diet and not just a magic bullet. Other benefits of the omega-3 in Linseed (Flax):

Can help with over all cholesterol levels
Helps keep the HDL/LDL ratio right
Can help to prevent atherosclerosis
Can help make the blood less "sticky" and keep blood flowing freely
Helps keep triglyceride levels down
Helps improve body's insulin response
Is a pre-cursor to anti-inflammatory prostaglandins
Reported to be good for "stress"

The omega-3 in Linseed oil also can also help to raise levels of leptin a powerful antioxidant and one of the main weight-regulating hormones which boosts the metabolism (which means it encourages the body to burn off spare calories whilst maintaining lean muscle - and reduce food cravings) and helps keep the weight down which is itself important in reducing the risk of heart disease.

Flax Farm Cold-Pressed Linseed Oil is a Healthy Alternative to Butter and Other Oils

Because Flax Farm's cold-pressed linseed oil, unlike a lot of other flax or linseed oils. is exceptionally creamy, mild and sweet you can enjoy it in place of butter or cream. You can use our cold-pressed linseed - flax seed oil to drizzle your baked potato, steamed veg or cob of sweet corn instead of butter, use as a healthy alternative cream to mash potatoes or use to make the healthiest most omega-3 rich salad dressings. Use in baking or drizzle over porridge or muesli.

Ground Linseed Meal is an all round heart-healthy superfood.

Ground linseed ground flax seed meal is a heart healthy low carb food Linseed tastes nice and improves many other foods, it has an a nutty creamy richness about it. comfort food that Linseed is rich and filling so when you eat it it seems like a "naughty" food but it's almost completely free of carbohydrate or starch and rich in good nutrients and is actively beneficial and healhty. Ground linseed meal contains a good amount of omega-3, which has all the benefits above and it is a rich source of proetien, soluble and insoluble fibre.

Filling and sustaining
Fibre is Heart-Healthy
High in fibre helps to make flax a less fattening food
It helps keep blood sugar levels down, after eating starches and sugars (from foods such as bread, potatoes and fruit) in the diet.
Higher fibre diets result in lower cholesterol and lower triglycerides.
Soluble Fibre helps lower cholesterol.
Good for digestion
Rich in Lignans which help protect women's hearts
Adds sweetness naturally and richness healthily
Rich in antioxidants

Healthy Eating Recipes for Cholesterol-Lowering Diets

Linseed Oil (Flax Oil ) Recipes

A Heart-Healthy Supper Recipe: Saxony-Style Potatoes with Flax Farm Cold-pressed Linseed Oil (Flax Oil) and Quark

A lovely healthy meal is to beat together until smooth some Flax Farm cold-pressed linseed oil with twice as much fat-free quark or cottage cheese, add some herbs and use as a luxurious and healthy topping for baked potatoes - it makes the most delicious lunch or supper dish.
Mashed Potatoes or Other Root Veg - try Swede, Carrots or Celeriac
Take a helping of boiled peeled potatoes, a dessertspoon of Flax Farm Cold-pressed Linseed (Flax) Oil and mash to a smooth purée. Top with a sprinkle of chopped chives or parsley.
Crushed Potatoes (even quicker and easier)
Per person take a (slightly over-cooked) helping of boiled or microwaved potatoes, lightly break with a fork, sprinkle with chopped herbs, and/or finely chopped shallot, red or spring onion, ground black pepper or paprika to taste, drizzle over a dessertspoon of Flax Farm cold-pressed linseed oil and gnetly stir.

A Delicious, Healthy Alternative to Cream

Simply combine two parts of quark (a virtually totally fat-free, cholesterol-free soft cheese available in all good supermarkets) with one part Flax Farm’s cold-pressed linseed (flax seed) oil and beat well. If required for desserts you can add a pinch of sweetener and a drop of vanilla essence or even a pich of pureed fresh ginger - lovely with fruit compote. Try the linseed quark "cream" as topping for all desserts or stirred into mashed potatoes or pasta dishes. It isn’t as stable to heat as real cream but many people prefer the taste and it is a far healthier option!

A Delicious and Healthy Alternative to Mayonnaise

Combine two parts of quark (a virtually totally fat-free, cholesterol-free soft cheese available in all good supermarkets) with one part Flax Farm’s cold-pressed linseed (flax seed) oil and add asqueeze of lemon juice or wine vinegar and a little ready made mustard to taste, a little skimmed milk can be added to make it thinner. Add garlic or herbs for variety.

Ground Linseed (Flax) Meal Recipes and Ideas

You can use linseed meal in every meal of the day. Use at breakfast with any wholegrain cereal. Add to any fruit fresh or cooked - as a breakfast or dessert. Sprinkle on salads. Add to soups or casseroles for extra substance and healthy thickening. Use to saok up the juices of cooked mushrooms. Stir into compotes as a dessert.

Linseed for Breakfast
The usual helping size is a couple of heaped dessertsppons. You can enjoy it raw or cooked. It soaks up liquids and becomes like porridge but without the need to heat it.

Cook with oat or other wholegrain porridge - or sprinkle on the top after cooking.
Add to whole grain unsweetened muesli.
Sprinkle over or mash into fruit.
Add to your favourite smoothie.

Breakfast smoothie

Take 1/2 banana, a small closed handful of strawberries, ¹/₄ cup rolled (porridge) oats, two heaped dessertspoons of Flax Farm freshly ground linseed meal and whizz togther in a blender with a cup of water until smooth.

Fruit and Linseed; a Healthy Alternative to Fruit Crumble

Fruit Crumble with all its fat and sugar is a complete no-no on a cholesterol-lowering diet. Ground linseed has a similar rich taste to crumble. Just stir two heaped dessertspoons of ground linseed into any cooked fruit and serve for a lovely satisfying dessert.

Click here for lots more healthy recipes

Cardiovascular Disease is a Common Disease of the Western Diet

Cardiovascular Heart disease is one of the most common Western diseases but it is almost completely unheard of in many populations such as the Tarahumara Indians of Northern Mexico, Highlanders of Papua New Guinea and many native Africans but when these people come to live a Western lifestyle they too succumb. Colin Campbell, the author, "The China Study" also noted that the people in rural seldom developed heart disease and ate a low fat, plant based diet.So it is not so much down to genes but lifestyle. Diets low in all fats and oils are invariably linked to these healthier hearts. The best think we can do is break away from the heavy load of fats and meats in our diet and replace them with fresh veg, fruits and ensure we have enough omega-3 and other essential nutrients. Viatmin B12 must be also be added to a plant based diet.

Healthier Eating or a Radical Change of Diet?

Only you can decide whether you feel you want to make a few healthier changes to your diet or that you will radically change the way you eat and live. For some people with slightly increased risks such as slightly raised cholesterol making some healthy changes to their diet will be enough to achieve the cholesterol levels their doctors want. Other people have naturally higher cholesterol and have to work harder to lower cholesterol and need to follow a very strict diet with the aim of keeping calorie from fat to only 10% of ienergy ntake

Don’t be taken in by foods that say they are “low fat” or “Only 4% fat”. It may be low in the whole food but a lot of that could be water. You are looking to reduce the percentage of calories in your diet that come from fat – and remember a gram of protein or carbohydrate has 4 calories but each gram of fat has 9 calories. It is always important to ensure that much more of your daily calorie intake – at least 80% –comes from protein and carbohydrate (but not sugar because that can be quickly turned into fat in the body).

A good diet for lowering cholesterol and keeping the heart healthy means stayin goff the bad stuff: fat , trans fats, saturated fats, etc., sugars, refined carbohydrates, starch, salt and eating widely of good natural unprocessed foods to get plenty of good quality nutrients that the body needs to function correctly including protein, sufficient essential fatty acids (omega-3 and 6), fibre, minerals and antioxidants.

Healthy Changes to Make to Improve Your Diet Some people only need to make small changes to their diet to get their cholesterol down to a healthy level.	A Very Low Fat Diet to Lower Cholesterol - similar to "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease" by Caldwell B Esseltyn, Jr., M.D. This diet has to be followed very strictly with no cheating. Don't worry there are loads of lovely foods you can eat on it and you will start to feel healthier when you follow it.
Eat less total fats and oils at each meal Eat more meals with no oil or fat Eat less sugar Eat less processed food Eat less Salt Eat smaller portions Eat more wholegrains and high fibre foods Eat more fresh fruit and veg Eat more omega-3 from fish, flax/linseed, and walnuts Reduce Alcohol intake	Eat No fats and oils Eat No Meat, Fish or Eggs Eat No Dairy, not even skimmed milk Eat No sugar Eat No processed foods Eat almost No Salt Eat No processed foods Eat wholegrains and pulses Eat Fresh fruit and veg Eat 2 heaped dessertspoons ground flax/linseed meal per day 1 glass of spirits or red wine per day

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