Omega-3 – Feel the Difference Naturally with Flaxseed Oil

How It Started

When a friend persuaded me to try cold-pressed flaxseed oil (also known as linseed oil), it was my first experience of this remarkable natural food. I was reluctant at first, but I gave it a go — just one teaspoon in a breakfast smoothie for three days.

On the fourth morning, I was amazed to find my dry skin had become supple, soft and healthy. Omega-3 was moisturising from the inside — and it worked better than expensive serums and creams on the outside.

I also experienced other unexpected improvements in my health and wellbeing, including feeling calmer in the face of stress. Another bonus was how quickly I toned up and lost weight easily after starting on flaxseed oil. It’s a wonderful feeling when you can get into those old jeans again!

The omega-3 in flaxseed oil was my first experience of this amazing plant, and it inspired me to start Flax Farm, to share what felt like pure magic.

Canada Approves Claim That Flax Lowers Cholesterol

In 2014, based on scientific evidence, Canada approved the health claim:
“Ground Flaxseed lowers blood cholesterol.”
This can now be featured on healthy flax-containing products — the world’s first approved flax cardiovascular health claim.

Why Do We Need Omega-3?

• Builds healthy cell membranes
• Supports hormone balance and fertility
• Essential for brainpower and mental clarity
• Helps control inflammation
• Strengthens the immune system
• Supports cardiovascular health
• Essential for efficient mitochondrial function and energy generation
• Supports appetite regulation and healthy weight management

Omega-3 is a highly unsaturated fat that’s an essential part of every structure and system in the body. It’s a key building block for cell membranes and hormones, helping every cell communicate and function properly.

Cells in the brain, testes and bone marrow are especially rich in omega-3, showing how vital it is for mental performance and reproduction. Omega-3 is a natural component of hormones such as oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone, and it also supports the body’s healthy response to other hormones such as insulin.

Other important roles include controlling inflammation, supporting the immune system and maintaining energy metabolism.

Human brains are unusually large and continue developing for several years after birth, which is why mother’s breast milk is naturally rich in omega-3. A child needs omega-3 to reach their full genetic potential — there is no substitute for it.

The Right Fat Balance for a Healthier You

Almost every meal we eat contains too much of the inflammatory omega-6 fats that come from meat, chicken and common cooking oils.

Flaxseed is special because it’s rich in omega-3, which helps balance the inflammatory effect of other fats. This helps keep inflammation under control, making it easier for the body’s systems and metabolism to run smoothly.

With the modern diet being low in omega-3 but high in inflammatory fats, adding some omega-3 from any of Flax Farm’s flaxseed products can help your whole body function better — like a well-oiled machine.

Even though our diets are typically low in omega-3, the human body is adaptable and usually copes reasonably well. However, when demands increase — such as during teenage growth or hormonal changes — the need for omega-3 rises sharply.

Therapeutic Diets

Several therapeutic nutrition programmes recognise the importance of omega-3 from flaxseed oil, including the Gerson Therapy, Budwig Diet, and Overcoming MS Diet, which all use flaxseed oil for its inflammation-fighting properties — typically 20–90 ml per day.

Flax Farm’s cold-pressed flaxseed oil means people can enjoy rich, tasty food while gaining the benefits of omega-3.

A green, pesto-like sauce made with flaxseed oil is a delicious way to add omega-3 naturally to your diet.

What People Notice About Omega-3

Beauty

• Keeps skin smooth and healthy
• Makes it easier to maintain a healthy weight
• Helps wake up appetite-control hormones for easier weight management

Health

• A boost for metabolism, which can even help you feel warmer in cold weather – like internal central heating
• Boosts mental energy and concentration
• Maintains a balanced mood and hormones
• Supports heart and circulation with healthy cholesterol levels
• Essential for nursing mothers to produce healthy breast milk
• Vital for children’s growth and development of a healthy body and mind

Fitness

• The correct omega-3 balance supports strong, flexible muscles, bones, ligaments and tendons, reducing injury risk
• Helps endurance athletes use fat as fuel, and aids weight management by improving fat metabolism
• Supports muscle tone and recovery, reducing delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)
• Promotes supple joints and makes exercise more enjoyable

Flax Farm Cold-Pressed Flaxseed Oil is high in omega-3 and has a pleasant mild, buttery taste, making it easy to use every day for a healthier meal.

Why Flax Farm Omega-3 Is So Good

Flax Farm uses traditional high omega-3 varieties of flaxseed, making our cold-pressed flaxseed oil one of nature’s richest sources of omega-3 ALA — the essential fatty acid your body can’t make for itself.

We gently cold-press the oil fresh each week for purity, freshness and a mild creamy taste — so you can enjoy it and your body gets the full benefit.

Because our flaxseed is rich in omega-3, everything we make at Flax Farm is a naturally rich source of omega-3 — meaning you can choose from our whole range of foods to get more omega-3 into your diet.

Flax Farm Sources of Omega-3

• Cold-Pressed Flaxseed Oil – over 60% omega-3, the richest plant source
• Ground Flaxseed – omega-3 with flax’s fibre, protein and antioxidants
• Flaxjacks® – delicious, healthy flapjack-style bars, each with a good helping of omega-3
• Luxury Porridges & Muesli – wholesome breakfasts rich in omega-3
• Flaxseed Oil Capsules – the easy way to take omega-3 on the go, especially when travelling

How to Balance Your Omega-3

If we’ve whetted your appetite, the easiest way to improve your omega-3 to omega-6 balance is to add Flax Farm products to your daily diet — starting today! Every little helps.

All other fats and oils make it harder for your body to absorb and use omega-3, so try reducing those and replacing them with Flax Farm Flaxseed Oil wherever you can.
Think about what you’re cooking or buying — could you make that with flaxseed oil instead?

Learning to make simple foods with flaxseed oil at home is one of the best ways to boost your omega-3 balance naturally.

Easy Ways to Swap in Omega-3 with Flaxseed Oil

There are lots of recipes on our website for these suggestions:

• Buy fat-free yoghurt and stir in flaxseed oil to make it creamy
• Use flaxseed oil instead of butter on potatoes or even toast
• Add flaxseed oil to soup at the end of cooking
• Make your own pesto, hummus and dips with flaxseed oil
• Skip shop-bought dressings or mayo — make a quick vinaigrette with Flax Farm Flaxseed Oil
• Stir a teaspoon of flaxseed oil into porridge, smoothies or yoghurt
• Add a tablespoon or two of Flax Farm ground flaxseed to porridge, cereal, salads or desserts
• Enjoy a Flaxjack® or bowl of Flax Farm porridge daily
• Children love the mild taste — just half a teaspoon a day in anything they enjoy

The mild flavour of Flax Farm Cold-Pressed Flaxseed Oil makes it easy to incorporate into children’s meals.

Omega-3 : Omega-6 Balance and how Flax Helps

You’ve probably heard people talk about “good fats” and “omegas” meaning omega-3, 6 and 9 fatty acids. Humans evolved to depend on the balance of omega-3 and omega-6 that nature provided.

These fats enter the food chain through plants — such as grass for grazing animals or algae for fish. In nature, the balance was roughly one part omega-3 to three parts omega-6, which remains ideal for human health.

Modern diets, however, contain far too much omega-6 and not enough omega-3, contributing to inflammatory, metabolic and degenerative diseases. Bringing your fats back into balance helps the body work as nature intended.

Omega-3 is the rare one your body can’t make for itself. It’s vital for skin, joints, metabolism, heart, brain and hormone function. Except in very unusual cases — such as working for Flax Farm — omega-3 is the fat we all need to focus on getting more of.

Flaxseed oil is one of nature’s richest sources of ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) — the essential plant form of omega-3. Your body uses ALA directly and also converts it into EPA and DHA, the same long-chain fats found in fish oil — but without the fishy aftertaste or environmental impact.

Omega-6 (linoleic acid) is also essential, but it promotes inflammation when eaten in excess. It’s useful for healing and immunity, but modern diets overloaded with omega-6 from sunflower, corn and olive oils disturb the balance.

Omega-9 (oleic acid) isn’t essential because your body can make it. It’s common in most foods and especially in olive oil. While good-quality olive oil contains beneficial compounds, omega-9 itself is neutral — neither inflammatory nor anti-inflammatory — and olive oil still contains omega-6 and is high in calories.

More Science: Flaxseed Oil Works Better Than Fish Oil in Real Life

In the OMS Holism study, flaxseed oil was shown to work 60% better than fish oils in improving omega-3 status and overall wellbeing — a remarkable result for a gentle, plant-based oil that amazed scientists.
Read in more detail: OMS Holism Study

 Science – But a Simple Choice to Help You Feel Better

The geek in me has continued to explore and try to understand why it works so powerfully. The science behind the role of omega-3 from the health of skin, gut, hormones and brain, to the mitochondria in every cell is complex but interconnected.

So, after all my exploration, all I truly know is this: the omega-3 oil in flax should never be overlooked as an amazing food to help you feel better.