Flaxseed oil in its freshest form

A Word About Flaxseed Oil
From the book Flax Your Way to Better Health,
by Jane Reinhardt-Martin, RD, LD

"flaxseed oil (see> flaxseed oil vs. flaxseed) is a wonderful source of alpha-linolenic acid. However, when you buy flax in the form (oil), this is all you're getting. In other words, flaxseed oil is lacking (see> flaxseed oil vs. flaxseed) in all the other important nutrients that provide so much benefit, particularly fiber, lignans, and protein.

...flaxseed oil comes in two different forms: regular and high-lignan oil. This latter variety struck me as odd when I first began researching flaxseed and flax-based products, since flaxseed oil is, by definition, lacking in lignans. I did some investigating, contacting several companies that produce the "high-lignan" version to check out just what process they use in its manufacture. Unfortunately, I could not verify that lignans are somehow added back in to the oil. Therefore, I suggest you be wary when confronting such claims.

And here is one last caveat about flaxseed oil. Because of its chemical composition, flax oil must be kept refrigerated at all times. Even refrigerated, it's got a pretty short shelf life - you have to use it within six to eight weeks after opening the bottle - after that it goes rancid. How do you know if your flaxseed oil has gone bad? You'll get a bitter taste or even a burning sensation on your tongue, and it will start to smell like paint thinner. Unrefrigerated, it spoils much faster, as I discovered during an experiment I did on my own. I left a bottle of flaxseed oil out on my kitchen counter, checking it daily. After just a few days, the odor it gave off had changed dramatically! Not a flavor I wanted to add to my meals, that's for sure!

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Keep in mind that flaxseed oil is expensive. Since it spoils relatively quickly, and since the research show that whole or ground flaxseed has far more beneficial properties, it seems wiser to skip the oil and go straight for the seeds."