Effects of Flaxseed on Pregnancy

Note: This article is the result of correspondence between Greg Grahn (Founder of North American Nutrition), our distributor in India, a Nutrition doctor, and Lillian Thompson Ph.D. Professor a the University of Toronto

We are a flax seed company supplying golden flax to our customers via our website. We receive many inquiries from our customers about all manner of topics relating to the benefits of flax seed-especially relating to pregnancy and infants.

We are interested in your study “Flaxseed and its lignan precursor, secoisolariciresinol diglycoside, affect pregnancy outcome and reproductive development in rats”. We have also read other studies that state that the Omega-3 and essential fatty acids in flax are good for pregnant women, and infants. These varying studies have us confused.

We would like your opinion as how your and other studies relate to information we should be supplying to our customers-Should flax seed be ingested during pregnancy and lactation? Do the benefits out way the potential risks?

–Greg Grahn, North American Nutrition

Dear Greg;

Flaxseed contains both the oil and the lignans, which are phytoestrogens. Pure oil does not have the lignans; thus when ingested, its effect is related to the fatty acids and not to the lignans. What this means is that if one wants to enrich their intake of omega 3 fatty acids without the potential hormonal effect of lignans, one should just consume the flaxseed oil.

In our studies, the effect we saw during pregnancy and lactation is more related to the lignans and its weak estrogenic/antiestrogenic properties than the oil. We observed a potential adverse effects on the male offspring only when the flaxseed was taken in large concentrations during pregnancy but not during lactation, Low levels do not have an adverse effect.