Flax seeds improve intestinal health, improve cholesterol and prevent weight gain



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LONDON: Flaxseed consumption could alter microbes in the gut to improve metabolic health and protect against diet-induced obesity, according to a mouse study.

The organisms that live in the gut (intestinal microbiota) play a role in regulating weight and in the way the body processes sugar (glucose tolerance), according to a study published in the American Journal of Physiology – Endocrinology and metabolism.

The breakdown of dietary fiber in the intestines – a process called fermentation – can result in favorable alterations of the digestive system, such as an increase in beneficial fatty acids, which can reduce the production of adipose tissue in the body and to improve immune function.

Flax seed is a high fiber plant that has been proven to improve cholesterol levels and inflammation of the colon, said researchers from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.

However, little research has been conducted on the fermentability of flaxseed and the effect of flax fiber on the gut microbiota.

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The researchers studied mice fed four different diets: a standard diet containing 4.6% soybean fiber ("control"); a diet rich in fat without fiber ("high in fat"); a high-fat diet containing 10% non-digestible cellulose fiber ("cellulose"); and a high-fat diet with 10% flax fiber ("flaxseed").

The team measured the amount of oxygen used by the mice, the carbon dioxide produced, the food and water consumed and the energy expended.

Glucose tolerance was also measured towards the end of the test. At the end of the 12 weeks, researchers examined the caecal content of animals – bacteria and other biological materials in the pocket that forms the beginning of the large intestine (cecum).

The high-fat group had fewer bacteria badociated with improved metabolic health, lower levels of beneficial fatty acids and more of an obesity-related bacterium compared to other groups.

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Bacteria levels in the cellulose and flaxseed groups returned to healthier levels compared to the high-fat group.

The flaxseed group was more physically active and gained less weight than other high fat groups.

Mice that received flaxseed supplements also had better glycemic control and levels of beneficial fatty acids comparable to those in the healthy control group, the researchers said.

When examining the contents of the feces, the team found that the bacteria had ferment fibers from the thick, sticky layer of the flax hull.

The bacteria that perform the fermentation then produce more beneficial fatty acids.

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"Our data suggest that flax fiber supplementation affects host metabolism by increasing energy expenditure, reducing obesity and improving glucose tolerance," the researchers said.

"Future research should aim to understand the relative contribution of different microbes and to define the underlying mechanisms of how flax fibers affect the host's metabolism," they said.

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