Where to Buy Flaxseed Oil Online
With its high omega-3 fatty acid content, flax oil is one of the more fragile nutritional oils. Before you buy flaxseed oil online there a 3 important things to look for.
3 Things to Look for When Buying Flax Oil
1. Flaxseed Oil Must be Cold-Pressed
To start with, a good flaxseed oil like this one I use should always be cold-pressed. Too much heat can damage the structure of the fatty acids so the oil has to be produced carefully to avoid high temperatures.
Cold pressing is the name given to the process of mechanically separating the oil from the seed using pressure only, without the heat or chemical solvents used to extract many other common vegetable oils.
2. Organic Flax Oil is Best for Health
Ideally, a good flaxseed oil should also be made from organic seeds to minimize any exposure to pesticides. Many of the most harmful pesticides are fat-soluble, making organic even more important with a fatty acid product like flax oil.
Organic produce is usually grown in in better quality soils as well, which can often result in more nutrients in the end product.
3. Protect Flaxseed Oil from Light and Heat
Finally, a good oil should always come in a dark bottle to protect it from light and be as fresh as possible.
This is another reason, along with price, why online retailers with their much higher turnover than retail heath food stores, are a better place to buy flax oil from.
Cold Pressed Flaxseed Oil with High Omega-3
Barlean’s flaxseed oil is cold pressed, organic, unfiltered and unrefined. It is incredibly fresh as is made to order and produce daily in the absence of light and heat. This is the best selling flax oil in America with good reason.
High Lignan Oil
One of the most popular types of flax oils are the new high lignan versions. Lignans are phytonutrients found in the highest concentrations in ground flax seeds. They have many health benefits and adding them to omega-3 rich flaxseed oil gives you the best of both worlds.
Capsules
While flaxseed oil should have a pleasant taste (bitter tasting oil is likely to be rancid and should not be used), many people prefer the ease of using capsules rather than liquid.
Once again, Barlean’s are excellent quality, organic and extremely fresh. They also make high lignan capsules for the added benefit of these potent phytonutrients.
Buying Ground Flaxseed Meal
Although the oil is higher in omega-3, many people prefer ground flax meal for the balance of exceptional lignan content, dietary fiber, many vitamins and minerals and still being a good serving of omega-3 fatty acids.
Flaxseed meal is quite inexpensive too so, for maximum health benefits, it would be worth using both flaxseed oil and the ground flax seeds if you can afford it.
Spectrum Essentials make an excellent cold milled and this excellent cold milled and organic ground flax that is very good value and goes well on breakfast cereals and in smoothies or over fruit and yogurt.
Flaxseed Oil and Flax Meal Storage
It is vital to store flaxseed oil or ground flax in the fridge once you open them to preserve their freshness and potency. Some people even store flax meal in the freezer to minimize any chance of oxidation.
It’s generally advised to use the oil within a month of opening it and the ground seeds ideally within two weeks. Flaxseed oil capsules will last a little longer, but for best results you would be using them regularly anyway.
I hope this guide on what to look for when buying flaxseed oil and ground flax meal has been helpful. Next is a look at a good dosage to take and whether there are any side effects of using flaxseed oil.