A two-year clinical trial of the benefits of flax in patients with heart disease is being undertaken at St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre in Winnipeg.
In the study, 250 volunteers with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) will eat three tablespoons of ground flax per day to see what effects, if any, the treatment has on their condition.
All of the patients have PAD, a disease that affects one in five people older than 70.
It causes painful arterial blockages in the legs, which can make normal activities such as walking difficult.
Read Also
No special crop fireworks expected
farmers should not expect fireworks in the special crops market due to ample supplies.
PAD patients may also have an irregular heartbeat, which can lead to heart attacks, strokes and death.
Dr. Grant Pierce, who is leading the study, said anecdotal evidence in humans and tests of ground flax on animals have shown good results. Now researchers want to see if it can reduce symptoms in a controlled study.
“I think the gold in flax is preventative,” he said, adding that lab tests have proven that compounds in flax can act against heart disease.
“I’m hoping to get enough data from these studies to persuade more people to increase levels of flax in their diet naturally.”
Beginning next month, participants will choose from a menu of muffins, buns, bagels, bars and pasta each month, which will be home-delivered and freezer stored. Half will receive a placebo while the other half will get food items containing ground flax.
Researchers will also look at risk factors including heart rates, blood levels of fats like cholesterol and alpha-linolenic fatty acid (ALA), the omega 3 contained in flax seeds, as well as blood pressure and exercise performance.
Eighty percent of the world’s flax is grown in Western Canada.
Ground flax will be supplied by Angusville, Man.-based Pizzey’s Nutritionals. The research project is being supported by Agriculture Canada, the University of Manitoba and the Canadian Centre for Agrifood Research and Health and Medicine.
