A tablespoon of flaxseed oil provides 7.2 grams of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is more than four times the daily recommended amount. Having more ALA in your diet through foods like flaxseed oil can reduce your early death risk according to a 2021 article in The BMJ. You can also lower your risk of death from cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease. The more ALA, the better. “In the dose-response analysis, a 1 g/day increase in ALA intake was associated with a 5% lower risk of all cause and CVD mortality,” reports The BMJ.
Flaxseed oil is also rich in oleic acid, which is an omega-9 fatty acid that could lower your cholesterol and reduce inflammation. A 2023 article in Nutrients said that oleic acid controls proteins that promote inflammation and activates anti-inflammatory proteins. It can also be converted into oleoylethanolamide, which can regulate your appetite. What’s more, Oleic acid might play a role in controlling insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes by activating genes that help oxidize fat, per a 2020 article in Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders.
