Information on the stability of linseed oil (flax seed)

Linseed contains oil which has 50% Omega 3 type ALA. ALA is a fatty oxide very susceptible to
light and heat and which oxidizes easily. Linseed oil does not contain anti-oxidants of a variety and
quantity which are sufficient to prevent oxidization. The lineed oil achieves high oxidation level
within a very short time (about 20 min. in room temperature). This may be verified in relatively
simple laboratory tests. The following are a number of scientific articles that examine, among others,
the stability of linseed oil and its effect on different tissues. The line that presents results relating to
the stability of flaxseed oil is emphasized. Eating linseed recently ground is preferable but does not
solve the problem, since in grinding (crushing the husk that protects the seeds), the oil is exposed to
air and light, and immediately begins oxidizing. The oxidization process is accelerated in the bowel
where the temperature and humidity are high (ideal conditions for oxidization).

5 relevant articles are attached, comparing flaxseed and linseed oil to other seeds and oils and even
cod liver oil. The first article shows that when flaxseed is added to meat, the meat is more susceptible
to oxidization and rots much more quickly.

Poult Sci. 2009 May;88(5):1085-95.

Omega-3-enriched broiler meat: 2. Functional properties, oxidative stability, and

consumer acceptance.
Betti M, Schneider BL, Wismer WV, Carney VL, Zuidhof MJ, Renema RA.

Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Science, 4-10 Ag-Forestry Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2P5,
Canada. mirko.betti@ualberta.ca

Abstract
Consumers are becoming more aware of the impact on their health of the food they eat. One of the ways they hope to
reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease is by consuming more foods enriched with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA),
particularly n-3 fatty acids. Flaxseed is a good source for increasing the n-3 PUFA in poultry meat because of the high
content of alpha-linolenic acid. A study was conducted to identify an optimal process to enrich of broiler diets with n-3 PUFA
by using 2 levels of flaxseed fed for various times before processing. The acceptability of broiler meat functional properties
was tested to ensure that further processing efficiencies would not be compromised by the enrichment strategy. This
experiment was conducted as a 2 x 8 factorial, with 2 dietary levels of ground flaxseed (10 and 17%) fed for 8 lengths of
time before processing [0 (control), 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, and 35 d]. Of 650 Ross x Ross 308 mixed-sex broilers reared in this
study, 128 were used to evaluate breast and thigh meat functional properties, oxidative stability, and sensory analysis. No
statistical interactions were found between treatments for chicken breast meat quality traits. The duration of feeding
flaxseed strongly affected meat quality parameters. In particular, feeding flaxseed for 16 d resulted in a final pH of 5.65,
compared with 5.93 in the control. The lower ultimate pH found in animals fed flaxseed affected meat cooking loss, drip
loss, and shear value (P < 0.0001). Shear value significantly increased after 16 d of feeding flaxseed (P < 0.0001).

Susceptibility to oxidation increased in both breast and thigh broiler meat

with the duration of feeding flaxseed. Enriching the diet for less than 16 d did not result in
perceivable sensory defects. Duration of flaxseed feeding significantly affected the color characteristics, functional
properties, and oxidative stability of broiler meat.
The second article examines the stability of various oil, safflower, poppy and flaxseed.

It appears that flaxseed oil is the least stable of all the oils examined! The differences are very
significant. The test was conducted under extreme conditions of heat and air pressure (110 degrees
Celsius and high-pressure air injection into the oil). Every additional minute that the oil survives below
the threshold determined, proves a large gap in the oxidization ability of the oil. As can be seen,
flaxseed oil reached the first test threshold, while the others remained stable much longer.

Moreover, it was found that flaxseed oil does not contain beta and delta tocoferols (types of vitamin
E) while the salvia sclarea oil contains all four tocoferols (plus an additional large variety of powerful
anti-oxidants). The following is the article published in 2008.

Bioresour Technol. 2008 Sep;99(14):6354-9. Epub 2008 Jan 15.

Chemical composition and oxidative stability of flax, safflower and poppy seed and
seed oils.

Bozan B, Temelli F.

Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Department of Chemical Engineering, Anadolu University, 26470 Eskisehir,

Turkey. bbozan@anadolu.edu.tr

Abstract
Three seeds of Turkish origin, flax, poppy and safflower were analyzed for their proximate, fatty acids, tocols (tocopherols

and tocotrienols) and total phenolic composition, and oxidative stability of their oil. The major fatty acid in the flax oil was

alpha-linolenic acid, comprising 58.3% of total fatty acids, whereas poppy and safflower oils were rich in linoleic acid at

74.5% and 70.5% level, respectively. The amount of total tocols was 14.6 mg/100g flax, 11.0mg/100g poppy and

12.1mg/100g safflower seed. Flax and poppy oil were rich in gamma-tocopherol as 79.4 mg/100g oil and 30.9 mg/100g oil,

respectively, while alpha-tocopherol (44.1g/100g oil) was dominant in safflower oil. Only alpha- and gamma-
tocotrienol were found in the oils. Oxidative stability of oils was measured at 110
degrees C at the rate of 20 L/h air flow rate, and poppy oil (5.56 h) was most stabile oil
followed by safflower oil (2.87 h) and flax oil (1.57). There were no correlation between oxidative
stability and unsaturation degree of fatty acids and tocol levels of the oils. All of the seeds investigated provide a healthy oil

profile and may have potential as a source of specialty oils on a commercial scale.
The following is another scientific article that examined the effect of other food additives on
the stability of fatty tissues. The article compares coconut oil, crushed seeds of canola,
safflower and linseed. The only additive that did not improve the stability of the fatty tissue
was linseed. The results are emphasized.

For your information, the scientific name of the seed is linseed, and this is how it is referred
to in this article.

Arch Tierernahr. 2000;53(1):25-44.

Comparative evaluation of rumen-protected fat, coconut oil and various oilseeds

supplemented to fattening bulls. 2. Effects on composition and oxidative stability of
adipose tissues.

Casutt MM, Scheeder MR, Ossowski DA, Sutter F, Sliwinski BJ, Danilo AA, Kreuzer M.

Institute of Animal Sciences, Animal Nutrition, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich.

Abstract
The effects of five different dietary fat supplements on fatty acid composition and oxidative stability of subcutaneous and

kidney fat were evaluated in 36 Brown Swiss bulls and compared to a low fat diet in a monofactorial design. The following

fat supplements were provided as additional fat at 30 g per kg feed dry matter: crystalline rumen-protected fat, coconut oil,

and three types of crushed whole oilseeds (rapeseed, sunflower seed and linseed). Adipose tissues reflected differences (P

< 0.05) in dietary fatty acid composition although to a lower extent. Using protected fat, which contained elevated levels of

trans fatty acids, and sunflower seed, containing a high proportion of linoleic acid, significantly increased C18:1 trans fatty

acid proportion in the adipose tissues. The use of sunflower seed increased conjugated linoleic acid. The oilseeds resulted

in lower amounts of C16:0 in favour of C18:0. Except for linseed, all fat supplemented groups
improved oxidative stability of adipose tissues as compared with control. This was
explained by lower proportions of unsaturated fatty acids in adipose tissue (protected fat), by elevated alpha-tocopherol

contents (rapeseed, sunflower seed) or by a combination of both (coconut oil). Fat colour remained unaffected by

treatments. Compared to other fat supplements oilseeds, especially sunflower seed and rapeseed, can therefore be

recommended to be fed to bulls in order to increase the proportions of C18 unsaturated fatty acids in adipose tissues and to

maintain or improve oxidative stability.

The following is another scientific article comparing the stability of linseed oil and fish oil.

It appears that the amount of fatty oxides in linseed oxidized was double that of the fatty acids in fish
oil!

Fish oil is known as unstable, and here we see that linseed oil is even less stable.

Again, another article that shows that linseed oil oxidizes more quickly in comparison to any other oil,
and it is known that oxidized oil not only does not help, but is in fact dangerous.

Br J Nutr. 2009 Jul;102(1):69-81. Epub 2009 Jan 5.

Fatty acid metabolism (desaturation, elongation and beta-oxidation) in rainbow

trout fed fish oil- or linseed oil-based diets.

Turchini GM, Francis DS.

School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, PO Box 423, Warrnambool, VIC, Australia.

giovanni.turchini@deakin.edu.au

Abstract
In consideration of economical and environmental concerns, fish oil (FO) substitution in aquaculture is the focus of many

fish nutritionists. The most stringent drawback of FO replacement in aquafeeds is the consequential modification to the final

fatty acid (FA) make-up of the fish fillet. However, it is envisaged that a solution may be achieved through a better

understanding of fish FA metabolism. Therefore, the present study investigated the fate of individual dietary FA in rainbow

trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed a FO-based diet (rich in 20 : 5n-3) or a linseed oil-based diet (LO; rich in 18 : 3n-3). The

study demonstrated that much of the 18 : 3n-3 content from the LO diet was oxidised
and, despite the significantly increased accretion of Delta-6 and Delta-5 desaturated FA, a 2- and 3-fold reduction in the fish

body content of 20 : 5n-3 and 22 : 6n-3, respectively, compared with the FO-fed fish, was recorded. The accretion of longer-

chain FA was unaffected by the dietary treatments, while there was a greater net disappearance of FA provided in dietary

surplus. SFA and MUFA recorded a net accretion of FA produced ex novo. In the fish fed the FO diet, the
majority of dietary 20 : 5n-3 was accumulated (53.8 %), some was oxidised (14.7 %)
and a large proportion (31.6 %) was elongated and desaturated up to 22 : 6n-3. In the
fish fed the LO diet, the majority of dietary 18 : 3n-3 was accumulated (58.1 %), a large
proportion was oxidised (29.5 %) and a limited amount (12.4 %) was bio-converted to
longer and more unsaturated homologues.
An additional scientific article examining the stability of linseed oil and the effect of introducing
external antioxidants on the oil's stability. Here also we find that linseed oil oxidizes very quickly (as
any other ALA containing oil, except salvia sclarea. The article was published in Food Chemistry in
2004.

Susceptibility of lipids from different flax cultivars to

peroxidation and its lowering by added antioxidants
Marcin Łukaszewicz a,*, Jan Szopa b, Anna Krasowska a
a Institute
of Genetics and Microbiology, Wrocław University, Przybyszewskiego 63-77, 51-148 Wroclaw, Poland
b Institute
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Wrocław University, Przybyszewskiego 63-77, 51-148 Wroclaw, Poland
Received 2 October 2003; received in revised form 20 December 2003; accepted 20 December 2003

Abstract
Consumption of flax (Linum usitatissimum) seeds is beneficial for human health. Flax seeds, containing about 40% of oil,
are the richest (among crop plants) source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) essential in the human diet. PUFA are
highly susceptible to oxidation. Thus only certain cultivars (e.g. Linola) with low linolenic acid content are suitable for
commercial preparation of edible oil, which has, nevertheless, a very short shelf life. To study the factors influencing the
stability of flax oil, the oil was extracted from nine flax cultivars and analyzed. Linola contained about 3% of linolenic acid
while, in other analyzed cultivars, its content ranged from 52% to 73%. Instead, Linola is rich in linoleic acid (about 75%),
which in other cultivars varied from 12% to 18%. The susceptibility to oxidation of extracted oil has been analyzed using two
methods (measurement of conjugated dienes and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) formation). Even the
low linolenic acid content Linola oil was easily oxidized.