Improving atherogenic risk factors with flax seed bread

Abstract Feeding flax seed (FS), a rich source of α-linolenic acid & soluble dietary fiber, has been shown to lower serum lipids & decrease platelet aggregation. Bread containing 30% flax seed (FSB) was chosen as a suitable vehicle to introduce FS into the diet & compared with a standard, commercial, wheat bread (WHT) in a three-month crossover feeding trial. Hyperlipemics otherwise healthy, N=13, were fed six slices daily of either bread in addition to their self-selected diets. Serum lipids improved when the subjects ate either bread. During the WHT period, serum cholesterol (CHOL) decreased 5.0%, whereas during the FSB period it decreased by 6.9%. LDL CHOL declined 7.1% during the WHT period, but more than twice that, 19.0%, during the FSB period. HDL-CHOL showed a tendency to rise when either bread was eaten. Triglycerides remained stable during both periods of this short-term feeding study. Though serum malondialdehyde-equivalent material did not change appreciably during these trials, serum fatty acid hydroperoxides, another indicator of peroxidative stress, decreased when both breads were eaten: during WHT values fell 64% and during FSB by 71%, suggesting improved antioxidant status. Measurement of serum vitamin values tended to confirm this conclusion, in that only α-tocopherol declined during the WHT period, whereas α-tocopherol increased modestly (NS), and both ascorbic acid and β-carotene increased significantly during the FSB period. No significant change was recorded in platelet aggregation in these short-term studies. Compared with WHT bread, the FSB conferred significantly greater benefit in improving atherogenic risk factors. Replacement of six slices of regular bread with FSB was an acceptable, manageable way to reduce atherogenic risk factors in these hyperlipemic subjects. The FSB did not introduce undue oxidative stress, though rich in polyunsaturated fat, as antioxidant vitamin levels were spared during the flax period.