Things running smoothly thanks to flax flour
Wednesday, March 9, 2005 - Shelley Jordan
The Natural Bowel Care Program continues to run smoothly at Garden Terrace home in Kanata, and success has meant expanding the program to serve 60 per cent of residents.

Administrator Karl Samuelson says the program has improved quality of life for residents of Garden Terrace. He says it's common for the elderly to have difficulty with their bowels due to the effects of medications and reduced mobility, and supplementing their diet with flax flour has eased this problem for the majority taking part.

"Flax is gaining popularity in our general society," says Karl. "You see more cutting edge grocery chains offering flax products as people are becoming more aware of the known and suspected benefits.

Initially the Natural Bowel Care Program started as a pilot project, helping residents on one floor of the home improve laxation and thereby decreasing the need for laxatives from 564 supports in May to eight by April 2004. The program is now used on a volunteer basis on all floors of the home. Karl says most joined because they recognized how flax flour could help them, while the other 40 per cent declined because they didn't like the taste or texture of foods supplemented with flax flour. Some preferred to only treat a bowel condition when it came along through the program, or by other means they were familiar with such as pharmaceuticals.

Karl says the known benefits of eating flax flour includes a reduced risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer. Benefits that have not yet been proven or are still under scientific investigation include reduced menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, as well as a lowered incidence of type two diabetes.

Flax flour, made from ground flax seeds, contains soluble and insoluble fibre. While the soluble fibre aids in laxation, the insoluble fibre prevents the body from going overboard by providing bulk, thus controlling diarrhea. Alpha Lipoic Acid, or ALA, an omega 3 fatty acid is also abundant in flax flour. According to a publication through the University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter, ALA is important for preventing cell damage and also aids the body in processing vitamins C and E.

"The bottom line is the upside is huge, and the downside is not recognizable," says Karl.

To learn about starting a flax flour program in your home, call 1-800-294-0051.