Re: Flax seed/Linseed

["Susan Garlinghouse" <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

While it is "safe" to feed ground flax seed, I think you need to look at the
Big Picture.  Yes, linseed/flax is high in fat, about 38%---but if you're
only feeding a few ounces, you're really not adding a significant amount of
anything.  If you feed a significant amount, like more than a cup or two,
you're just providing a lot of protein, and not even particularly
high-quality protein at that (someone else posted they like flax seed
because of the lysine content, but flax is actually fairly deficient in
lysine).

As far as essential fatty acids, they're a lot more important to monogastric
species than they are to the microbial fermenters.  The only FA that flax
contains to any real extent is alpha-linolenic---which is fine, except that
the microbial population is able to synthesize sufficient FAs from the
breakdown of carbohydrates.  Horses and ruminants don't have an essential
fatty acid requirement like the simple-stomached species do, so while you're
certainly not doing any harm (assuming you're not feeding pounds of it), the
clear-cut benefits may be a little hard to define, either.  In several
research studies, they fed the animals diets that contained no essential
fatty acids at all and found absolutely no differences in health whatsoever.

Susan G

----- Original Message -----
From: shelton <dshelton@cyberhighway.net>
To: <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2000 1:22 PM
Subject: RC: Flax seed/Linseed


> >Just a question : what is linseed MEAL.
> >Over here, I use linseed, which is a schlep as I have to boil it for 5
> hours
> >before using it, to make sure its safe for horses.
>
> Hi Tracey and Others interested in Flax Seed,
>
> I've been feeding fresh (uncooked) ground flax seed to my horses, dogs,
and
> myself for years. I've never read anywhere about any toxic properties of
> flax seed. Yet I've heard it mentioned several times over the years. I
> finally found a vet that provided  me with some answers on flax, and how
to
> make it safe....
>
> "The skin of flax seed contains Linamarin which is a glycoside containing
> cyanic acid(cyanide!).  This Glycoside itself is not poisonous, as, e.g.,
in
> the human digestive system there is no beta-glucosidase(enzyme), which
> splits the glycoside into sugar, cyanic acid and acetone.  However,
certain
> bacteria living in the digestive tract (also in horses) can also split the
> glycoside and therefore cause the cyanic acid to be released. Plants which
> contain these cyanic acid-containing glycosides also contain extracellular
> glucosidase! Only by chemical or physical destruction of the cell walls
can
> this glucosidase reach the glycoside inside the cells and split it. When
you
> grind or soak the flax in water the glucosidase gets into contact with the
> glycoside and cyanic acid is released, which then ( in the case of
grinding)
> gets in contact with Oxygen and "flies away", or in the case of soaking:
the
> cyanic acid gets released into the water and can be thrown away with the
> water. Boiling destroys the glucosidase/and the cyanic acid  gets removed
> with the steam."
>
> So apparently, ground flax seed is safe to feed. Does this sound correct,
> anyone know differently?
>
> I feed flax for the Omega 3 Essentail Fatty Acids (one reason among many).
I
> feed my horses flax seed uncooked. Heat destroys the EFAs. Missing Link
> supplement's number one ingredient is fresh ground flax I believe.
>
> Cheryl
>
>
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
> Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
> Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
>
>