Flaxseed no help for kids with high cholesterol

Despite some evidence it might be beneficial for adults, eating flaxseed every day didn't help children with high cholesterol get their numbers down, in a small new study.

Researchers asked kids to eat muffins and bread with extra flaxseed and found there was no change in their LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, compared to those who ate baked goods made without flaxseed. And their HDL, or "good" cholesterol, went down on the flaxseed diet.

"It didn't have any convincing benefit, and in fact there's some suggestion that it may have actually made (things) worse," said Dr. Brian McCrindle, who worked on the study at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada.

There's disagreement about whether drugs such as statins should be prescribed to children with high cholesterol, so doctors and parents often look for alternatives.

McCrindle said he and his colleagues have been asked about flaxseed by families who were aware of the cholesterol-lowering claims made about the food supplement - and based on their new findings, they won't be recommending it.

Flaxseed can be bought over the counter for about $10 for a month's supply. Some research suggests flaxseed - which is high in fiber and omega-3 fatty-acids - may help lower cholesterol in adults, although the data is mixed.

The seeds themselves can be sprinkled on or baked into food. Flaxseed oil can also be taken in capsule form.

For the new study, researchers split 32 youth between age eight and 18 with high cholesterol into two groups. The children in one group ate two muffins and one slice of bread fortified with 30 grams of flaxseed each day. Kids in the comparison group were given the same baked goods made with whole wheat flour instead of flaxseed.

Is flaxseed the new wonder food? Preliminary studies show that it may help fight heart disease, diabetes and breast cancer. Some call it one of the most powerful plant foods on the planet. There’s some evidence it may help reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. That’s quite a tall order for a tiny seed that’s been around for centuries.

Flaxseed was cultivated in Babylon as early as 3000 BC. In the 8th century, King Charlemagne believed so strongly in the health benefits of flaxseed that he passed laws requiring his subjects to consume it. Now, thirteen centuries later, some experts say we have preliminary research to back up what Charlemagne suspected.

Flaxseed is found in all kinds of today's foods from crackers to frozen waffles to oatmeal. The Flax Council estimates close to 300 new flax-based products were launched in the U.S. and Canada in 2010 alone. Not only has consumer demand for flaxseed grown, agricultural use has also increased. Flaxseed is what's used to feed all those chickens that are laying eggs with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids.