# flax seed



## jmsb (Apr 25, 2002)

Afteer reading many positive posts, I began trying flax seed in its natural form. As ibs-c, I cannot say that it is my cure, but I have noticed an increase in my bloating since I began. Is this a coincidence, or can the flax seed be the cause?Thanksjmsb


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## Heather Van Vorous (Oct 2, 2001)

Hi - Flax seed in whole form is high in both insoluble fiber (from the seed husks) and fat. Both elements could exacerbate IBS symptoms, including bloating.Flax is a very healthy food because the oil is high in omega fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory properties. This can be very helpful for inflammatory bowel diseases, though it might not be helpful at all for IBS as there is no inflammation present in irritable bowel syndrome.Your best bet is to finely grind the flax seeds, or just use flax seed oil, and eat them with a high soluble fiber base (like rice, potatoes, or pasta). Flax oil lightly drizzled over steamed root veggies or brown rice is particularly tasty, and should be much more tolerable to IBS than taking the whole seeds on their own.Best,Heather


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