Impact of Supplementation with Flax Seed Powder and Flax Seed Oil on the Lipid levels of Patients with Dyslipidemia

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the most prevalent cause of death and disability in both developed as well as developing countries (Chaturvedi and Bhargava, 2007). According to National Commission on Macroeconomics and Health (NCMH), there would be around 62 million patients with CAD by 2015 in India and out of these 23 million would be patients younger than 40 years of age (Indrayan, 2006). Cardiovascular diseases are due to atherosclerosis of large and medium sized arteries and dyslipidemia has been found to be one of the most important contributing factors of CAD (NCEP-ATP III, 2001). Dyslipidemia describes a number of abnormality in lipoprotein homeostasis including elevated total cholesterol (≥200 mg/dl), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (≥130 mg/dl), triglycerides (≥150 mg/dl) and low levels of high density lipoprotein (≤40 mg/dl) (NCEP,ATP III, 2002). Alternative to hypolipidemic drugs, plant seeds and dietary supplements provided a potential source of lowering blood lipid profile and are widely used in several traditional systems of medicines. Flax seed (linseed, Linum Usitatissimum), an edible oil seed/grain and one of the oldest crops, was acknowledged as a functional food (Thompson, 2003). Flax seed has gained much attention because of its unique nutrient components and potential effect on the prevention of CVD (Bloedon, 2004).