Updated flax research database

February 3, 2012, Manitoba – An extensive updated flax research database for human health and nutrition is now available from the Flax Council of Canada and Glanbia Nutritionals.

With scientific evidence regarding the health benefits of flax and its constituents expanding at a rapid pace, this resource enables the industry, health professionals and the scientific community to keep up with the increasing volume of information.
 
"We are very pleased to partner with Glanbia on the development and update of the research database”, said William Hill, president of the Flax Council of Canada, “And since Glanbia has committed to sponsoring the independent updating of the site on a monthly basis, we can ensure that the information is current and relevant to the industry.”

Updating of the database was made possible through funding from Glanbia Nutritionals.

An incredibly versatile crop, flax’s omega-3 fatty acids and other nutritional benefits have made flax seed and oil popular food ingredients for people of all ages.  And with growing consumer interest comes increased research scrutiny.
 
The dataset includes only peer-reviewed publications available on commonly used scientific search sites. Since its last update in mid-2009, close to 160 new publications have been released. Most are focused on human clinical trials and include health and disease reduction research, analytical assessments, food formulation, and review articles.

“The Flax Council’s Research database is the industry’s most comprehensive portal for all flax related research,” said Robert Beausire, vice-president of business development at Glanbia Nutritionals. “The database fills a gap in the conversation by offering hundreds of papers on the health benefits of flaxseed. It is a tremendous resource for developers and marketers.”
 
Studies have been published on the antioxidant characteristics of flax, as well as the health benefits of its omega-3, fiber, lignan and protein components. In the area of disease reduction, the research covers cancer, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and inflammatory disorders. Studies are also reviewed which focus on bone, brain, eye, skin and renal health.
 
Papers appear under a number of categories to enable quick and accurate searches to capture relevant publications of interest.
                                  
The Flax Research Database can be accessed at http://flaxcouncil.ca/english/index.jsp?p=abstractsearch&mp=databases&categoryId=1 .