Flaxseed offers some benefits in the form of high omega-3 fatty acid content, which might help keep your heart and circulation in good health. However, flaxseed and flax meal might be unsafe to take while pregnant or nursing a baby. It is considered possibly unsafe partly because of a lack of conclusive scientific evidence at the time of publication. To be safe, avoid flaxseed and flax meal while pregnant or nursing.
Flaxseed and Flax Meal
Flaxseed contains the plant-based omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA. As the Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide points out, your body must convert ALA into docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid. Flax meal contains ground flaxseed, which means it offers many of the same benefits, though in a possibly more easily digested form. Both have high levels of insoluble and solube fiber, useful nutrients for bowel and heart health.
Pregnancy and Flaxseed
The government website MedlinePlus lists flaxseed as "possibly unsafe" for pregnant and nursing women because flaxseed contains high amounts of plant-based estrogens known as phytoestrogens. Estrogen is a very important hormone during pregnancy in a woman's body. The estrogens in flaxseed and flax meal might interfere with your natural estrogen levels. It's possible that this could affect your pregnancy or have some affect on a breastfeeding child.
Alternative Omega-3 Sources
According to the Linus Pauling Institute, available studies of pregnant and nursing women taking fish oil capsules have found no serious side effects. Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids in the more useful forms of DHA and EPA. Omega-3 might play a role in improving cognitive function in the fetus, as well as slightly increasing the pregnancy term. Fish oil also contains none of the plant estrogens found in flaxseed and flax meal. Get your fish oil supplements from a recognized brand or supplier to avoid the risk of contaminants.
Considerations
The fatty acids found in flaxseed, flax meal and fish oil are known as "essential" because your body cannot make them and you need to get them through your diet. A combination of oily fish no more than two times per week and a diet including some nuts and seeds should give you enough omega-3 fatty acids. MedlinePlus also points out that pregnant women should avoid flaxseed oil, which might slightly increase your chances of a premature delivery during the final trimester.
