FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the difference between concentrated lignans and flaxseed hulls?
They are exactly the same. The flaxseed contains two parts: the hull and the embryo. We separate the hull away from the embryo to give you pure flaxseed hulls. The lignans are only found in the hulls and therefore they are more concentrated than you can get in whole flaxseed. Flaxseed hulls also contain other components; they also contain fiber and antioxidants. We do not use chemicals to concentrate the lignans. The lignans are concentrated solely because the hulls have been separated from the embryo. Sorry for any confusion on this issue. Some of the product descriptions say “concentrated lignans” and others say “flaxseed hulls” and they are both the same.
Why are my flaxseed hulls sometimes dark brown and sometimes a golden brown?
This is because of the type of flaxseed used. Sometimes we are able to obtain golden flaxseed and sometimes we are able to obtain brown flaxseed. They both have the same nutrient content. They both have the same shelf life. They are both high quality flaxseeds that were grown in North Dakota.
What is the difference between HMR Lignans and Flaxseed Lignans?
HMR Lignans (HydroxyMataiResinol) comes from Norway Spruce pine tree knots. Flaxseed Lignans (SDG Lignans) come from the hulls of flaxseeds. They both produce the same end result in the body when consumed. Both get converted to enterodial and enterolactone. The flaxseed lignans have one advantage over the HMR lignans because they have a lot of fiber and the HMR lignans do not. The extra fiber is believed to be the reason that people have reduced rates of colon cancer. The extra fiber draws impurities out of the body and increases stool size and frequency, keeping the colon cleaner.
What is the lignan content in flaxseed hulls?
The lignan content in Flaxseed hulls can vary between 3-5%. This depends on growing season and growing conditions. So we have offered 630 mg capsules and 750 mg capsules. The capsules of flaxseed hulls are 100% pure flaxseed hulls. There are no chemicals used in the separation from the seed embryo and nothing else has been added. Therefore the lignan content in each capsule can be from 3% (18 mg) to 5% (31.5 mg) in the 630 mg capsules and 22.5 mg to 37.5 mg in the 750 mg capsules. We use 30 mg as a general rule of thumb since that is an average of 4% of the 750 mg capsule.
What is the shelf life of the flaxseed hulls (lignans)?
Our flaxseed hulls have a shelf life in excess of 3 years. The actual, shelf life is much longer but we put 3 years on the bottles to be conservative. You do not need to refrigerate our flaxseed hulls. This is different than whole flaxseed. Whole flaxseed can last many years without refrigeration until you grind it. Once you expose the embryo to the air you must refrigerate it and even then the shelf life is only 1 year.
Whats the difference between Lignans For Life brand flaxseed hulls and Brevail? Brevail is a brand name from our competitor and they make a product that is made from flaxseed hulls but the lignan is extracted from the hulls using chemicals as opposed to our product where you get 100% pure flaxseed hulls that have been mechanically seperated from the whole flaxseed. We do no use any checmicals in the porcessing of our flaxseed hulls. Brevail has some added compounds for color and fillers like malltodextrin. The Brevail capsule is 50 mg of standardized lignan and our capsule is 30 mg of lignans. You get 60 capsules in a bottle of Brevail and you get 90 capsules in one of our bottles. Prices are similar when you compare the cost per mg of lignan.
