Flax seed oil is touted as one of the best, if not the best dietary oil to consume to fight cardiovascular disease by raising the healthy HDL cholesterol levels over the lousy LDL cholesterol levels. I totally agree with this fact and here is why, flax seed oil is extremely high in Omega 3 fatty acids, the “heart-healthy fatty acids”.
Flax seed oil is also known as a “brain” food for the same reason, because it is high in Omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are found in high concentration in the brain and are responsible for memory, performance and behavioral function. They also help with vision and nerve relay. In addition Omega 3 fatty acids play an important part in maintaining mood levels.
Flax seed oil has been linked to preventing stress by calming the nerves, increasing energy and stamina, regulating blood sugar levels, easing inflamed tissues as with arthritis, and soothing dry skin as with eczema. It has also been known to help people who suffer with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).
But for the same reason flax seed oil is so wonderfully good for cardiovascular health, and all of these other health benefits, in my opinion it makes a poor oil to consume without adding other Omega oils along with it if your goal is to consume a healthy diet overall.
How can this be?
Flax seed oil lacks some of the qualities that help convert the Omega 6 fatty acids into another really great Omega fatty acid, “gamma-linolenic”, or more commonly known as GLA. This little wonder fatty acid actually scrubs the arteries of lousy LDL cholesterol therefore putting the Omega 6 fatty acids to work in a way that they normally would not work without being converted into GLA.
In addition flax seed oil does not contain enough Omega 7. Omega 7 is otherwise known as palmitoleic acid which helps to oxidize, or “burn” unused fat. This is of great importance to ensure that our birds do not become obese or develop fatty liver disease.
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love flax seed oil and believe it should be part of the overall “good fat” in our birds’ diet because it is uncommonly high in Omega 3 fatty acids. But in my opinion it should not be considered a “stand-alone” dietary oil. In my opinion, when feeding flax seed oil it should always be fed in partnership with hemp seed oil at the rate of 1.5 parts of hemp seed oil to 1 part of flax seed oil to ensure that our birds are receiving enough of the GLA and Omega 7 fatty acids in the hemp seed oil along with the Omega 3 fatty acids in flax seed oil.
*Mixing 1.5 parts of hemp seed oil to 1 part of flax seed oil you can use the same portions as an overall “total added fat intake” guideline as I presented in the hemp seed oil article for feeding your bird. However, using this recipe is optimum because it includes both hemp seed oil and flax seed oil and therefore provides a more balanced ratio of Omegas 3, 6, 7, 9 and GLA.:
“You can add it on top of their food. (Please DO NOT add this to their drinking water! It will only coagulate and cause a mess and if you don’t wash the water bowl out really, really well, it could go rancid.)
Just a drop for small Budgies once a day is more than enough. You can probably get away with giving only a drop every other day. For parakeets such as the Ringneck and similar size birds a drop or two daily will do. Moving on up to larger birds, say Conures, Pionus and the like, maybe 3 or 4 drops a day on top of their food. Then for African Greys, small Cockatoos (and even the small Macaws) and such, 5 drops to a 1/16th of a teaspoon a day. Larger Cockatoos you could give from 1/16th to 1/8th of a teaspoon a day depending on skin and feather quality. Then the large Macaws you can give 1/8th to ¼ teaspoon daily depending on skin and feather quality.”
If your bird is suffering from “The Mutilation Syndrome” it may partially be because these essential fatty acids are lacking in your bird’s diet. Please keep in mind the above recommendations are only a guideline and depend on the overall health and vitality of your individual bird. Obviously if your bird is suffering from a health problem you need to consult with your licensed avian veterinarian before adding any additional oils to your bird’s diet. And if you know you bird already suffers from fatty liver disease, do not increase your bird’s intake of these fatty acids without first consulting with your licensed avian veterinarian.
A combination of hemp seed oil with flax seed oil on a regular basis, and then adding palm oil once a week should provide the dietary fat our birds need, especially if they are also receiving nuts every now and then. Coconut oil can be used on occasion for very specific reasons, or for certain species. It’s important to remember that in the wild our birds would be consuming these healthy fats on a regular basis; their systems are designed to metabolize these healthy plant fats.
Harmful fats, like long-chain animal fats from meat and dairy, have no place in our birds’ diet for the most part. These are the kind of fats that cause a buildup of cholesterol. Hydrogenated and trans-fats from industrial oils are extremely harmful for our birds, they come from highly processed foods. These are the kind of fats that will lead to cardiovascular problems, obesity and fatty liver disease because our birds’ systems cannot process these fats and utilize them.
But we must remember that these “good fats” are medium-chain “plant” fats and are therefore easier for the body to recognize as useable, digestible and easy to metabolize fats, they actually help reduce cholesterol in most cases. These are the kind of fats that give our birds energy, help their heart to pump blood, help their brain to function, provide lubrication for joints, aid in maintaining good eye sight and help to create beautiful feathers and supple skin. Without enough “good fat” in our birds’ diet every function of their body is going to suffer. You can learn lots more about “good fats” and the role they play in our diet as well as our birds’ diets in our series on “Dietary Fat: An Overview for Companion Birds“.
*Dieatary Fat during mating/breeding season: I have found the use of flax seed oil during mating/breeding season to be of wonderful use in calming the emotions of hormonal birds. The Omega 3′s in flax seed oil have a calming effect on the hormones in the brain that control the emotions. But during the mating/breeding season I highly recommend discontinuing the use of hemp seed and hemp seed oil completely. In some extreme cases flax seed/flax seed oil must be discontinued as well. But in most cases flax seed oil, because of its high content of Omega 3, is actually somewhat beneficial because of its overall calming effect. However, if you find that your bird is too sensitive to both hemp and flax seed oil during this hormonal time, discontinue the use and use only Coconut oil as it does not contain any properties that will antagonize hormones. You may find that even Palm Oil antagonizes hormones during this hormonal time of your bird’s cycle. Watch your bird carefully when feeding dietary oils during its hormonal cycle for any additional aggressive or emotional behaviors and discontinue the use of the oils if necessary.
*If at any time you begin to see black spots on your bird’s feathers, you may be feeding too much oil or fat to your bird, (Or this may be a sign of “Iron Storage Disease”) back off and consult your licensed avian veterinarian. You may need to have your bird’s blood lipid and lipoprotein panel checked and/or checked for fatty liver disease and/or place your bird on a liver detox regimen.
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Machelle Pacion / The BEST Bird Food / BirD-elicious! / Passion Tree House LLC © 2012 All Rights Reserved
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Machelle
