Flax seed

Question
I am 30 years old. This is the second time I am being
preganant,first time it got miscarried. I am on my 15th
week now. One of my friend advised me to have Wheat Bread
that contains Flax seeds daily.
Is it safe to consume this type of bread now? Also let me
know whether it is helpful for baby's growth.

Answer
Hello Mrs. Satish, and congratulations on your pregnancy!

Flax seeds are often recommended for people to take because of either the extra fiber contained (the benefits of fiber include helping maintain regular bowel function and possibly reducing the chances of some forms of cancer--namely colon cancer) or the high concentration of Omega 3 fatty acids (helpful in reducing heart disease through lowering cholesterol and triglycerides, and possibly reducing joint inflammation and also believed to help with some eye conditions).

I have no knowledge of a benefit flaxseed offers during pregnancy.
There is some amount of a phytoestrogen in flaxseed; a compound present that may mimic the female hormone (as you may have heard is present in soy products).  I don't know of any documented problems taking flaxseed during pregnancy, especially since you are only considering having bread that contains some flaxseed, so it won't be a large amount of the raw seed itself (which would bring up issues keeping the seed nice and fresh).

However, I would definitely encourage you to check with your obstetrician just to be sure he/she doesn't have any additional knowledge about flaxseed in pregnancy that may be useful to you.

Enjoy the pregnancy and the addition to your family!

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