I too have found flax seed to be a good additive. It did help me with bowel movements. I can tell difference between when I take it and don't. I really like the crunch it gives my food.

I read (I think in WEBMD) that flax seed is good but not flax seed oil.

I take a lot of supplements. My R/Os at UFHPTI is a big supporter of supplements vitamins, etc. My HF doctor at Mayo does not like them.

So you can see medical profession has some different views on them. I think if you ate a perfect diet you would not need them. But who eats a perfect diet.

I know when I was to start my radiation treatments at UFHPTI they wanted me off all my supplements. They identified which ones I should not take. What they told me was there were several studies published that showed that supplements that are taken to lower inflamation and oxidation help protect cells.

UFHPTI said some other showed did not. They chose to use the supplements do help protect cells. Problem is that the supplements protect not just normal cells but cancer cells as well. So getting radiation treatments they did not want something in my system protecting the cancer cells from the damage of radiation when that was the purpose of radiation.

I really like the flavor and crunch of flax seed regardless of benefits or no benefits.