Warning to pregnant women - flaxseed oil 'ups' the risk of a premature birth

Canadian scientists are warning that pregnant women who consume flaxseed oil put themselves at risk of a premature delivery.

The scientists from Montreal University have found that the risks of a premature birth quadruple if flaxseed oil is consumed in the last two trimesters of pregnancy.

The study which examined the dangers of some natural products was conducted by Professor Anick Bérard of the Université de Montréal's Faculty of Pharmacy and the Sainte-Justine Hospital Research Center and Master's student Krystel Moussally.

In Canada, 50% of pregnant women use prescription medication but many of them prefer to use natural health products during the pregnancy in the belief that such products are safe because they are natural.

But Professor Bérard says in reality, they are chemical products of which the risks and benefits are unknown contrary to prescribed medication.

Bérard and Moussally have conducted one of the largest studies ever undertaken on by analyzing data from 3,354 Quebec women - the first part of the research established that close to 10% of women between 1998 and 2003 used natural health products during their pregnancy.

Before and after pregnancy, respectively 15 and 14% used these products and the increase means that about a third of women consuming natural health products stopped during the pregnancy.

The most consumed natural health products by pregnant women are chamomile (19%), green tea (17%), peppered mint (12%), and flaxseed oil (12%).

When Bérard and Moussally correlated these products to premature births, only one product had a very strong correlation - flaxseed oil.

Professor Bérard says in the general population, the average rate of premature births is 2 to 3%, but for women consuming flaxseed oil in their last two trimesters that number jumps up to 12%, which is an enormous risk.

The correlation existed only with flaxseed oil, as women consuming the actual seed were unaffected.

Professor Bérard says even if more studies must be undertaken to verify these results, caution should be used when it comes to consuming flaxseed oil.