Interactions on record — worth a quick check against your medications. Based on 1 of 3 ingredients. Check your meds →
Dietary supplement

Flax Seed Oil Ingredients & Drug Interactions

by Douglas Laboratories

Softgel Capsule Category: Fat/fatty Acid
Most serious interaction: Moderate
The interaction bottom line Most serious interaction: Moderate

Flax Seed Oil is a dietary supplement by Douglas Laboratories with 3 active ingredients. Its ingredients are commonly taken for heart health, healthy cooking fat, skin moisturizing.Based on those ingredients, 86 medications have a known interaction with it, the most serious rated moderate. The ingredients most likely to interact are Oleic Acid. Use the checker below to test your specific medication, or read the full HelloPharmacist Interaction Report.

HelloPharmacist Scorecard of Flax Seed Oil by Douglas Laboratories

Our pharmacy team’s full take, with four database checks built into the cards below — a summary of what is known, not a grade of the product itself.

From our pharmacy team — supplement deep dive

What’s inside

Full disclosure
Ingredient Transparency · database check
Full

Every active ingredient lists its own amount on the label.

Why this rating?
  • The label discloses an exact amount for 4 of its 4 active ingredients.
  • No proprietary blends here — you can verify the dose of every single component.

Douglas Laboratories Flax Seed Oil is a softgel containing four active ingredients: polyunsaturated fat, linoleic acid, oleic acid, and alpha-linolenic acid — all derived from flax seed oil. The capsules also contain gelatin, glycerin, and water as inactive ingredients.

Does it work?

Moderate evidence
Evidence for Intended Use · database check
By FDA rules, dietary supplements can’t claim to treat, cure, or prevent disease — so labels speak in careful marketing language. We discern each product’s intended use from its name, label claims, and label statements, then grade the clinical evidence for that use. How these ratings are computed

This product doesn't appear to be marketed for a specific use, so we graded Oleic Acid's overall clinical evidence instead.

Moderate

Some clinical evidence supports Oleic Acid for:

Why this rating?
  • We looked at the product name, claims, and label statements and couldn't find a stated purpose to grade.
  • Since the label doesn't commit to one use, we graded the ingredient's overall clinical evidence instead.
  • On file: Coronary heart disease (CHD) — rated "Possibly Effective" (Natural Medicines).
  • On file: Hypercholesterolemia — rated "Possibly Effective" (Natural Medicines).

The oleic acid in this product is rated possibly effective for high cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia) and coronary heart disease (CHD). The evidence we hold doesn't establish effectiveness ratings for the other ingredients in this product.

The evidence, ingredient by ingredient Oleic Acid

How safe is it?

Some data gaps
Safety Information · database check
Some gaps

Safety data exists for these ingredients, but with some important gaps.

Why this rating?
  • We hold adverse-effect (side-effect) data for 0 of the 1 matched ingredient.
  • Pregnancy & breastfeeding safety ratings cover 1 of 1.
  • General safety write-ups exist for 1 of 1.
  • Remember: this measures how much safety information exists. Thin data is not the same as being safe.

Oleic acid from food amounts — like what you'd get from eating olive oil — is generally recognized as safe. However, concentrated supplements like this haven't been well studied in pregnancy or breastfeeding.

The safety data we hold advises caution with supplement-level doses during pregnancy and lactation. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist before taking this if you're pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding.

Side effects, ingredient by ingredient Oleic Acid

Meds to double-check

Moderate interaction found
Known Interaction Concern · database check
Moderate identified

The most serious documented interaction for these ingredients is Moderate. Check your medications for a personalized result.

Why this rating?
  • 1 of the 1 matched ingredient can interact with medications — Oleic Acid.
  • The most serious interaction on file is rated Moderate.
  • Some involve high-stakes drug classes: diabetes medications.
  • For scale: 86 individual medications appear in the full list. A big number alone doesn't make a product dangerous — what matters is whether YOUR medication is on it, so run yours through the interaction checker on this page.

If you take antidiabetes drugs (blood sugar medications), double-check with your doctor or pharmacist before starting this product — oleic acid may strengthen their effects and lower your blood sugar more than intended. We could not check the interaction data for polyunsaturated fat, linoleic acid, and alpha-linolenic acid, so ask your pharmacist about those ingredients too if you take other medications.

Check your own medication Run your meds through the checker above

The bottom line

Scorecard at a glanceFully disclosed formula with some supporting evidence behind its ingredients' uses. Moderate medication interactions have been identified, and some safety-information gaps remain.

Flax Seed Oil may be worth considering if you're interested in supporting cholesterol or heart health, since oleic acid shows preliminary promise for both. If you take diabetes medications, check with your doctor or pharmacist first — this product could increase their effects on your blood sugar.

Pregnant or breastfeeding? Talk it over with your healthcare provider, since concentrated flax oil supplements lack good safety data in those situations.

Educational only — not medical advice; always confirm with your pharmacist. Our editorial policy · How we use AI

Assessment coverage: 1 of 4 active ingredients matched to our full ingredient reviews (monographs). Based on the product label dated Jul 23, 2020.

This Scorecard evaluates available label information, ingredient evidence, and known medication-safety considerations. It does not independently verify product identity, purity, potency, contamination, or manufacturing quality. How these ratings are computed

At a glance

General information

Key facts about Flax Seed Oil, straight from the product label.

Brand Douglas Laboratories
Barcode (UPC) 310539978726
Net contents 100 Softgel(s)
Market status On market
Date entered into DSLD Jul 23, 2020
DSLD ID 230529
Product type Fat/fatty Acid
Supplement form Softgel Capsule
Dietary claims / uses All Other, Structure/Function
Intended target group(s) Adult (18 - 50 Years), Gluten Free
From the label
Everything in this section is reproduced from the manufacturer’s own product label — it’s the label speaking, not HelloPharmacist. We show it so you can see exactly what the maker states; we don’t verify or endorse those statements.

Supplement Facts

The label details for Flax Seed Oil by Douglas Laboratories, sourced from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database.

Supplement Facts

Daily Value (DV) Target Group(s):
Adults and children 4 or more years of age
Minimum serving Sizes:
1 Softgel(s)
Maximum serving Sizes:
1 Softgel(s)
Servings per container
100
UPC/BARCODE
310539978726
IngredientAmount% DV
Calories9 Calorie(s)--
Total Fat1 Gram(s)1%
Polyunsaturated Fat1 Gram(s)--
Linoleic Acid110 mg--
Oleic Acid140 mg--
Alpha-Linolenic Acid520 mg--

Other ingredients: organic Flax seed Oil, Gelatin, Glycerin, Water

Tap any ingredient to jump to its full detail below.

Label statements
These statements are the manufacturer’s wording, reproduced from the product label — the label is saying it, not HelloPharmacist. We don’t verify or endorse them.
Suggested/Recommended/Usage/Directions

Suggested Usage: As a dietary supplement, adults take 1 softgel daily or as directed by your health professional.

Precautions

Warning: If you are pregnant or nursing, or if you are taking prescription medications, consult your health professional before using this supplement.

Keep out of the reach of children.

Use only if safety seal is intact.

Storage

Store in a cool, dry place.

Formulation

Gluten-free, Non-GMO

Essential fatty acid support

FDA Disclaimer Statement

This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

General Statements

Contents may not fill package in order to accommodate required labeling. Please rely on stated quantity. Scan to learn about our manufacturing excellence.

FDA Statement of Identity

Dietary Supplement

See for yourself

Flax Seed Oil by Douglas Laboratories label

The label scan from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Tap to enlarge.

What’s inside

The Ingredients in Flax Seed Oil by Douglas Laboratories

These are the 3 active ingredients this product is made of. Select any to open its full monograph.

Serving size1 Softgel(s) Dosage formSoftgel Capsule Servings per container100 Amounts shown are per serving.

Most supplement products combine several ingredients, and a medication can interact with the product through any one of them. Each ingredient below shows whether it has known drug interactions.

Linoleic Acid

110 mg per serving

Oleic Acid

Interacts with
86 drugs
140 mg per serving

Oleic acid is a heart-healthy monounsaturated fat found mainly in olive oil, canola oil, avocados, and nuts. As part of a Mediterranean-style diet, it...

Oleic Acid monograph & interactions

Alpha-Linolenic Acid

520 mg per serving

Other (inactive) ingredients: Organic Flax seed Oil, Gelatin, Glycerin, Water. These complete the product’s ingredient list but are not active constituents.

Interaction report

Flax Seed Oil by Douglas Laboratories Drug Interactions

Want to check YOUR meds against Flax Seed Oil?

Ask about interactions with your drugs in plain English — “Can I take it with lisinopril?” — and we find you the answer in seconds, ingredient by ingredient.

Go to the checker
86Drugs
86 Moderate

Ingredients driving the most interactions

Each ingredient & the kinds of drugs it affects

For each ingredient in Flax Seed Oil with known interactions, here are the types of medications it can affect. Open any type for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

Oleic Acid1 drug type · 86 drugs

Antidiabetes Drugs

Theoretically, oleic acid might increase the effects of antidiabetes drugs. Preliminary clinical research in patients with type 2 diabetes taking oral hypoglycemic drugs shows that eating a diet rich in oleic acid from olive oil decreases fasting blood glucose levels when compared to eating a diet rich in linoleic acid from sunflower oil. It is unknown if taking oleic acid supplements would have this effect or if this change is clinically significant. Until more is known, use caution. Dose adjustment may be necessary. Some antidiabetes drugs include glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase PresTab, Micronase), insulin, metformin (Glucophage), pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), and others.

Likelihood Possible Evidence B
The maker

Brand information

Manufacturer and brand details for Flax Seed Oil, from the product label.

Douglas Laboratories

See all Douglas Laboratories products
Name
Douglas Laboratories
Street Address
600 Boyce Road
City
Pittsburgh
State
PA
ZipCode
15205
Phone Number
1.800.245.4440
Web Address
www.douglaslabs.com
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Flax Seed Oil by Douglas Laboratories: Common Questions

Does Flax Seed Oil by Douglas Laboratories interact with any medications?
Yes. Based on its ingredients, Flax Seed Oil has a known interaction with 86 medications. Use the checker to see how it interacts with a specific drug.
How can one product interact with so many drugs?
Flax Seed Oil contains 3 active ingredients, and an interaction can come from any of them. We check every ingredient, combine the results into one list per medication, and show which ingredient and mechanism is responsible.
Where does this information come from?
The product label data comes from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD); the interaction data is built on the Natural Medicines database and reviewed by HelloPharmacist pharmacists.
What is oleic acid, and why is it in flax seed oil?
Oleic acid is a naturally occurring fat found in flax seed oil and many other plant oils like olive oil. It's included because preliminary research suggests it may help support healthy cholesterol and heart health.
Will this affect my diabetes medication?
Possibly — oleic acid may increase the effects of antidiabetes drugs, which could lower your blood sugar more than expected. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking this product if you use any diabetes medications.
Is flax seed oil safe to take while pregnant or breastfeeding?
Food amounts of oleic acid are considered safe, but concentrated supplement doses like this one haven't been well studied in pregnancy or breastfeeding. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist for personalized advice before taking it.
What are the other ingredients in these capsules?
Besides the active oils, each softgel contains gelatin, glycerin, and water as binders and fill materials.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Not sure if Flax Seed Oil is safe with your meds?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

Label information is sourced from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database and reflects the product version on file; always read your actual product label. This page is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Confirm with your pharmacist or doctor before combining supplements and medications.

Flax Seed Oil label
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Flax Seed Oil's label data comes from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database; the ingredient interaction data is from the Natural Medicines database, reviewed by our pharmacists.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

The 19 references behind this product’s interaction data

Every citation that drives the interaction findings for this product’s ingredients, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Open an ingredient to browse its citations — links open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

Oleic Acid 19 references
  1. Madigan C, Ryan M, Owens D, et al. Dietary unsaturated fatty acids in type 2 diabetes: higher levels of postprandial lipoprotein on a linoleic acid-rich sunflower oil diet compared with an oleic acid-rich olive oil diet. Diabetes Care 2000;23:1472-7. PubMed
  2. Gillingham, L. G., Gustafson, J. A., Han, S. Y., Jassal, D. S., and Jones, P. J. High-oleic rapeseed (canola) and flaxseed oils modulate serum lipids and inflammatory biomarkers in hypercholesterolaemic subjects. Br J Nutr 2011;105(3):417-427. PubMed
  3. Jones PJ, Senanayake VK, Pu S, Jenkins DJ, Connelly PW, Lamarche B, Couture P, Charest A, Baril-Gravel L, West SG, Liu X, Fleming JA, McCrea CE, Kris-Etherton PM. DHA-enriched high-oleic acid canola oil improves lipid profile and lowers predicted cardiova
  4. Cater, N. B., Heller, H. J., and Denke, M. A. Comparison of the effects of medium-chain triacylglycerols, palm oil, and high oleic acid sunflower oil on plasma triacylglycerol fatty acids and lipid and lipoprotein concentrations in humans. Am.J Clin.Nutr PubMed
  5. Mozaffarian D, Clarke R. Quantitative effects on cardiovascular risk factors and coronary heart disease risk of replacing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils with other fats and oils. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2009;63(Suppl 2):S22-33. PubMed
  6. Cao Y, Hou L, Wang W. Dietary total fat and fatty acids intake, serum fatty acids and risk of breast cancer: A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Int J Cancer. 2016;138(8):1894-904. doi: 10.1002/ijc.29938. PubMed
  7. FDA completes review of qualified health claim petition for oleic acid and the risk of coronary heart disease. November 2018. Available at: www.fda.gov/Food/NewsEvents/ConstituentUpdates/ucm624758.htm. Accessed January 25, 2019.
  8. Liu X, Kris-Etherton PM, West SG, et al. Effects of canola and high-oleic-acid canola oils on abdominal fat mass in individuals with central obesity. Obesity. 2016;24(11):2261-2268. PubMed
  9. Bowen KJ, Kris-Etherton PM, West SG, et al. Diets enriched with conventional or high-oleic acid canola oils lower atherogenic lipids and lipoproteins compared to a diet with a western fatty acid profile in adults with central adiposity. J Nutr. 2019;149(3 PubMed
  10. Steffen BT, Duprez D, Szklo M, Guan W, Tsai MY. Circulating oleic acid levels are related to greater risks of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. J Clin Lipidol. 2018;12(6):1404-1412. PubMed
  11. Banim PJ, Luben R, Khaw KT, Hart AR. Dietary oleic acid is inversely associated with pancreatic cancer - Data from food diaries in a cohort study. Pancreatology. 2018;18(6):655-660. PubMed
  12. Morin SJ, Gaziano JM, Djoussé L. Relation between plasma phospholipid oleic acid and risk of heart failure. Eur J Nutr. 2018;57(8):2937-2942. PubMed
  13. Samieri C, Féart C, Proust-Lima C, et al. Olive oil consumption, plasma oleic acid, and stroke incidence: the Three-City Study. Neurology. 2011;77(5):418-25. PubMed
  14. Compher CW, Kinosian BP, Rubesin SE, Ratcliffe SJ, Metz DC. Energy absorption is reduced with oleic acid supplements in human short bowel syndrome. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2009;33(1):102-8. PubMed
  15. Ben Fradj MK, Ouanes Y, Hadj-Taieb S, et al. Decreased oleic acid and marine n?-?3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in Tunisian patients with urothelial bladder cancer. Nutr Cancer. 2018;70(7):1043-1050.
  16. de Silva PS, Luben R, Shrestha SS, Khaw KT, Hart AR. Dietary arachidonic and oleic acid intake in ulcerative colitis etiology: a prospective cohort study using 7-day food diaries. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2014;26(1):11-8. PubMed
  17. Higashi K, Shige H, Ito T, et al. Effect of a low-fat diet enriched with oleic acid on postprandial lipemia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Lipids. 2001;36(1):1-6. PubMed
  18. Lin HC, van Citters GW, Heimer F, Bonorris G. Slowing of gastrointestinal transit by oleic acid: a preliminary report of a novel, nutrient-based treatment in humans. Dig Dis Sci. 2001;46(2):223-9. PubMed
  19. Li D, Tong Y, Li Y. Associations between dietary oleic acid and linoleic acid and depressive symptoms in perimenopausal women: The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation. Nutrition. 2020 Mar;71:110602. PubMed

See these in context on the Oleic Acid monograph →

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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