Interactions on record — worth a quick check against your medications. Check your meds →
Dietary supplement

Organic Flax Oil Ingredients & Drug Interactions

by Herbal Select

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

Organic Flax Oil is a dietary supplement by Herbal Select with 1 active ingredient. Its ingredients are commonly taken for source of omega-3 (ala) fatty acids, heart and cholesterol health, dry skin and inflammation.Based on those ingredients, 379 medications have a known interaction with it, the most serious rated moderate. The ingredients most likely to interact are 100% pure cold-pressed organic Flax seed Oil. Use the checker below to test your specific medication, or read the full HelloPharmacist Interaction Report.

HelloPharmacist Scorecard of Organic Flax Oil by Herbal Select

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

Partial disclosure
Ingredient Transparency · database check
Partial

Most active ingredients list an amount, but at least one is hidden in a blend or missing.

Why this rating?
  • The label discloses an exact amount for 2 of its 3 active ingredients.
  • “100% pure cold-pressed organic Flax seed Oil” is listed as a grouped ingredient — the label gives one combined amount (1,000 mg) without saying how much of each component you get.

Herbal Select Organic Flax Oil is a softgel containing 3 active ingredients: linoleic acid, oleic acid, and alpha-linolenic acid — all naturally present in cold-pressed flax seed oil. The inactive ingredients are gelatin (the capsule), glycerin, and purified water.

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
Moderate

Some clinical evidence supports this product's ingredients for its stated purpose, but it isn't conclusive.

Why this rating?
  • The label markets this product for: Source of omega-3 fatty acids for health.
  • We looked for evidence on: Atherosclerosis, Cardiovascular disease (CVD), Coronary heart disease (CHD), Hypercholesterolemia, Hyperlipidemia, Hypertension — and 4 related terms.
  • The strongest evidence on file: Oleic Acid is rated "Possibly Effective" for Coronary heart disease (CHD) (Natural Medicines).
  • Also on file: Oleic Acid is rated "Possibly Effective" for Hypercholesterolemia.
  • Also on file: Oleic Acid is rated "Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate" for Hypertension, Stroke.

Oleic acid, one of this product's ingredients, is rated possibly effective for high cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia) and heart disease prevention (coronary heart disease). We don't have effectiveness data on file for the other two active ingredients in this product.

The evidence, ingredient by ingredient Flaxseed Oil 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 is generally recognized as safe. However, concentrated supplement doses of oleic acid haven't been well studied in pregnancy or during breastfeeding, so safety data is limited at higher levels.

The supplement-level amounts in this product lack good safety information for pregnancy and lactation. If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, talk with your doctor or pharmacist before starting it.

Side effects, ingredient by ingredient Flaxseed Oil 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.

Antidiabetes drugs (medications that lower blood sugar) are the main concern — oleic acid may increase their effect, so your dosing may need review. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist if you take any blood sugar medication before starting this product.

Check your own medication Run your meds through the checker above

The bottom line

Scorecard at a glancePartially disclosed formula with some supporting evidence for its stated purpose. Moderate medication interactions have been identified, and some safety-information gaps remain.

Organic flax oil may help with cholesterol and heart health through its oleic acid content, but the main thing to watch is any blood sugar medication you take — the oleic acid might boost its effects. If you take antidiabetes drugs, check with your doctor or pharmacist before adding this.

Pregnant or breastfeeding? Talk it over with your provider first, since safety data is sparse at supplement doses.

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

Assessment coverage: 1 of 3 active ingredients matched to our full ingredient reviews (monographs). Based on the product label dated Jun 25, 2014.

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 Organic Flax Oil, straight from the product label.

Brand Herbal Select
Barcode (UPC) 065279021323
Net contents 1000 mg; 90 Softgel(s)
Market status On market
Date entered into DSLD Jun 25, 2014
DSLD ID 34202
Product type Fat/fatty Acid
Supplement form Softgel Capsule
Dietary claims / uses Nutrient, All Other
Intended target group(s) Adult (18 - 50 Years), Dairy Free, Sugar 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 Organic Flax Oil by Herbal Select, 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)
UPC/BARCODE
065279021323
IngredientAmount% DV
Linoleic Acid123 mg--
Oleic Acid126 mg--
Alpha-Linolenic Acid0 NP--
100% pure cold-pressed organic Flax seed Oil1000 mg--

Other ingredients: Gelatin, Glycerin, purified 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.
Precautions

Do not use if seal is broken.

Formulation

This product contains no artificial preservatives or colours, flavour, sugar, dairy, egg, wheat, soy, corn, starch or yeast.

General Statements

Herbal Select organic flax oil begins with seed that is organically-grown on the pristine fields of the Canadian prairies. Our seed is then cold-pressed, without hexane and specially processed to ensure purity, potency and safety.

Potent-Max 100% pure cold-pressed

Standardized

Formula

Flax oil contains the highest level of Alpha Linoleic Acid (LNA) of any seed oil.

Suggested/Recommended/Usage/Directions

Directions: Take 1 softgel, 3 times per day.

See for yourself

Organic Flax Oil by Herbal Select label

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

What’s inside

The Ingredients in Organic Flax Oil by Herbal Select

This is the 1 active ingredient this product is made of. Select it to open its full monograph.

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

1000 mg per serving

Flaxseed oil is a plant-based source of the omega-3 fatty acid ALA, which the body can partly convert to the omega-3s found in fish oil. It may help s...

100% pure cold-pressed organic Flax seed Oil monograph & interactions
  • › Linoleic Acid
  • Oleic Acid
  • › Alpha-Linolenic Acid

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

Interaction report

Organic Flax Oil by Herbal Select Drug Interactions

Want to check YOUR meds against Organic Flax 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
379Drugs
379 Moderate

Ingredients driving the most interactions

Each ingredient & the kinds of drugs it affects

For each ingredient in Organic Flax 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.

100% pure cold-pressed organic Flax seed Oil3 drug types · 293 drugs

Anticoagulant/Antiplatelet Drugs

Theoretically, using flaxseed oil in combination with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs might have additive effects and increase the risk of bleeding.
Small clinical studies show that consuming flaxseed oil might decrease platelet aggregation and increase bleeding time.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D
Antihypertensive Drugs

Theoretically, combining flaxseed oil with other antihypertensive drugs might have additive effects and increase the risk of hypotension.
Some clinical evidence suggests that long-term consumption of flaxseed oil can modestly lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure, while other clinical research shows no effect.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D
Ezetimibe (Zetia)

Concomitant use of flaxseed oil and ezetimibe reduces the absorption of alpha-linolenic acid from flaxseed oil.
In one clinical study, concomitant consumption of ezetimibe 10 mg daily with flaxseed oil 2 grams providing 1 gram of alpha-linolenic acid daily blocked the absorption of alpha-linolenic acid, resulting in an overall reduction in alpha-linolenic plasma levels from baseline.

Likelihood Probable Evidence B
The maker

Brand information

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

Herbal Select

See all Herbal Select products
Name
Herbal Select
City
Guelph
State
Ontario
ZipCode
N1H 6J4
Phone Number
1-888-313-3369
Web Address
www.herbalselect.com
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Organic Flax Oil by Herbal Select: Common Questions

Does Organic Flax Oil by Herbal Select interact with any medications?
Yes. Based on its ingredients, Organic Flax Oil has a known interaction with 379 medications. Use the checker to see how it interacts with a specific drug.
How can one product interact with so many drugs?
Organic Flax Oil contains a single active ingredient, and that one ingredient can interact with many different medications on its own. We check it against each medication and show the mechanism 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.
Does this flax oil actually help with cholesterol?
The oleic acid in it is rated possibly effective for high cholesterol and heart disease based on available evidence. That means the research is promising but not yet conclusive — it's not a guarantee, but it's worth discussing with your doctor if you're interested in trying it.
Can I take this if I'm pregnant?
There isn't enough safety data on concentrated flax oil at supplement doses during pregnancy. Food amounts of oleic acid are fine, but this product is concentrated. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist — they can help you decide whether it's right for you right now.
What if I'm breastfeeding?
Safety data for supplement-level doses during breastfeeding is lacking. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before starting to make sure it's okay for your situation.
What's actually in these capsules besides the flax oil?
The softgels contain gelatin (the capsule itself), glycerin, and purified water — just inactive ingredients to hold the oil and make it easy to swallow.
Can I take this with my diabetes medication?
The oleic acid in flax oil may boost the effects of blood sugar drugs, which could lower your glucose too much. Don't start this without checking with your doctor or pharmacist first — they can review your specific medication and dosing.

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

Not sure if Organic Flax 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.

Organic Flax Oil label
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Organic Flax 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 40 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 →

Flaxseed Oil 21 references
  1. Kolonel LN, Nomura AM, Cooney RV. Dietary fat and prostate cancer: current status. J Natl Cancer Inst 1999;91:414-28. PubMed
  2. Ramon JM, Bou R, Romea S, et al. Dietary fat intake and prostate cancer risk: a case-control study in Spain. Cancer Causes Control 2000;11:679-85. PubMed
  3. Nordstrom DC, Honkanen VE, Nasu Y, et al. Alpha-linolenic acid in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. A double-blind, placebo-controlled and randomized study: flaxseed vs. safflower seed. Rheumatol Int 1995;14:231-4. PubMed
  4. De Stefani E, Deneo-Pellegrini H, Boffetta P, et al. Alpha-linolenic acid and risk of prostate cancer: a case-control study in Uruguay. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2000;9:335-8.
  5. Giovannucci E, Rimm EB, Colditz GA, et al. A prospective study of dietary fat and risk of prostate cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 1993;85:1571-9. PubMed
  6. Bloedon LT, Szapary PO. Flaxseed and cardiovascular risk. Nutr Rev 2004;62:18-27. DOI
  7. Laaksonen DE, Laukkanen JA, Niskanen L, et al. Serum linoleic and total polyunsaturated fatty acids in relation to prostate and other cancers: a population-based cohort study. Int J Cancer 2004;111:444-50.. PubMed
  8. Brouwer IA, Katan MB, Zock PL. Dietary alpha-linolenic acid is associated with reduced risk of fatal coronary heart disease, but increased prostate cancer risk: a meta-analysis. J Nutr 2004;134:919-22.
  9. Paschos GK, Magkos F, Panagiotakos DB, et al. Dietary supplementation with flaxseed oil lowers blood pressure in dyslipidaemic patients. Eur J Clin Nutr 2007;61:1201-6. PubMed
  10. Harper CR, Edwards MC, Jacobson TA. Flaxseed oil supplementation does not affect plasma lipoprotein concentration or particle size in human subjects. J Nutr 2006;136:2844-8. PubMed
  11. University of Montreal. Pregnant Women Consuming Flaxseed Oil Have High Risk Of Premature Birth.ScienceDaily, October 29, 2008. Available at: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081027140817.htm (Accessed May 14, 2009).
  12. Allman, M. A., Pena, M. M., and Pang, D. Supplementation with flaxseed oil versus sunflowerseed oil in healthy young men consuming a low fat diet: effects on platelet composition and function. Eur.J Clin.Nutr. 1995;49(3):169-178.
  13. Ursoniu S, Sahebkar A, Andrica F, Serban C, Banach M; Lipid and Blood Pressure Meta-analysis Collaboration Group. Effects of flaxseed supplements on blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled clinical trial. Clin Nutr. 2016 Jun;3 PubMed
  14. Taghizadeh M, Jamilian M, Mazloomi M, Sanami M, Asemi Z. A randomized-controlled clinical trial investigating the effect of omega-3 fatty acids on vitamin E co-supplementation on markers of insulin metabolism and lipid profiles in gestational diabetes. J
  15. Blackwood DP, LaVallee RK, Al Busaidi A, Jassal DS, Pierce GN. A randomized trial of the effects of ezetimibe on the absorption of omega-3 fatty acids in cardiac disease patients: a pilot study. Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2015 Oct;10(5):e155-e159. PubMed
  16. Morshedzadeh N, Shahrokh S, Aghdaei HA, et al. Effects of flaxseed and flaxseed oil supplement on serum levels of inflammatory markers, metabolic parameters and severity of disease in patients with ulcerative colitis. Complement Ther Med. 2019;46:36-43. PubMed
  17. Downie LE, Hom MM, Berdy GJ, et al. An artificial tear containing flaxseed oil for treating dry eye disease: A randomized controlled trial. Ocul Surf. 2020;18(1):148-157. PubMed
  18. Saleh-Ghadimi S, Kheirouri S, Golmohammadi A, Moludi J, Jafari-Vayghan H, Alizadeh M. Effect of flaxseed oil supplementation on anthropometric and metabolic indices in patients with coronary artery disease: A double-blinded randomized controlled trial. J PubMed
  19. Jamilian M, Tabassi Z, Reiner Z, et al. The effects of n-3 fatty acids from flaxseed oil on genetic and metabolic profiles in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Br J Nutr. 2020;123(7):792-799
  20. Li L, Li H, Gao Y, Vafaei S, Zhang X, Yang M. Effect of flaxseed supplementation on blood pressure: a systematic review, and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Food Funct 2023;14(2):675-690. PubMed
  21. Mahmudiono T, Jasim SA, Karim YS, et al. The effect of flaxseed oil consumption on blood pressure among patients with metabolic syndrome and related disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Phytother Res 2022;36(10):

See these in context on the Flaxseed Oil 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

Keep exploring