| Being a consumer isn't easy. And it's not | | | | polishing furniture and making linoleum |
| like you can major in it in college (you can | | | | flooring (and this is why it's not considered |
| major in marketing, but there are no degrees | | | | edible by humans!). Marketers knew that you'd |
| in consumerism). | | | | never eat the stuff if they called it linseed |
| | | | oil, so they changed the name to flaxseed |
| When you're a consumer, you really have to | | | | oil. |
| have your wits about you and be constantly on | | | | |
| your guard for slick marketing executives and | | | | In a way, it's like Prego Pasta Sauces. When |
| ad agents who's only purpose in life is to | | | | Campbell's, as in the soup company, came out |
| SELL YOU SOMETHING. When you keep your eyes | | | | with their pasta sauce years ago, nobody |
| open, you'll see that they're willing to tell | | | | bought it. The name Campbell's had been |
| you anything to get you to buy, buy, buy. | | | | associated with soup for so long that most |
| | | | consumers imagined Campbell's Pasta Sauce |
| Let's take flaxseed oil as a perfect example | | | | would be soupy and thin. So they changed the |
| of slick marketing. It's sold as a great | | | | name to Prego and it became a leading brand. |
| source of omega 3 oils, but the truth is it | | | | Same product, different name. |
| isn't. And I can prove it! | | | | |
| | | | When you take away the fact that science |
| A recent study published in the July 2006 | | | | tells us it's not a good source and that it's |
| issue of the American Journal of Clinical | | | | not part of the human food chain (it's |
| Nutrition confirmed what I've been telling | | | | actually a by-product of the linen industry), |
| people for years about flaxseed oil. And I | | | | what's left to market about it? Nothing |
| quote, "Evidence suggests that increased | | | | really! So marketers sell flaxseed oil by |
| consumption of n-3 FAs [omega 3 fatty acids] | | | | highlighting perceived problems with their |
| from fish or fish-oil supplements, but not of | | | | competition, which in this case is fish oils. |
| alpha-linolenic acid [flaxseed oil], reduces | | | | |
| the rates of all-cause mortality, cardiac and | | | | They'll tell you that there's no fishy after |
| sudden death, and possibly stroke." Pretty | | | | taste with flaxseed oil. Well, fish is fish |
| convincing! | | | | folks and you have to decide what's more |
| | | | important, your long-term health or the |
| In spite of the scientific evidence to the | | | | momentary taste of fish. |
| contrary, a marketer's job is to make | | | | |
| flaxseed oil look like a "hero" in your mind | | | | They'll also say things like fish "may" have |
| and he or she does this with words and mental | | | | heavy metals and toxins which flaxseed oil |
| images. Let's dissect some of their words and | | | | doesn't. This may be true, especially if |
| mental images of flaxseed oil and see what's | | | | you're eating less than desirable fish from a |
| behind them. | | | | disreputable source. But they obviously don't |
| | | | know every source of fish oil. I personally |
| They'll tell you that flaxseed oil is | | | | know of one that is screened for over 160 |
| natural. This might be in that it's not | | | | toxins with a detectable limit of ZERO before |
| "man-made," but it's not natural to the human | | | | the source will be used. |
| food chain. It"s not even considered edible | | | | |
| oil for humans by many scientists. Why? Let's | | | | The last two examples are a cheap shot |
| keep looking at the marketing. | | | | marketing ploy used by companies with NO |
| | | | other merit to their product who want to play |
| Why do they call it flaxseed oil when that's | | | | on misunderstandings and unfounded fears |
| not what it was called for centuries? That's | | | | about fish. |
| right, flaxseed oil has another name. | | | | |
| | | | Don't buy it and don't buy flaxseed oil for |
| Traditionally it's been called "linseed oil" | | | | your health. If you do, you'll only be buying |
| and linseed oil is used for thinning paint, | | | | a bottle of slick oily marketing. |