Flax seeds have been regarded for their capacity to safeguard health for ages.
In actuality, Charles the Great commanded his people to consume flax seeds for health reasons. Therefore, it seems sense that they were given the name Linum usitatissimum, which means “the most helpful.”
More scientific study is now demonstrating the health advantages of flax seeds, which are now being referred to as “super foods.”
Here are 10 scientifically proven health advantages of flax seeds.
1. Flax Seeds Are Loaded With Nutrients
One of the first crops is flax seeds, which have been grown since the dawn of civilization. Both the brown and golden varieties are equally nourishing.
One tablespoon is the standard serving amount for crushed flax seeds (7 grams).
In addition to being a healthy source of several vitamins and minerals, just one tablespoon offers a substantial quantity of protein, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Among the nutrients in one tablespoon of ground flax seeds are:
- Calories: 37
- Protein: 1.3 grams
- Carbs: 2 grams
- Fiber: 1.9 grams
- Total fat: 3 grams
- Saturated fat: 0.3 grams
- Monounsaturated fat: 0.5 grams
- Polyunsaturated fat: 2.0 grams
- Omega-3 fatty acids: 1,597 mg
- Vitamin B1: 8% of the RDI
- Vitamin B6: 2% of the RDI
- Folate: 2% of the RDI
- Calcium: 2% of the RDI
- Iron: 2% of the RDI
- Magnesium: 7% of the RDI
- Phosphorus: 4% of the RDI
- Potassium: 2% of the RDI
It’s interesting to note that the fiber, lignans, and omega-3 fatty acids found in flax seeds are mostly responsible for their health advantages.
SUMMARY:
Many nutrients are found in abundance in flax seeds. Their omega-3 fat, lignan, and fiber content is primarily responsible for their health advantages.
2. Flax Seeds Are High in Omega-3 Fats
Your finest supply of omega-3 fatty acids may be flax seeds if you are a vegetarian or don’t consume seafood.
They are a good source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a kind of omega-3 fatty acid mostly found in plants.
One of the two necessary fatty acids that you must have from food since your body cannot generate it is ALA.
Animal studies have demonstrated that the ALA in flax seeds lowers inflammation in the arteries, inhibits tumor growth, and prevents cholesterol from being formed in the blood channels of the heart.
A 3,638-person research in Costa Rica discovered that individuals who ingested more ALA had a decreased risk of heart attack than those who did not.
Additionally, ALA was found to be associated with a 14% decreased risk of heart disease in a thorough analysis of 27 trials including more than 250,000 persons.
A decreased risk of stroke has also been associated with ALA in several studies.
Furthermore, a recent analysis of observational data found that ALA has heart health advantages equivalent to those of the more well-known omega-3 fats eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
SUMMARY:
An abundant source of the omega-3 fatty acid ALA is flax seeds. ALA fatty acids derived from plants have been shown to offer advantages for heart health and are associated with a decreased incidence of stroke.
3. Flax Seeds Are a Rich Source of Lignans, Which May Reduce Cancer Risk
Plant substances called lignans contain both antioxidant and estrogenic characteristics that can help reduce the risk of cancer and enhance health.
Interestingly, lignans are found in flax seeds up to 800 times more than in other plant diets.
Flax seed eaters, especially postmenopausal women, had a decreased risk of breast cancer, according to observational research.
Additionally, consuming flax seeds is associated with an 18% lower risk of breast cancer, according to a Canadian research involving more than 6,000 women.
But consuming flax seeds can also be advantageous for guys.
In a short research with 15 men, those who consumed 30 grams of flax seeds daily while adhering to a low-fat diet had lower levels of a prostate cancer marker, indicating a decreased chance of developing the disease.
In lab and animal experiments, flax seeds also showed promise in preventing skin and colon cancer. However, further study is required to substantiate this.
Nevertheless, the research to date suggests that flax seeds may be a useful meal in the struggle against several malignancies.
SUMMARY:
Lignans are a class of minerals found in flax seeds that have potent estrogenic and antioxidant activities. They might aid in the prevention of various cancers as well as breast and prostate cancer.
4. Flax Seeds Are Rich in Dietary Fiber
Three grams of fiber, or 8–12% of the daily recommended consumption for men and women, are present in just one tablespoon of flax seeds.
Additionally, flax seeds contain both soluble (20–40%) and insoluble (60–80%) dietary fiber.
This fiber pair thickens stools and promotes more regular bowel motions by being fermented by microorganisms in the big intestine.
On the one hand, soluble fiber slows down digestion and makes the contents of your intestines more consistent. This has been demonstrated to decrease cholesterol and assist control blood sugar.
Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, causes softer stools by allowing more water to bind to the stools and by increasing their volume. This is beneficial for those with diverticular disease or irritable bowel syndrome as well as for avoiding constipation.
SUMMARY:
Adding flax seeds to your diet encourages regular bowel movements and can enhance your digestive health since they contain so much fiber in each little seed.
5. Flax Seeds May Improve Cholesterol
Lowering cholesterol levels is another advantage of flax seeds for health.
In one research, ingesting 3 tablespoons (30 grams) of flaxseed powder daily for three months reduced “bad” LDL cholesterol by almost 20% and total cholesterol by 17% in persons with high cholesterol.
A 12% rise in “good” HDL cholesterol was observed after ingesting 1 tablespoon (10 grams) of flaxseed powder daily for one month in a different trial of persons with diabetes.
Consuming 30 grams of flax seeds per day reduced total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in postmenopausal women by around 7% and 10%, respectively.
The fiber in flax seeds, which binds to bile salts and is then eliminated by the body, seems to be the cause of these effects.
Cholesterol is taken into your liver from your blood in order to replace these bile salts. Your blood cholesterol levels drop as a result of this procedure.
This is undoubtedly encouraging news for anybody trying to lower their cholesterol.
SUMMARY:
Flax seeds’ high fiber content has the potential to significantly improve heart health by lowering cholesterol.
6. Flax Seeds May Lower Blood Pressure
The natural potential of flax seeds to reduce blood pressure has also been the subject of studies.
According to a Canadian research, consuming 30 grams of flax seeds per day for six months reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 10 and 7 millimeters of mercury, respectively.
Flax seeds further lowered blood pressure in individuals who were already using blood pressure medication, resulting in a 17% drop in patients with uncontrolled high blood pressure.
Furthermore, ingesting flax seeds daily for longer than three months decreased blood pressure by 2 mmHg, according to a thorough study that examined information from 11 trials.
While it might not seem like much, a 2-mmHg drop in blood pressure can reduce the chance of dying from heart disease by 7% and a stroke by 10%.
SUMMARY:
Flax seeds are especially beneficial for those with high blood pressure since they have been shown to reduce blood pressure.
7. They Contain High-Quality Protein
There is rising interest in flaxseed protein and its health advantages. Flax seeds are an excellent source of plant-based protein. The amino acids arginine, aspartic acid, and glutamic acid are prevalent in flaxseed protein.
The flaxseed protein helps boost immune function, cut cholesterol, prevent cancers, and had anti-fungal capabilities, according to several lab and animal studies.
Flax seeds could be the solution for you if you’re thinking about eating less meat but are concerned that you won’t be able to handle it.
In reality, 21 people were given either an animal protein lunch or a plant protein meal in a recent research. The study discovered no distinction between the two meals in terms of desire, satiety, or food consumption.
It’s possible that both the animal and plant protein meals triggered digestive hormones to make people feel full, which led them to eat less at their next meal.
SUMMARY:
People who don’t consume meat may use flax seeds as an alternate source of protein because they are a good source of plant-based protein.
8. Flax Seeds May Help Control Blood Sugar
Globally, type 2 diabetes is a serious health issue.
High blood sugar levels that are caused by either the body’s inability to produce enough insulin or its resistance to it are its defining feature.
According to a few studies, patients with type 2 diabetes who had 10–20 grams of flaxseed powder every day for at least a month observed blood sugar levels drop by 8–20%.
The insoluble fiber included in flax seeds is primarily responsible for this blood sugar-lowering impact. Insoluble fiber lowers blood sugar levels by delaying the release of sugar into the blood, according to research.
One trial, however, demonstrated no benefit in the treatment of diabetes or a change in blood sugar levels.
This could be as a result of the study’s limited sample size and usage of flaxseed oil. Flax seeds’ ability to reduce blood sugar is attributed to their high fiber content, whereas flaxseed oil lacks.
Overall, adding flax seeds to a diabetic person’s diet can be healthy and useful.
SUMMARY:
Due to the insoluble fiber included in flax seeds, they may help reduce blood sugar. They may be a useful supplement to a diabetic person’s diet.
9. Flax Seeds Keep Hunger at Bay, Which May Aid Weight Control
If you tend to nibble in between meals, you might want to think about putting flax seeds in your drink to stave off hunger.
According to one study, putting 2.5 grams of ground flax fiber extract in a beverage decreased appetite and hunger.
The soluble fiber in flax seeds is probably what contributed to the lessened sensations of hunger. It slows down stomach digestion, which releases a variety of hormones that regulate hunger and give a sense of fullness.
Dietary fiber from flax seeds may help with weight management by decreasing appetite and enhancing feelings of fullness.
SUMMARY:
Flax seeds make you feel fuller for longer and may aid with weight management by reducing your appetite.
10. Flax Seeds Can Be a Versatile Ingredient
Many popular foods can be enhanced with flax seeds or flaxseed oil. Try these things:
- Adding them to water and drinking it as part of your daily fluid intake
- Drizzling flaxseed oil as a dressing on salad
- Sprinkling ground flax seeds over your hot or cold breakfast cereal
- Mixing them into your favorite yogurt
- Adding them into cookie, muffin, bread or other batters
- Mixing them into smoothies to thicken up the consistency
- Adding them to water as an egg substitute
- Incorporating them into meat patties
SUMMARY:
Flax seeds are adaptable and simple to incorporate into your everyday diet. You may experiment with a number of recipes.
Tips for Adding Flax Seeds to Your Diet
Consuming flax seeds is said to provide a number of amazing health advantages.
The following advice will help you incorporate these small seeds into your diet.
Consume Ground Seeds Rather Than Whole
Choose ground flax seeds over whole ones since they are simpler to digest.
Whole flax seeds won’t provide you as many advantages because your intestines can’t break down the thick seed shell.
Nevertheless, you may still purchase whole flax seeds, crush them in a coffee grinder, and then keep the ground flax seeds in an airtight container.
What About Flaxseed Oil?
Flaxseed oil is now again being used because of its nutritional value and health advantages.
It is often extracted using a technique known as cold pressing.
Oil should be kept in dark glass bottles and maintained in a dark, cold location, such a kitchen cupboard, because it is sensitive to heat and light.
Flaxseed oil should not be used for high-heat cooking since some of its nutrients are heat-sensitive.
However, some studies have indicated that utilizing flaxseed oil in mild stir-frying at temperatures up to 350°F/177°C did not result in any loss of oil quality.
It’s important to note that ALA is found in flaxseed oil more so than flax seeds. In comparison to flaxseed oil, which has 7 grams per tablespoon, ground flaxseed has 1.6 grams.
However, a variety of additional healthy elements, including as fiber, are present in flax seeds that are not present in the oil that is derived from them. Ground flax seeds are a fantastic place to start if you want to completely benefit from flax seeds’ health advantages.
How Much Do You Need?
With just 1 tablespoon (10 grams) of powdered flax seeds per day, the health advantages mentioned in the trials above were seen.
It is advised to limit daily servings of flax seeds to no more than 5 tablespoons (50 grams).
SUMMARY:
The biggest health advantages come from ground flax seeds. To preserve the nutritious value of flaxseed oil, use it while cooking at a lower temperature and keep it in a cold, dark area.
The Bottom Line
Flax seeds are loaded with nourishment, which is healthy.
Despite their small size, they are high in fiber, lignans, and ALA, an omega-3 fatty acid that has been linked to a number of possible health advantages.
They can be used to lessen the risk of cancer, lower blood pressure, lower bad cholesterol, enhance digestive health, and may even help patients with diabetes.
Flax seeds or flaxseed oil are simple to incorporate into your diet as a versatile dietary element.
There is no better time than now to pick up some flax seeds from your neighborhood grocery shop because they have several health advantages that have been proved, and probably more.