Today, I’m going to give the low-down on flax seeds and its health benefits. Why do we need this oily looking seeds and why is it so good for us? Well, read on to find out more.
Health Benefits of Flax Seed
These tiny golden seeds (or brown) do pack a lot of health benefits, much more than sesame seeds although they both look alike, in a way. Flax seeds are a bit bigger than sesame seeds and looks oilier. Well, no wonder, because flax seed is high fat. Before the alarm bells ring in your head due to the words ‘high fat’, let me explain further.
Flax seed is:
1. High in Omega-3 fatty acids – this means it is high in the good type of fatty acids that help to reduce heart disease, bad cholesterol and all that stuff. These are not exactly fattening fatty acids but good fatty acids your body need. Much like when you eat fish with high Omega-3 fatty acids, like cod fish.
2. High in lignans – this is another good thing that is good for the heart and also is an anti-cancer compound that have been known to help a bit when consumed by people with breast and prostrate cancers.
3. High in dietary fibre – when it comes to flax seed, eating too much can be quite bad because it can cause diarrhea due to its high fibre content. But if you need a laxative, nothing is more natural than flax seed. However, consuming small amounts will not produce much effect except that you will find it easier to..err…flush out your system the next day. This means it is extremely great for those with constipation problem.
4. High in Magnesium
5. High in Phosphorus
6. High in Iron
7. High in Calcium
8. High in Vitamin B
Due to its high concentration of minerals, overall, flax seed is indeed a great addition to your diet for general health well-being. So, how do you eat it?
Easy. Put it in a blender and grind it into a powder, like this:
Okay, so I didn’t really grind it into a powder but it is as grounded as I could possibly do it with my blender. It is good enough. All you need to do is to add a tablespoon to your daily breakfast drink, either it’s a glass of milk, a protein shake or a fruit shake. You can even sprinkle some on top of your cereal. It doesn’t have any weird taste or smell so you actually won’t notice it at all.
Remember these health benefits of flax seeds the next time you go shopping and get yourself a packet.
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