What is flax seed good for

What is flax seed good for

- One of the best ways to prevent cardiovascular diseases is to have diet that is low on saturated and trans fats and rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (including omega- 3 fatty acids from linseed oil and fish) . Omega-3, that is contained in flax seed assists in these cases with an anti-inflammatory effect, normalization of the pulse, to prevent hardening of the arteries and blood clots, in this way helps reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients with diabetes, and heart disease. According to most sources, omega-3 helps to lower the blood cholesterol levels. The small particles of “bad” cholesterol are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, obesty. It` good for lowering blood pressure, anti-arrhythmic, and water retention.

leneno_semeIt was found that omega-3 destroys certain types of cancer cells without harming normal cells in the body, it can relieve side effects and stop development of many cancers. Flax seed has a protective effect against cancer, particularly colon, prostate and breast cancer.

- Diabetes – Studies show that having daily flax seed, may slightly improve blood sugar (mostly through lignans)

- Supports the treatment of skin problems like – psoriasis , acne, eczema, dandruff.

- Assist in the reactions of the body during stress.

- Helps weight loss in obese people, i.e it is better to include in a healthy diet combined with sports activities if desired to achieve slimming effect.

- Increases absorption of calcium – good to combine with calcium-rich foods such as fish, been, tofu, various types of cabbage (usually Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower). Many people pay attention only to шгьш – to eat food rich on calcium – without knowing that it is equally important to help this calcium be absorbed by the body. Often combining foods rich in calcium with foods that hinder the absorption of calcium from the body, which destroys the good will of healthy eating and increased calcium.

- Improves liver function

- Consumption of flax seeds contributes to the formation of prostaglandins (hormone constituents), which increase the permeability of the cells and thereby enhance the immune system.

- Shortens muscle recovery after exercise and is used in their diet among athletes and bodybuilders.

- Have a positive impact on the eyes. Reduces dryness of the eyes that people with Sjogren’s syndrome have. (Sjogren’s syndrome is a chronic autoimmune disease in which are involved the lacrimal and salivary glands).

- Help fights atherosclerosis, which becomes more common with increasing age

- In some cases there may be a positive impact to lighten PMS (premenstrual syndrome)

- Can relieve some cases of asthma, especially by its anti-inflammatory properties, it helps the release of pro-inflammatory agents.

- Soothes some allergies.

- There is a proven positive impact in some mental disorders – such as schizophrenia, depression, helps maintain a healthy mentality in the older population.

- Menopause – a study of postmenopausal women published in 2007 showed that consumption of 2 tablespoons flax seed twice a day reduced hot flashes in the menopause. The difference is noticeable after the first week and the maximum effect is achieved after 2 weeks of taking flax seed.

Flax seeds contain up to 45% oil in which :

  • omega -3 is approximately 55-60 %
  • omega -6 is approximately 15 %
  • omega -9 – 10%
  • saturated fat 10%

Since fatty acids are unstable oxygen, the nature has protected them by supplying their natural “pack” with antioxidants . Therefore, the seed of the flax seed is quite rich in antioxidants (vitamin A, E , C ), containing about 120 mg of vitamin E

Recently, flax seed is considered one of the most important and essential food on the planet. The list of things that these little seeds are useful is surprisingly long, I’ll try to digest it in this article.

Unsaturated fatty acids play a crucial role in the proper functioning of the human body. It is therefore important person to consume foods rich in unsaturated fatty acids. One of the richest plant sources of unsaturated fatty acids is flax – in the form of flaxseed or flax seed oil virgin .

What does flax seed contains, that makes it useful

lenAlthough flax seed contains a fairly diverse amount of nutrients, it owes its popularity to the three main components:

- Fibers – Assist in maintaining bowel regularity and intestinal activity. Have a great “cleaning” feature of intestinal toxins and mucilages. The flax fibers are ideal food for the good bacteria which maintain the intestinal flora, and therefore the health of the gastrointestinal tract, and the whole organism. Flax seed has both soluble and insoluble fibers.

- Protein – In every 100 grams linseed consists 20 grams of protein . Proteins of linseed are easily absorbed by the body and contain all the essential amino acids, which the body needs .

- Lignans – Lignans are phytoestrogens contained in high fiber foods, such as grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables. Lignans have anti -bacterial and anti -cancer properties. Contain plant estrogen and have antioxidant properties. Scientists believe that the combination of lignans and the estrogen in the metabolism and hormonal balance, in addition to antioxidant characteristics of the flax seed and fibers content, may explain why nations, where the intake of foods rich in lignans is more traditional, have lower rate of cancer patients. It has been found that the seed of the flax is the richest source of plant lignans, the content of which is 100 times greater than that of the next meal rich in them – the oat bran.

Tips for consumption of flax seed :

- The recommended daily doze of flax seed is 1-2 tablespoons.

- Take the flax seed crushed/grounded. When you accept the seeds whole, they go through the intestinal tract without being absorbed and extracted all the benefits from them. Easiest to ground the is in a coffee grinder (for lack of such I personally use a blender – it is important in this case the court for blending to be sufficiently high and the top to be covered with a plastic film, as to not be blown out of the container grain ).

- Check products containing flax seed. Often there are added flax seed in different breakfast cereals and muesli. Check the packaging before buying to make sure that the flax seed is not whole seeds but pre ground, because otherwise his presence brings muesli not particularly useful. My advice is to not look specifically serials with flax seed, but to buy it separately and add minced subsequently to the muesli (because it is not absorbed by the body when it is whole and begins to lose its quality week after ground)

- Flax seed is retained longer when in whole seeds, not brave. The outer shell of the seed keeps the fatty acids inside well protected. If flax seed is good quality when stored in a dark, dry and cool place may be in good life for one year. I practice as one larger package flax seed, digest in small doses sufficient for one week consumption and keep it in a jar for spices. When present on the table as a spice, when I see it, I remember to add to the dishes at the last moment, on the principle of lean salt eg :) . Another advantage of the digestion of small doses is that I have always at hand aims seeds for germination of seedlings to add to salads. If everything is pre- ground, must separate package for germination.

- Flax seed oil is actually a virgin extract from the flax seed. The storage of flax seed oil requires special packaging to protect it, as its sensitiveness to light, heat and oxygen.

- After opening the bottle of flax seed oil, it`s best to refrigerate it – because rancid quickly .

- Flax seed oil has a slightly fishy taste, which is not always easy meeting. At first I used it instead of olive oil in salads, but at least for me, the taste of the salad is not as appetizing. I personally prefer the consumption of flax in the form of ground seeds or seedlings . Everyone can figure out how to implement it in their diet.

- Do not use flax seed seed oil for frying, or under any thermal treatment, as it is not resistant to high temperatures and loses its beneficial properties (for such purposes is nice to use oils resistant to high temperatures, such as coconut) .

- Many people go to direct consumption of food additives “Omega-3 and Omega -6″ from the pharmacy, which is also an option – but not the best one. Have you noticed that all food additives have note – not a substitute of a healthy diet, that is not to underestimate the intake of unsaturated fatty acids directly from food rather than pills and capsules.

- Flax seed is sold in pharmacies and health stores and stands quite affordable

- Flax seed oil could be found also in health shops, I buy it from a healthy stand in the supermarket near by.