A very impactful and effective food on the planet is flaxseeds. It?s a tiny little seed that has a very long list of benefits to offers. Though it has been in existence for centuries, people are discovering new facts about it. Many studies show that it can curb the chances of diabetes, strokes, heart ailments, and cancer. And here, we will tell you elaborately how you can obtain each benefit of flaxseed. But before we check out the flaxseed benefits, let?s see where and how this superfood came into existence.
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About Flaxseed
This super plant food, flaxseed came into existence way back around 3000 BC in Babylon. During the 8th century, a king named Charlemagne believed that the flax seeds benefits for female and male on health were immensely effective. Moreover, he went ahead in many ways and passed a law stating that his subjects should consume flaxseeds. Recently after thirteen long centuries, researchers are working on the concrete study to prove the benefit of flaxseed.
Ways to Eat Flaxseed
Today you can find bywinona.com almost everything from waffles to crackers to cereals to protein bars to contain flaxseeds in them. Moreover, the Flax Council claims that there more than three hundred products that contain flaxseeds in them. All of which was launched in the United States and Canada in the year 2010.
You will find the demand for flaxseeds to exceed in both agriculturally and for consumption too. Moreover, poultry farms feed their egg-laying chickens with flaxseeds. All the egg-laying chickens get a good amount of omega-3 fatty acids, one of the major nutrient content in flaxseeds.
You can get the benefit of flaxseed mainly because of three important and primary contents. Which are:
Omega-3 fatty acids:
With one tablespoon of powdered flaxseeds your body is getting around 1.8 grams of plant-based omega-3 fatty acids.
Lignans:
When you consume flaxseeds, you are providing your body with more than seventy-five to eight hundred times more amount of lignans in comparison to any other plant food. If you don?t know what lignans do, then let us tell you it contains both antioxidative properties and plant-based estrogen.
Fibers:
You will find that flaxseed is filled with both the insoluble and soluble kinds of fibers in them.
Benefit of Flaxseed on Health
It is proven that the benefits of flaxseeds are immense and they have acclaimed by renowned researchers across the globe. You can benefit immensely from having flaxseeds that?s exactly what we are going to focus on below.
Here are the following benefits of flaxseeds:
Reduces the Chances of Cancer
Numerous studies prove that having flaxseeds regularly can protect you from having colon, prostate, and breast cancers. More than two components present in flaxseeds protect you from having any type of cancer.
Moreover, studies conducted on animals shows that the omega-3 fatty acids in flaxseeds contribute in protecting against cancer. Also, the presence of lignans can act as a protection against cancer cells and doesn?t cause hindrance in any type of drug that deals with breast cancer. Moreover, studies also show the lignans present in flaxseeds help in protecting you against breast cancer cells. Also, it increases the life span of people having breast cancer.
The lignans present in flaxseed also block the enzymes that do the hormonal metabolism and stops interfering in the spread of tumor cells. Also, the antioxidative properties present in flaxseeds helps you fight against any heart problems and cancer too.
Helps You Against Heart Disease
Omega-3 fatty acids present in flaxseeds can help you fight off any kind of heart problem. It helps you in different types of heart mechanisms, including getting your heartbeat to normal or any anti-inflammatory problems that occur in a heart problem. Moreover, there are proven results in significantly lowering your blood pressure levels which is a major reason for heart issues. All these happen because of the omega-3 fatty acids and all amino acids present in flaxseeds.
Moreover, studies show that the diets which have flaxseed present in it can help in reducing the chances of your arteries from getting hard. Moreover, it can also curb the chances of any plaque deposition in the arteries. This happens when your body doesn?t allow the white blood cells to stick to the heart wall.
Research-based data
Other researchers say that the lignans present in flaxseeds can also reduce the chances of any atherosclerotic plaque in build-up by 75%.
Also, the omega-3 fatty acids present in flaxseeds can bring about a natural heartbeat rhythm. You can also treat arrhythmia which is an irregular heartbeat problem, further leading to heart failure. However, the research is limited in this regard.
You can also get the benefit of flaxseed to control your cholesterol level. When the levels of bad cholesterol increase in your blood you start getting an increased risk of heart problems. Moreover, you may also get obese, have metabolic syndrome or diabetes too. The flax seeds benefits for females are immense. It helps women during the time of menopause. A study conducted on women during menopause had a significant decrease in the bad cholesterol level compared to women who did not have any grounded flaxseeds. The women participants were given around four tablespoons of powdered flaxseeds regularly for one year. Researchers say that the presence of lignans, omega-3 fatty acids, and fiber help in reducing the cholesterol levels.
Helps to Reduce Diabetes
When you consume flaxseeds regularly you can also reduce the chances of having diabetes. Studies conducted on participants were given flaxseeds regularly. And it was seen that the lignans present in flaxseeds helped in improving blood sugar levels tremendously. It was done by a test that was conducted, which is known as hemoglobin A1c. In this test, you can detect if someone may have the chance of having type 2 diabetes.
Helps to Reduce Inflammation
The content of omega-3 fatty acids and the lignan content in flaxseeds can help you from many inflammatory problems. Some of the diseases it can help you from are asthma and Parkinson?s disease, by blocking the release of any inflammatory secretions.
Clinal trials done on humans show a significant decrease in any inflammation by consuming flaxseeds. It is believed that this happens due to the presence of lignans in flaxseed. Moreover, it can also help you can also reduce the building up of plaque in the arteries to prevent yourself from strokes and heart attacks.
Helps Women During Menopause
The flax seeds benefits for females are endless. A study that was conducted in the year 2007, were given women having menopause two tablespoons of powdered flaxseeds in juice, yogurt and cereals. It was given twice in one day and it saw a significant decrease in the hot flashes. The hot flashes were cut down to more than half. And the benefit was noticed after two weeks of consumption.
But one more contradictory study showed that there were no changes in hot flashes and patients who have breast cancer after consuming bars that contain powdered flaxseeds.
Who Must not Consume Flaxseed?
Researchers say that since the studies are contradictory and still doesn?t have enough evidence, pregnant women should not start consuming powdered flaxseed in their diets. That is because a clinical trial done on animals to protect them from having breast cancer in the fetus was given flaxseed but a contradiction was done in this regard. So, it is wise not to consume flaxseeds when you are pregnant to protect yourself and the fetus from any dangers.
Tips To keep in Mind while Using Flaxseed
Researchers say that it is much better to consume flaxseed oil rather than consuming the seeds. They believe so because when you consume the oil your body gets all the best components of flaxseed. But there is an ongoing study still happening in this regard.
But a famous researcher says that ground flaxseeds must be your first choice but at times you can consume the oil too. How much should you have? Well, the exact dosage of flaxseed is not yet known. However, consuming around 1 or 2 tablespoons can be just as fine. Here we have made a list of ways you can store, buy or use flaxseeds:
Grind the Flaxseeds at Home
You can consume flaxseeds either whole or grind it in the blender. It can pass very easily by the tract if it is not digested. That means that your body is not getting all the important components of flaxseeds. So, it is best to grind the flaxseeds and then consume it for full-body utility. You can easily get an electric coffee machine to grind the flaxseeds well.
Ground and Milled Flaxseed is Same
There are people who get easily confused with the different names of products. But the milled and ground flaxseeds both are the same. It means and provides your body with the same amount of nutrition.
Buy golden or brown flaxseed
You must buy the flaxseeds that are either golden in color or brown. In fact, most of the grocery stores have brown present. And the nutritional value of flaxseed is the same for both brown and golden flaxseed. So, you can choose the best one you like.
Buy it Online or at the Grocery Store
You can find most of the grocery stores to have flaxseeds in their stock. It is either called flax meal or ground flaxseed. You can find them in the aisle where you get grains or flour or the cereal section. It is usually sold in a bag of one pound. Otherwise, if you don?t find it comfortable to visit the grocery store, you can easily get them on african grocery store online .
Keep in mind the product label
You must check what the label says when you buy flaxseeds. That is because you can be sure what you are getting ground flaxseeds and not whole flaxseeds. You can get flaxseed in many pasta, cereals, crackers, energy bars, snack foods or meatless meal products.
Make flaxseeds a Habit
You consume flaxseeds in foods that you eat regularly. It must gradually turn into a habit and you do not forget to have get the benefit of flaxseed. So, you add them to your yogurt, soup, oatmeal, or smoothies. Simply add in a spoon of ground flaxseeds and you?re sure to provide your body with the best.
Keep Flaxseeds in the Moist and Dark Sauces
You need to keep the flaxseeds in dark and moist sauces. Try using meat mixtures to hide the flaxseeds. You won?t find people to notice flaxseeds too much in meat balls, beef stew, meatloaf, chicken parmesan and enchilada casserole. If you plan to make a casserole, then remember to add around 4 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds in it. For 6 to 8 servings four to eight tablespoon of ground flaxseed is best.
Add it to Use baking
You can use ground flaxseed as a substitute flour in your bread and other baking recipes. But you can only substitute a part of the flour and not the entire flour-use. You can add it to your waffles, pancakes, bagels, bread, rolls, and muffins. You can try to replace around 1/4th or half cup of flour with the ground flaxseed. But remember you need to replace it in recipes that require more than 2 cups of flour.
Store it in the Fridge
You need to store the ground flaxseed in the freezer to keep it for a long time. All you need to do is use a plastic bag that can be sealed. Add the pre-ground flaxseed in the sealable flaxseed and keep it in the freezer. If you keep it in the freezer only then you can keep the nutrition of flaxseeds intact. And also, it will not oxidize. Only if you store them well you will see the benefit of flaxseed reflecting on your health.
Whole flaxseed Stay Long
If you buy the whole flaxseeds it keeps the fatty acids in it protected and intact. So, you can keep the whole flaxseeds in a cool, dark place till you think of grinding it. But it stays fresh and in good quality as long as it remains dry. You can store up the whole flaxseeds for more than a year if kept at a room temperature.
Final Thoughts
As we bring you to the end of our blog today, you know each and every benefit of flaxseed and how you need to consume it. But remember to consume it in moderation to get its benefits completely.
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Varsha