Flax Seed - Benefits

Flax Seed Benefits - Table of Contents

1. What is Flax Seed?
2. Little Seed, Big History
3. What’s So Important About Flax Anyway?
4. How Do I Eat Flax Seed?
5. Flax Seed Nutritional Chart

What is Flax Seed?

Flax Seed is a beautiful blue-flowered plant that is primarily grown in the Upper Midwest of the United States and Central Canada. These regions are prime because they contain the right kind of soil that the delicate plant needs, dark and rich. The brown flax seed is grown primarily for the use of linseed oil and paint products. The golden flax seed is grown for the food market; its nutty flavor blends well with many baked products and with many day-to-day snack items such as yogurt and cereal. More importantly, the dainty flax seed is packed with nutrients that are essential to our health.

Gold Flax Seed, Inc sells flax seed in several forms including:

Whole flax seed by the Gallon or Quart

Cold Milled for convenience

Flax Lignans (1 serving of Lignans = 3 cups of whole seed!)

Flax Seed Grinders (also available)

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Little Seed, Big History

The flax seed may be tiny, but the history behind it is huge, even ancient. It was popular in Babylon some 6000 to 7000 years ago, as it was with other ancient societies. The reason for such a big deal over a little plant is that it has important plant fiber that is used to make linen. Back then most clothing was either made of linen or wool. If the ancients weren’t eating flax they more than likely were wearing it. Even though cotton has taken over as the most popular clothing material, flax is still one of the most important fibrous plants in the world. If eating flax and wearing flax were not enough, the ancients also used it to make wicks and measuring lines. They sure did put their flax to good use!

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What’s So Important About Flax Anyway?

That’s a good question. And for every good question there’s a reasonable answer. There are two significant nutritional components in flax that are beneficial to our health, Omega-3 oils and fiber. These two components are major disease fighters including some of the big killers such as cancer, strokes, and heart disease. There doesn’t seem to be too large of a job for this little seed. In fact, let’s take a look at other nutritional benefits the flax seed may have to offer:

Increases metabolic rate – helps with weight loss

Reduces body fat

Increases energy and vitality, enhances performance

Reduces muscle soreness

Increases utilization of oxygen and other nutrients

Brain food - Omega 3 fatty acids contribute to treatment of depression

Increases sense of calmness under stress

Reduces threat of blood clots

Relieves menopause and PMS symptoms

Protects against hormone sensitive cancers of breast and prostate

Studies show lowers blood cholesterol levels

Helps lower high blood pressure

Helps control blood sugar levels

Eases inflammatory tissue conditions, including arthritis

Alleviates dry skin, eczema and psoriasis

Enhances immune system

Helps kidneys excrete water and sodium

Helps with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

Natural laxative

Wow! Some list! All of this is from Omega-3 fatty acids and fiber. And did you know that flax seed is the richest source of Omega-3? Omega-3 is not an optional nutrient. Our body needs it to survive. Unfortunately Omega-3 is one nutrient our body can’t manufacture; it looks to outside sources to get Omega-3. The good news is that many of the health foods we consume, such as broccoli, have Omega-3. The bad news is it would take eating pounds instead of just ounces of some of our favorite foods to get a healthy dose of Omega-3 in our diet.

No need to panic! Our miraculous little seed offers us 48% of its total fat content as Omega-3 fatty acids. This is even better than the other well-known source of Omega-3, fish oil. However, I hope you’re a fish lover because to get the same amount of Omega-3 in a ¼ cup of ground flax seed you would have to eat about 1 pound of fish. Too bad fish doesn’t taste well blended with baked products, yogurt, or other snack items.

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How Do I Eat Flax Seed?

Good question! The answer is - with your mouth of course. Okay, with all kidding to the side the best way to consume flax seed is by grinding it right before you consume it. Just put the seed into a grinder, a bean grinder like you would use for your coffee beans, and grind it for about 30-45 seconds. The less you grind it the grittier it will be and the longer you grind it the more powdery it becomes. Then just sprinkle it or mix it in with some of your favorite foods. Some people like to put it into shakes, sport drinks, yogurt, and cereal, while others put their flax seed into more conventional foods like pizza, burgers, salad, and soups. Whatever you desire you can put the flax seed into it.

If you don’t have time to grind your flax seed the next option is to buy it preground for you. At Gold Flax Seed we offer the flax seed in cold milled form and also in sprinkle form. Both are easy to use. However, over time the flax seed starts to lose some of its Omega-3. Omega-3 starts to break down when it is either heated up or exposed to air. To get the most out of your flax seed you should consume it while its fresh. The Omega-3 can last 2-3 years in the seed, but once it is ground it starts to lose the Omega-3 in a matter of days. To slow down this process keep any ground seed you may have sealed in a container and store it in your refrigerator or freezer. The good news is you will always have the benefit of the fiber that flax seed offers you.

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Flax Seed Nutritional Chart

Serving size: 25 grams, or ¼ cup ground flax seed
Calories………………………………. 140
Calories from fat……………………... 90
Total fat………………………………. 10 grams
Saturated fat………………………… 1 gram
Cholesterol……………………………. 0 grams
Sodium………………………………... 5 grams
Total Carbohydrates…………………… 7 grams
Dietary fiber…………………………. 4 grams
Sugar………………………………… 0 grams
Protein…………………………………. 5 grams

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