Flaxseed Benefits

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Flaxseed benefits are slightly different to flaxseed oil because the seed provides extra health promoting nutrients that aren’t present in the oil.

However, you will need to consume a lot more ground flaxseed in order to receive the equivalent amount of omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids.

Depending on your current lifestyle and if you have any particular medical conditions you might prefer to consume one source over the other.

This article will give you an insight as to what health benefits flaxseed provide, compared to its oil.

Introduction to Flaxseed

Flaxseeds originate from the flax plant – a broad-leaf with small, narrow leaves. The flax plant grows up to around 35 inches high with multiple stems that divide at their tips, bearing attractive blue flowers.

Each flower develops into a round seed capsule measuring 2 – 3 cms in diameter, where it produces the flaxseeds. Each capsule contains on average 5-6 seeds.

The seeds are protected within a shiny, hard shell and are a little larger than sesame seeds. Traditionally the flaxseeds have been brown in color but more attractive golden colors are being produced to boost their appeal in the market.

The flaxseed plant is grown all over the world and the 2 main countries responsible for the majority of flax exports are Canada and China.

Flaxseeds Nutrition

Although flaxseed oil contains a higher concentration of essential fatty acids, ground flaxseeds have other beneficial nutrients such as fiber, protein, lignans, and other nutrients including vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D and E,  and the majority of major and trace minerals.

It's no wonder this amazing seed is described as a 'complete food source'.

Approximately 40% of the flaxseed (by weight) is oil and 55% of that oil is the all important alpha linolenic acid (ALA). The rest of the seed is made up of approx 22% protein, 12% fiber and 10% mucilage.

Flaxseed Uses

This highly versatile seed is used for a number of products other than as a food source, and years ago it was the stable crop of the American farming economy.

Before the introduction of cotton, most of the clothes were made from either wool or linen. The linen fiber from the stems of flax was a major source of fiber for clothes and other products.

Flaxseed oil, also known as linseed oil was used as a natural preservative for wood treatment and is still found in hardware stores today.

The Rise of Flaxseed Popularity

Flaxseed and its uses steadily declined after the Second World War when petroleum became increasingly used and other crops such as wheat and oats started replacing flaxseed.

But today flaxseed is becoming popular again and demand for this crop is rising. Natural fiber clothes such as linen are now sought after, and often preferred over synthetic material.

Significant more and more health benefits of flaxseed and flaxseed oil are being discovered, and the health industry has seen a dramatic rise in the number of people consuming it for medicinal purposes.

Whole Flaxseed

Whole flaxseed is simply the seed as it is cultivated from the pod of the flax plant. It is sold totally unprocessed or refined in any way.

Lots of bread/muffin recipes and similar foods include the addition of whole flaxseed. It is cheaper to buy flaxseed this way and the flaxseeds have a much longer shelf-life. Their natural, protective shell will keep the kernel fresh for up to a year or more.

The problem with eating whole flaxseed is more often than not, the seed is passed straight through the body without releasing its healthy essential fatty acids and other potent nutrients.

For that reason whole flaxseed should be ground down using a coffee or spice grinder and added to foods.

I actually enjoy the process of grinding my own flaxseed, as and when I need it. I sometimes grind some to store in an airtight jar and keep it in the refrigerator for a few weeks.

Grinding flaxseed literally takes seconds and you can make it as fine or crunchy as you like. I use a coffee/spice grinder that I bought from Amazon for less than $25 and it works an absolute treat! Here’s the link to the grinder I use, if you’re interested - Krups 20342 Electric Coffee and Spice grinder.

By consuming flaxseed this way you are able to grind it as you use it. You will also get the maximum benefits from all the nutrients, especially those important lignans, and obtain the freshest (i.e the least oxidized and damaged) fatty acids.

Here’s a quick video that shows how easy it is to grind your own flaxseed..

Pros and Cons of Whole Flaxseed:

Pros:

• It is cheaper to buy.
• It has a much longer shelf-life than ground flaxseed or flaxseed oil.
• It can be added to recipes and food whole, or can be ground down.
• It contains good amounts of essential fatty acids plus other important nutrients including lignans, protein, fiber, manganese and magnesium.

Cons:

• It needs to be ground down in order to benefit from its healthy fatty acids and nutrients.
• It is not as convenient as pre-ground flaxseed.
• It has less essential fatty acids than flaxseed oil.

Ground Flaxseed

As you can guess, ground flaxseed is just that, flaxseed that comes pre-ground, which saves you the trouble of grinding them yourself.

Ground or milled flaxseed still contains all the healthy fatty acids and nutrients of whole flaxseed but once opened, will not keep for as long as whole flaxseed.

Stored in a dark container, ground flaxseed will keep in the refrigerator for around 3 months. It will keep even longer if stored in the freezer.

Pros and Cons of Ground Flaxseed:

Pros:

• It saves you the time and effort of having to grind the flaxseed yourself.
• It has the same healthy nutrients and fatty acids as whole flaxseed.
• It still has a decent shelf-life of around 3 months +.
• It can be easily added to a variety of cold and hot foods.

Cons:

• It is more expensive than whole flaxseed.
• It is not as convenient as taking a flaxseed oil supplement.
• It has less essential fatty acids than flaxseed oil.

Health Benefits of Flaxseed

Anti-Inflammatory Properties

It is important to consume more omega 3 fatty acids to combat the high levels of omega 6 that is present in many popular foods such as margarine, animal fats and vegetable oils like sunflower oil.

Omega 6 acts as a pro-inflammatory whereas omega 3 is recognized as a good anti-inflammatory. The omega 3 fats found in flaxseeds help to reduce inflammation that is a significant factor in conditions such as arthritis, osteoporosis and asthma.

Bone Health

The need to ensure a better balance of omega 3 and omega 6 fats in our diet correlates also to the amount of bone loss we suffer.

Studies have revealed that bone loss is significantly less in people who consumed more anti-inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids in their diet.

Lower Blood Pressure

More often than not high blood pressure is a result of a poor diet and a lack of exercise. Most doctors these days recognize this fact and suggest natural treatments, such as regular exercise and eating more fruit and vegetables to lower blood pressure, before resorting to drugs.

Scientists have confirmed that a diet rich in omega-3, polyunsaturated fats has been shown to reduce high blood pressure. Flaxseeds (particularly flaxseed oil) are the richest known source of these essential fatty acids and are an excellent natural treatment.

A double blind experiment on 60 adults confirmed that alpha linolenic acid (ALA) found in flaxseeds, significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings.

Just one tablespoon of flaxseed oil or 1 tablespoons of ground flaxseed every day, will provide you with enough ALA to help lower high blood pressure.

Reduce High Cholesterol with Flaxseed

When people think of lowering cholesterol unfortunately they think of using statin drugs. This way of thinking also seems to be a physicians ‘standard practice’ when it comes to treating high cholesterol and is another example of ‘Big Pharma’ making trillions of dollars off the back of unnecessary and potentially harmful drugs.

There was a study that involved 40 patients with high cholesterol levels – more than 240 mg/dL. Half the group was given 20 grams of ground flaxseed per day and the other half was treated using statin drugs.

After 60 days both groups showed a reduction in LDL and HDL cholesterol but with virtually no difference in the levels of reduction between the two. Flaxseed did the same job as statins but without any side effects and at a fraction of the cost!

Recent studies conducted by Dr Stephen Cunnane at the University of Toronto confirmed that flax lowers blood cholesterol levels.

Flaxseeds contain the highest amounts of the essential fatty acids we need to reduce high cholesterol levels.

If your cholesterol levels are higher than you would like, then try eating flaxseed (approx 2 - 3 grams a day) for a few months. After this time, check your levels again. I bet you see a reduction!

Flaxseed and Cancer

Flaxseeds contain high amounts of lignans which are a chemical compound found in plants and act as an antioxidant. Lignans also contain anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.

Flaxseeds have the highest concentration of lignans - up to 800% more than any other vegetables or grains.

Studies by the US Food and Drug Administration, the American Cancer Society and the Mayo Clinic have all recognized that lignans contain powerful anti-cancer properties and may be linked to a lower rate of breast and colon cancer.

How To Use Flaxseed in Your Diet

Whether you grind it yourself or buy it pre-grounded you can sprinkle it onto lots of foods including cereals, yogurt and smoothies. You can also add it to cooking such as bread and muffins. See my flaxseed recipes for more ideas.

Buying whole flaxseeds and grinding them yourself is a cheaper alternative and offers you more possibilities of adding it to different food sources - although obviously more time consuming.


If you have any questions or comments regarding the health benefits of flaxseeds, please drop them below.