Health Benefits of Flax Seeds Including in Your Daily Diet

Why Flax Seeds Are Important For Your Body, Hormones, & Heart?

Flax seeds, or Linseed, are called “Alsi” in Hindi. The Latin translation of ‘Flax’ is ‘Useful.’ For over 5 thousand years, Flax seeds have been used by everyone around the globe in healthcare, cosmetology, industry, and many other usages associated with flax seeds.

Healthwise, Flax seeds have countless benefits, especially for the heart, cholesterol, and maintaining a balanced weight. With regular usage, Flax seeds can help your body reduce Cholesterol, Balance Hormones, Clean the Skin, fight Cancer, Lose Weight, Improve Digestion, and much more.

If you are looking for the most abundant source of plant-based Omega 3 Fatty Acids, i.e., Alpha-Linolenic Acid, flax seeds would be the answer. They look smaller in size and are mainly brown or tan-golden.

Nutrient Facts About Flax Seeds:

Here, we are discussing for 100 Gms of Flax Seeds:

• Total 534 Calories
  • 18% Protein
  • 42% Fat
  • 29% Carbs
  • 6 mg Thiamin, i.e., Vitamin B1
  • 392 mg Magnesium
  • 5 mg Manganese

Amongst such nutrient facts, let’s discuss each of these nutrients and their benefits from Flax Seeds briefly:

• Carbs:

There are about 1.5 Grams of digestive carbohydrates per 100 grams of flax seeds. That means that flax Seeds alone would be hugely beneficial for those who are looking forward to losing weight.

Even two tablespoons of Flax Seeds contain 6 Grams of fiber, 20 to 40% of which is soluble fiber, and the insoluble fiber ratio is 60 to 80%.

Flax seeds help absorb fats and cholesterol when consumed, which is an impressive quality.

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As we just discussed, flax seeds contain soluble and insoluble fibers that are beneficial for improving digestion functions and the overall digestive system. Soluble fibers help maintain blood sugar and manage cholesterol levels. Dietary fibers in flax seeds help prevent diabetes. Other benefits include maintaining and losing weight and preventing constipation.

Fibers from the flax seeds work through friendly bacteria to eliminate toxins from the body.

Even flax seeds can be used as a natural laxative. For that, one needs to roast the flax seeds and then grind them, consuming them after mixing them in water. By doing so, flax seeds form a thick mixture.

• Proteins:

With 18% Protein inside, Flax seeds are considered amongst the richest sources of proteins in the seeds category. To understand this easily, think of soya beans, which are also a rich source of proteins, the same as flax seeds for amino acids.

You might know about various types of amino acids, viz. Arginine and glutamine. These are essential acids for preventing heart disease and boosting the immune system against multiple diseases. Both these types of amino acids are present in flax seeds.

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Flax seeds’ proteins help prevent numerous severe health conditions, such as Fungal Infections, High Blood Sugar, Cholesterol Levels, Type 2 Diabetes, Inflammation, and Bad Bacteria.

• Vitamins and Minerals:

Flax seeds also contain a variety of Vitamins and Minerals to fulfill the human body’s nutrient requirements. Vitamin B1, thiamine, is present in flax seeds and is responsible for maintaining the entire metabolism.

100 Grams of Flax Seeds provides an immense amount of copper. There is 1.2 mg of copper in 100 grams of these seeds, which boosts the standard functions of the entire human body.

As we know, magnesium is essential for maintaining proper heart conditions. Flax seeds have around 392 mg of magnesium per 100 gms. Such an amount improves not only the heart but also metabolism. Even Molybdenum, which is present in Flax Seeds, helps maintain the biological functions of the body.

The high phosphorous content is also present in the flax seeds, which helps strengthen bones.

• Numerous Plant Compounds:

Flax seeds contain many plant compounds, including Ferulic Acid, Cyanogenic Glycosides, Phytosterols, Lignans, and p-coumaric Acid.

Ferulic Acids: Ferulic acids have antioxidant properties, which help prevent many types of chronic diseases.

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Cyanogenic Glycosides: Those with any thyroid issues might want to think before consuming flax seeds because flax seeds consumption might inhibit thyroid function.

Phytosterols: Mostly found in plant cell membranes, Phytosterols help reduce cholesterol levels in the human body. Flax seeds are quite beneficial for those who have heart problems.

Lignans: Antioxidants are necessary for regulating hormone levels and boosting the immune systeAntioxidantsave beneficial antioxidants that help the body maintain its functioning.

P-Coumaric Acid: Potent antioxidants are required to eliminate harmful bacteria from the human body. Flaxseed antioxidants are a source of such organic compounds.

• Required Fats:

Flax seeds contain various beneficial facts, including 42% fat from 73% Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and 27% Saturated and Monounsaturated Fatty Acids.

• Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids: The human body requires various fatty acids, including Omega 3 and Omega 6, for daily functioning, but they cannot produce them naturally. Hence, we need to consume such natural sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids.
• Saturated Fatty Acids: These types of saturated acids increase blood cholesterol levels.

Flax seeds contain more Polyunsaturated fatty acids than saturated fatty acids. Hence, it is balanced and healthy to consume flax seeds every day.

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ALA fatty acids present in flax seeds help keep hair and skin shinier. Regular consumption of flax seeds can also cure skin dryness. They also help reduce flakiness and give smoother skin. They also benefit acne, rosacea, eczema, and other skin problems. Eyesight is also improved naturally with the help of ALA fatty acids.

Being a rich source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids helps your body to prevent numerous heart conditions.

• Losing Weight:

Because of its high soluble fiber content, flax seeds can lose weight with regular consumption. As we discussed earlier, soluble fibers available in Flax Seeds help compress your sugar cravings. With lesser sugar cravings, your weight will result in weight loss due to less sugar consumption.

Regular flax seeds are beneficial for those who tend to lose weight. Consuming flax seeds sends signals to the brain to stop eating through the stimulating receptors. Adding flax seeds to your regular meals will help reduce inflammatory processes by around 25% to 50%.

• Heart and Cholesterol:

Flax seeds are high in Lignans, Fiber, and omega-3 Fatty Acids, which help maintain heart health. High cholesterol levels are responsible for bad heart conditions, and with higher blood cholesterol, the risks of heart disease increase.

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The human body requires reducing oxidized LDL, i.e., Bad cholesterol, to reduce cholesterol levels. Hormones also need to maintain their levels for that. Flax seeds have lignans for both of these to happen. LDL Cholesterol is the primary source of heart problems. If you focus on reducing it, heart problems are likely to be reduced.

Numerous types of fiber present in flax seeds help the human body absorb bad cholesterol. Most processed food items contain fats that contain bad cholesterol. Some studies have proved that flax seeds can reduce cholesterol levels by 5 to 10%, whereas LDL particles decrease by 10 to 17%.

• Blood Pressure:

Compared to any other dietary source, Flax Seeds are quite beneficial for reducing blood pressure. This is because of their higher content of Omega 3 Fatty Acids, ALA, and Lignans. They help lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Studies have proven that with that, stroke risks are 11 to 13%, and the risk of any heart disease is lowered to around 34%.

• Digestion:

Flax seeds contain a higher amount of fiber, which helps prevent Constipation and diarrhea, which are some of the most common problems. To do this, you need to roast and then mix flax seeds in water.

• Diabetes:

Consuming one tablespoon of flax seeds regularly for a month will lower your blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglycerides levels and cause a noticeable drop in your A1C level.

Consuming flax powder can also result in an impressive reduction in insulin resistance. For those who are glucose intolerant, flax seeds help improve insulin sensitivity.

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• Cancer:

Various studies have shown that flax seeds help fight multiple cancers, including breast, colon, prostate, ovarian, and prostate cancer.

Various food items can be prepared with Flax Seeds in them:

You can make numerous recipes to consume flax seeds. You can bake muffins, bread, or even cookies with flax seeds. Baking them would not make any difference in the nutrients and vitamins present in the flax seeds.

Those who are on a healthy – low-fat diet can use flax seeds as:

• For your morning smoothie, add 2 to 3 tablespoons flax seeds – ground flax seeds.
• You can even make flavored yogurt with raw honey and a tablespoon of flax seeds.
• Bake cookies or muffins with low-fat ingredients and add flax seeds to them.
• Add flax seeds to homemade granola.
• Soak flax seeds and sprout them; increased mineral absorption will be even more beneficial.
• Spread a couple of spoons of flax seeds in your morning cereal or shake and make it healthier.
• Flax seeds oil is also as beneficial as the seeds; substitute this oil for regular oil in daily cooking.
• Add flax seeds to your nuts jar and eat them along with other nuts.
• To make chapatti, add a few flax seeds.
• Substitute eggs with flax seeds while baking something like muffins, cakes, etc.
• You can also sprinkle flax seeds over Buttermilk, Chutney, dosa, and Upma in your meals.
• While making a sandwich, add flax seeds in cheese spread or mayonnaise.

Adding flaxseeds to your routine will make your life healthier than usual. A few tablespoons of flax seeds make a big difference in maintaining your body’s health. As discussed above, numerous heart problems and severe conditions can be prevented with regular consumption of flax seeds. They even help those looking forward to losing weight and maintaining a healthy body in good shape.