Flax seeds are one of the oldest crops around and for centuries they have been touted for their health benefits and their protective properties.
These nutty, crunchy seeds are tiny powerhouses that help boost your health. You rarely get something as beneficial as flax seeds for your whole-body health. They contain lots of nutrients, which promotes overall health, for example, it contains Magnesium which helps with sleep and behavior. Manganese and Phosphorus that promotes skin and bone health while Copper, Thiamine, and Vitamin-B complex play a significant role in energy production, cell metabolism, and brain function. Here are ten health benefits of this wonder food that has been around since the beginning of civilization!
10. Weight Loss
If you follow a meal plan, you will already know that nuts and seeds form an essential component of weight-loss diets. Flax seeds have low starch, which reduces carbohydrate conversion into fats within your body. Studies have found that flaxseeds contain a high fiber content, which resides in your stomach for longer periods. It reduces your cravings and overall appetite. As a result, you feel full for longer and don’t get hungry as easily. Next time, when you begin to feel hungry shortly after a meal, eat some flax seeds as a snack or add them to water and drink it. You will notice how quickly your craving goes away!
9. Better Digestive Health
Flaxseeds are a rich source of dietary fiber. You get 3 grams of fiber with only one tablespoon of flaxseed. Imagine the benefits of eating five tablespoon of flax seeds daily! It improves your metabolism and supports better digestion. The high content of soluble and insoluble fiber in your gut acts as a natural laxative to promote regular bowel movements. Thus, you are less likely to suffer from constipation and other Gastrointestinal Tract abnormalities. It also enhances your digestive health by feeding the microbes in your gut. These beneficial gut bacteria promotes a healthy digestive system, and thus, a healthy body.
8. Improved Heart Health
Flax seeds are the richest plant-based source of omega-3 fatty acids and only second to Chia seeds as the plant foods highest in Alpha linolenic acid. Both of these substances improve your heart health and lower your risk of developing cardiovascular diseases by thirty percent. It does so by lowering blood cholesterol levels and bringing them in a healthy range. You also get the essential amino acids, arginine, and glutamine, from flax seeds, which work for better heart health.
7. Stronger Immunity
Though tiny in size, flax seeds are a super product as they help you strengthen your immunity and prevent your body from mild and severe inflammatory diseases. This anti-inflammatory property of flaxseeds relates not only to the omega-3 fatty acids but also to anti-oxidants and lignans. These substances remove dangerous free radicals from your body and reduce oxidative stress. Long-term use of flax seeds can relieve your joint stiffness and pain in arthritis. Flax seeds can also ensure a longer and healthier lifespan due to its anti-aging properties.
6. Healthy Liver & Gallbladder
The most dangerous thing about the liver and gall bladder is the development of asymptomatic stones due to high cholesterol levels. You may not even realize your liver isn’t healthy until you develop gallstones that cause severe abdominal pain. Flaxseeds control your body cholesterol in a healthy range. Studies have found a 20% decrease in ‘bad’ blood cholesterol levels with the daily use of flaxseeds for three months. The high fiber and lignan content in flax seeds bind with bile acids and remove them from your body through the digestive tract, thus ensuring a healthy liver and gallbladder.
5. Low Cancer Risk
It is heartening to know that something as lethal as cancer can be prevented with something as tiny as flax seeds! In a world where a cancer diagnosis is terrifying, you can develop a habit of eating flaxseeds to inhibit tumor growth and spread. Flax seeds contain antioxidants and photo-estrogens, which offer hormonal benefits, especially in post-menopausal women, thus lowering the risk of developing hormone-sensitive cancers. They have been shown to prevent breast and uterus cancer in women and prostate cancer in men. You are also less prone to colon cancer owing to better digestive health associated with flax seeds.
4. Cognitive Enhancement
Flaxseeds contain a special type of omega-3 fatty acid, called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). It has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which play a vital role in your normal brain function, and boost the growth of the cerebral cortex. You are able to concentrate more efficiently, and develop a better understanding of things. It also helps your brain cells stay healthy, and become sharp. As a result, your cognitive function improves, and you are less likely to suffer from dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and other neurodegenerative disorders in old age.
3. Normal Blood Pressure
With the increasing prevalence of hypertension, some people develop high blood pressure, but are unaware of it because it usually develops without prominent signs and symptoms. Flaxseeds are the wonder food designed to rescue you from serious medical complications associated with high blood pressure. You have 50% less risk of strokes and 30% fewer chances of a heart attack when consuming flax seeds. One research in Canada found that regular intake of flax seeds for six months lowered systolic blood pressure by 10 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 7 mmHg.
2. Controlled Blood Sugar Levels
The decreased carbohydrate content of flax seeds lowers blood glucose levels and improves the insulin sensitivity of cells. Studies have found an almost eight to ten percent reduction in blood sugar levels by taking flax seeds daily. With better blood sugar control, you can lower the incidence of type 1 diabetes and delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.
1. Radiant & Smooth Skin
Now who would have guessed that flax seeds may hold a possible secret for glowing skin. Flaxseeds make your skin, hair, and nail healthier and fuller. They give you more supple skin and prevent premature aging of your facial features. Research finds that women taking flaxseed oil had reduced skin sensitivity, roughness, and scaling, with improved skin hydration, freshness, and smoothness. It proves that flax seeds help with facial wrinkles, dehydrated hair, hair loss, eczema, and acne.
You will be amazed to know that you can obtain all these benefits by taking only ten grams of flax seeds per day in routine. That’s quite a tremendous order for a tiny seed that’s been known for centuries. It shouldn’t be any wonder then why it has gained even more popularity as researchers discover its benefits.
It is recommended however that eating ground flaxseeds are more beneficial than consuming the whole flax seed. The intestines cannot break down the outer shell of these whole seeds so the whole seeds will remain undigested in your intestine, and pass through the system without offering their full nutritious value.
On the other hand, ground flax seeds are easier to digest, and provide the maximum nutrient potential to your body. It is still recommended however to buy the seeds whole and then grind them using a food processor, coffee grinder or blender when ready for use. Place the extra unused portion of grounded flax seed in an airtight container because ground flax seeds can become rancid quite easily.
Well did you find this video informative? What other benefits of flaxseeds do you know about? Let me know your answers in the comments below. And since you are still here, I’d recommend you watching High Blood Pressure signs and Natural Treatment. That video is in the top right corner of your screen. Make sure you don’t miss it, and remember, your health always comes first! Thanks for watching! Subscribe and share and see you in the next video.