Is flax seed the new wonder food?

Some call it one of the most powerful plant foods on the planet.  There is some evidence it may help reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes and more.  That's quite a tall order for a tiny seed that's been around for centuries.

Flax seed was cultivated in Babylon as early as 3000 BC. In the 8th century, King Charlemagne believed so strongly in the health benefits of flax seed that he passed laws requiring his subjects to consume it. Now, thirteen centuries later, some experts say we have preliminary research to back up what Charlemagne suspected.  

Flax seeds (also called linseeds) are a rich source of micro-nutrients, dietary fiber, manganese, vitamin B1, and the essential fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid, also known as ALA or omega-3.   Although flax seed contains all sorts of healthy components, it owes its primary healthy reputation to three of them:

• Omega-3 essential fatty acids, "good" fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects. Each tablespoon of ground flax seed contains about 1.8 grams of plant omega-3s.

•  Lignans, which have both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities. Flax seed contains 75 to 800 times more lignans than other plant foods.

• Fiber. Flax seed contains both the soluble and insoluble types.

Sprinkling ground flaxseed into a smoothie or bowl of cereal will turn your breakfast into a gold mine ofomega-3 fatty acids; just two tablespoons contains more than 100% of your recommended daily intake for those heart-healthy fats. Flaxseed, which has a nutty flavor, also is rich in fiber and lignan, an antioxidant that's been shown to protect against breast cancer.

Some of the health benefits associated with flaxseed include:

Protecting against cancer

Consuming flax seed may help protect against skin, prostate, colon, and breast cancers.  Flax seed is thought to prevent the growth of cancerous cells because its omega-3 fatty acids disrupt malignant cells from clinging onto other body cells. In addition, the lignans in flax seeds have antiangiogenic properties - they stop tumors from forming new blood vessels.

Lowering cholesterol

Researchers have found that cholesterol levels lowered among men who included flax seed in their diet.  For people who can't take something like Lipitor, this could at least give some cholesterol-lowering benefit.

Preventing hot flashes

Another study suggests that a dietary intake of flax seed can decrease the risk of hot flashes among postmenopausal women. 

Improving blood sugar

There is strong evidence to suggest that consuming flax seed every day improves glycemic control in obese men and women with pre-diabetes.

Protecting against radiation

A diet of flax seed may also protect skin tissue from being damaged by radiation. Studies have demonstrated that dietary flax seed, already known for its strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, works as both a mitigator and protector against radiation pneumonopathy.

Depression

It’s true: Depression hurts. It has the potential to impact on every moment of your day. There are plenty of antidepressants that doctors may prescribe, but according to a Japanese study, a simple dietary addition may also prove useful. Their study found that patients with significant depression levels also suffered from lower levels of docosahexaenoic and eicosapentanoic acids that are found in various foods including fish, walnuts, and flax. 

High Blood Pressure

Roughly one in three Americans has high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. A normal blood pressure reading is 120 over 80. If you consistently exceed these numbers, visit your physician. According to researchers, flax seed oil should be able to help. Research shows that flax seed oil consumption results in significantly lowered blood pressure readings.

Here are some tips for using, buying, and storing flax seed:

• ·        Buy it ground or grind it yourself. seedFlax , when eaten whole, is more likely to pass through the intestinal tract undigested, which means your body doesn't get all the healthful components. If you want to grind flax seed yourself, those little electric coffee grinders seem to work best.
  
• ·        Milled = ground = flax meal. Don’t be confused by the different product names for ground flax seed. Milled or ground flax seed is the same thing as flax meal.
• ·        Buy either brown or golden flax seed. Golden flax seed is easier on the eyes, but brown flax seed is easier to find in most supermarkets. There is very little difference nutritionally between the two, so the choice is up to you.
• ·         Find it in stores or on the Internet. Many supermarket chains now carry ground flax seed (or flax meal). It’s usually in the flour or "grain" aisle or the whole-grain cereal section and is often sold in 1-pound bags. You can also find it in health food stores or order it on various web sites.
• ·        Check the product label. When buying products containing flax seed, check the label to make sure ground flax seed, not whole flax seed, was added. Flax seed is a featured ingredient in cereals, pasta, whole grain breads and crackers, energy bars, meatless meal products, and snack foods.
• ·        Add flax seed to a food you habitually eat. Every time you have a certain food, like oatmeal, smoothies, soup, or yogurt, stir in a couple tablespoons of ground flax seed. Soon it will be a habit and you won’t have to think about it, you’ll just do it.
• ·       Hide flax seed in dark, moist dishes. The dishes that hide flax seed the best are dark sauces or meat mixtures. No one tends to notice flax seed when it's stirred into enchilada casserole, chicken parmesan, chili, beef stew, meatloaf, or meatballs. For a 4-serving casserole, you can usually get away with adding 2 to 4 tablespoons of ground flax seed. For a dish serving 6 to 8, use 4 to 8 tablespoons.
• ·       Use it in baking. Substitute ground flax seed for part of the flour in recipes for quick breads, muffins, rolls, bread, bagels, pancakes, and waffles. Try replacing 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the flour with ground flax seed if the recipe calls for 2 or more cups of flour.
• ·     Keep it in the freezer. The best place to store ground flax seed is the freezer. Freeze pre-ground flax seed in the bag you bought it in or in a plastic seal-able bag if you ground it yourself. The freezer will keep the ground flax from oxidizing and losing its nutritional potency.
• ·       Whole flax seed keeps longer. The outside shell in whole flax seed appears to keep the fatty acids inside well protected. It’s a good idea to keep your whole flax seed in a dark, cool place until you grind it. But as long as it is dry and of good quality, whole flaxseed can be stored at room temperature for up to a year.