Flaxseed for Your Health

I recently discovered the goodness of flaxseed. I have been getting a free bottle of fresh flaxseed oil softgels whenever I buy my calcium supplements and decided to start taking the flaxseed softgels as part of my daily supplements.

After taking the flaxseed supplement for some time, I noticed that the acne on my back had cleared (I have been having them off and on). I decided to check on the benefits of flaxseed for our health.

Flaxseeds are a protein source of essential fatty acids (EFAs) – fats and oils critical to health, which the body cannot make on its own. Flaxseed contains Omega-3 fatty acids which help to lower cholesterol and blood triglycerides, and prevent clots in arteries, which may result in strokes, heart attacks and thromboses. Flaxseed also contains Omega-6 fatty acids (in the form of linoleic acid) – the same healthy fats present in many vegetable oils. In addition, flaxseed provide substances called lignans, which appear to have beneficial effects on various hormones and may help to fight cancer, bacteria, viruses and fungi. Gram for gram, flaxseeds boast up to 800 times the lignans in most other food.

Other benefits of flaxseed include:-

-helps to protect against cancer, heart disease, cataracts and gallstones
-reduces inflammation associated with gout and lupus
-promotes healthy skin, hair and nails, relieves acne, eczema, psoriasis, roascea and sunburn
-maybe useful for infertility, impotence, menstrual cramp and endometriosis
-helps to treat nerve disorders
-relieves constipation, gallstones and diverticular disorders.
-effective against ailments such as cold sores and shingles.

The following are some of the ways you can include flaxseed in your home cooking:-

•Sprinkle ground flaxseed on your cereal and salads
•Substitute flaxseed mixture for eggs in home baking such as muffin and pancake (1 tbsp milled flaxseed, plus 3 tbsp water = 1 egg). Final products will have less volume and taste gummier
• mix with juice, yoghurt or cottage cheese
•Include in other recipe when nutty flavor is preferred
•substitute flaxseed oil for other oils

You can purchase raw flaxseed in bulk — whole or ground — at the supermarkets and health food stores. Whole seeds can be grounded in a coffee grinder and then stored in an airtight container for several months. Refrigerating the whole seeds may also extend their freshness.

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