Flax Seeds Benefits the Entire Body!



Flaxseed is claimed to benefit every molecule in the body! It improves the quality of hair, nails, and skin, as well as helping to regulate bodyweight, lower cholesterol and blood pressure and prevent arthritis and cancers.

What is Flax Plant?

The flax plant, an ancient crop, yields the fibre from which linen is woven, as well as seeds (linseed or flaxseed) and oil. The oil, also called linseed oil, has many industrial uses, it is an important ingredient in paints, varnishes and linoleum for example.

Flax is a grain crop which has several substances that can be healthy. It has fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and lignans. You can add flax to your diet by either using the flaxseeds or flaxseed oil. Both will add the essential omega-3 fatty acid, alpha linolenic acid (ALA) to our bodies. We need this fatty acid and are unable to make it on our own. This fatty acid may help reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease and sudden cardiac death. It is believed that flax's fatty acids, as well as fiber, help in lowering blood cholesterol.

Flaxseed has been a part of human and animal diets for thousands of years in Asia, Europe, and Africa, and more recently in North America and Australia, says Kaye Effertz, executive director of AmeriFlax, a trade promotion group representing U.S. flaxseed producers. As flax gained popularity for its industrial uses, however, its popularity as a food product waned, but it never lost its nutritional value.

What does Flax Seeds look like?

Flax seeds are slightly larger than sesame seeds and have a hard shell that is smooth and shiny. Their color ranges from deep amber to reddish brown depending upon whether the flax is of the golden or brown variety. While whole flaxseeds feature a soft crunch, the nutrients in ground seeds are more easily absorbed.

Today flax is experiencing a renaissance among nutritionists, the health conscious public, food processors, and chefs alike!