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According to the Health Sciences Institute, the most effective and inexpensive way to eat flax seed is to grind it fresh and add it to cereal or juice. This is when the flax seed oil and fiber is the most potent (it starts to lose potency when exposed to air), and so you get the most benefit. Flax seed has a mild, nutty flavor and is much more palatable in the ground form than straight pressed flax seed oil. Further, one quarter cup of ground flax seed is the equivalent of 17 flax seed oil capsules, so there is substantial savings.
Resources:
You can find fresh whole flax seed at health food stores and natural grocery stores such as Whole Foods. You can also order it on line from companies such as Stevens Farm, which grows its own flax and cleans and grades it for human consumption.
What Is Flax?
Flax is grown both for seed and for fiber. Various parts of the plant have been used to make fabric, dye, paper, medicines, fishing nets and soap. It is also grown as an ornamental plant in gardens, as flax is one of the few plant species that is capable of producing truly blue flowers although not all flax varieties produce blue flowers. Flax Seed has become a rage in the health industry.
Flax Seed Benefit
Flaxseed is the most abundant food source of lignans, a family of phytochemicals that is drawing the interest of many health researchers. Lignans are not actually present in flaxseed; rather intestinal bacteria produce them from precursors in flaxseed. Lignans have antioxidant activity, and test tube and animal research suggests they may also have significant effects on the metabolism and function of the hormone estrogen. And these are just a few benefits associated with the flax seeds.
Who Should Take Flax Seed Oil?
Everyone. It's not goal specific. It doesn't matter if you're trying to lose weight or increase muscle. You don't need to have any weight or workout related goal at all for that matter. You can just be a person interested in improving your health. It's just plain old good for you. Take flax seed for a healthier life!
Flax Seed as Laxatives
Flaxseed acts as a bulk-forming laxative for treating constipation. The seeds, flax meal, or powders absorb water in the stomach and intestine, increasing the bulk and movement of the stool. Flaxseed is available without prescription as a dietary supplement. It is found in many forms including cracked or whole flaxseeds, flax meal, flaxseed oil, or flaxseed powder. However, it is recommended that you take flax seed which are fully grounded so that you body can truly ingest the nutrients.
Flax Seed and Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Flaxseed oil is a good source of Omega 3. You should consume every day small portions of flaxseed or flaxseed oil. However if flaxseed oil is used in the diet for long time, without other oils, it may cause Omega 6 LA deficiency symptoms. So the best bet is to blend flaxseed oil with other oils that contain more Omega 6, in order to get the right balance, such as sesame oil, sunflower oil, evening primrose oil.
Flaxseed oil is rich in alpha linolenic acid, an omega-3 fat that is a precursor to the form of omega-3 found in fish oils called eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA. Omega-3 fats can help reduce the inflammation that is a significant factor in conditions such as asthma, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and migraines. Lucky for us, we can now obtain flax seed oil in convenience!
Flax Seed Rich In ALA
The seeds and oil of the flax plant contain substances which promote good health. Flaxseed and flaxseed oil are rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an essential fatty acid that appears to be beneficial for heart disease.