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[H152]Health Benefits Of Flaxseed

by Dr. Tina Marcantel, Dr.

One food that I highly recommend to all my patients is flaxseed. The health benefits of this little seed make it sound like nature's wonder drug: it can help protect against heart disease, cancer, and diabetes; it can reduce cholesterol and has anti-inflammatory benefits; it's even been shown to reduce hot flashes in postmenopausal women!

Flaxseed is helpful in managing women's health issues because it contains high levels of lignans, which are phytochemicals that are converted in the body into hormone-like agents that block the estrogen pathways and limit estrogen in fat cells.

Limiting estrogen is important because it can help prevent estrogen dominance, a condition that can lead to numerous health problems including premenstrual syndrome (PMS), insomnia, irregular bleeding, uterine fibroids, fibrocystic breast disease, and breast cancer. In fact, many physicians treat women with breast cancer by adding flaxseed to their diets. It should be noted that only the seeds (not just the oil) provide the proper estrogen-blocking effect.

Flax is a mega-source for an omega-3 called alpha-linolenic acid. Omega-3 is a great support for cardiovascular function, skin health, and joint health. It's also an excellent source of fiber (1 tablespoon ground = 2 grams of fiber), which can improve regularity and help prevent colon cancer, as well as helping to lower LDL cholesterol levels.

You can put flaxseed in muffins, breads, cookies, cereals, cottage cheese, sprinkle it on salads, and add it to soups. Make sure the seeds are ground and kept in a closed container in the refrigerator. An amount of approximately 25 grams per day of ground flax will provide a medicinal effect. This equals 4 tablespoons per day.

You can find flaxseed in both the ground (milled) form and in whole seed form in almost any grocery store, usually in the health food section. I like to buy it in whole seed form and grind it myself in a small coffee grinder; it tastes better when it is fresh-ground and you'll retain more of the nutrional value. However, the milled form may be more convenient for you. Either way, it's important to understand that you should use the ground form because it is a soluble form of fiber that is much more effective in reducing cholesterol and triglycerides and excess estrogen. The seed form can also be irritating to those with bowel problems.

AN IMPORTANT NOTE: Flax should not be eaten within one hour of taking medicines or vitamins because of its absorbing properties. It can actually absorb and eliminate the medicines from your body, making them ineffective.

Flaxseed has many health benefits, so it's no wonder that this ancient crop which has been around for over 4000 years is recently been the subject of many medical studies. Rich in antioxidants, soluble fiber, insoluble fiber in omega-3 fatty acids, this little seed has been shown to help lower blood pressure, cholesterol levels, triglycerides and eat in preventing clogging of the arteries (atherosclerosis). In addition, researchers also think it may help stabilize blood sugar, lower the risk of certain cancers and help reduce inflammation this is seeded with illnesses such as asthma, arthritis and Parkinson's disease.

One important reason to eat flaxseed is to help keep your heart healthy. In fact, one study showed that a flax seed every day showed lower cholesterol levels and a reduction in the tendency to form blood clots in only three months. Flaxseed contains Alpha linoleic acid (LNA) which your body can convert into EPA - the beneficial oil found in fish that is said to help reduce risk of heart attack and stroke. So if you can eat enough heart healthy fish, you can always add some flax seed to your diet.

Flax seeds provide fiber and vital nutrients such as magnesium and other trace minerals and today store well in your fridge. What you have to be careful about, however, is to be sure that you grind the seeds right before you use them. If you don't grind them, they will pass right through your system and you won't get any of the benefits of the oil. But if you grind them ahead of time, the oil will oxidize and become rancid. You can grind them in a regular coffee grinder.

Another benefit of flax seeds is that they have a lot of fiber and can help soften your stools and relieve constipation. You do need to drink a lot of water when you are eating flax seeds because if you don't have enough liquids along with them it may have the opposite effect. Flax seeds can be and will give your food and nutty taste. Try sprinkling them over serial, putting them in your salads, eating them mixed in with cottage cheese ( the combination of cottage cheese plus flax seeds instead of cancer fighting properties) or even over ice cream.

Now if grinding up your own flax seeds every day seems like a lot of trouble you might try just adding some flax seed oil to your diet. You should store it in your refrigerator, though, as it can become rancid pretty quickly. Flax seed oil is high In the omega-3 fatty acids and you can use it on your salads, vegetables and even toast.

As with anything, you want to be careful where you buy it from. Buying organic flax seeds, or flax seed oil is your best bet and you want to be sure to get it from a trusted source so you know you're getting good quality food.

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Both Dr. Tina Marcantel & Lee Dobbins - are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Dr. Tina Marcantel has sinced written about articles on various topics from Stress Management, Cancer and Nutrition. Dr. Tina Marcantel is a naturopathic physician in Mesa, Arizona. She practices holistic, integrative patient care. For more info visit her website at .. Dr. Tina Marcantel's top article generates over 5400 views. to your Favourites.

Lee Dobbins - has sinced written about articles on various topics from . Lee Dobbins writes for where you can learn more about natural health and healing and find out more about. Lee Dobbins -'s top article . to your Favourites.