What Does Flaxseed Do for Your System?

We are all moving towards clean eating and a healthier lifestyle. More and more people are recognizing the value of organically grown, plant-based options for food and their benefits. Each year though, it seems, there is a new trend - and one such food trend that has seemed to skyrocket in the last year has been the wonder-food, flaxseed.

What is a flaxseed?

Flaxseeds are the seeds obtained from flax. Typically grown in the Asian and other temperate climate regions, the seeds can be consumed in multiple forms. They offer a variety of health benefits and are considered to be nutritionally dense.

What is the nutritional value of a flaxseed?

One tablespoon of flaxseed (around 10 g) comes with a healthy dose of fats, potassium, protein and dietary fibre. It is also rich in iron, magnesium and calcium. With our current lifestyle, teetering around quick food fixes like McDonald’s and Domino’s, flaxseed provides our body with much needed vitamins and minerals. Flaxseed is high in Omega-3 fatty acids, something nearly all of us are deficient in. 

Why do we need Omega-3 fatty acids?

We’ve all seen those fish oil medicines at least at one point in our time. Our evolved (or shall we say devolved) diet has created a deficiency in these necessary fatty acids in our system to maintain our health and well-being. We need them in every cell in our body to function. Omega-3 fatty acids reduce the blood fat in our system, reduce joint pain, help reduce inflammation in our lungs, and help boost our immune system. 

We may not have access to fish, fish oil, and their supplements, but flaxseeds provide an easy alternative to meet your dietary needs. Flaxseed has also shown to help with certain illnesses and mental disorders such as ADHD, Alzheimer’s and dementia due to its rich Omega-3 content. It helps increase the brain functions in the body and keeps your mind alert.

Who knew just one seed could contain so much value?

How can I consume flaxseeds?

Most people do not want to eat flaxseeds by itself as a whole. Who eats seeds anyway, right? We go out of our way to remove seeds from our watermelon, muskmelon, lemons, and other fruit, so why would we want to eat a flax seed by itself?

There are many ways in which you can incorporate flaxseed into your diet. You can use flaxseed oil, readily available in supermarkets, and use it to cook your food. Another option is using ground flax seeds to add it to your meals. Making a breakfast smoothie? Add a spoon of ground flaxseed. You can also mix it with your dips and sauces when you make a sandwich or dress your salad. 

If you’re keen on baking bread (the lockdown since 2020 has raised a baker in all of us), you can coat your loaf with them! It also offers a great alternative as a binding agent, so if you want to make eggless desserts, use one spoon of ground flaxseed and mix it with three spoons of water, and you can get the same consistency as that of an egg.

Flaxseed may be new to its global popularity, but its health and nutrition benefits make it a super food that is ready to stay!