Healthful Ground Flax Seed
An Easy Way to Benefit from Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Fiber, Vitamins
Start adding a small amount of ground flax seed to your morning cereal or oat meal, and easily enjoy the benefits of Omega 3 fatty acids, fiber and other vitamins.
Flax seed, a seed just a bit larger than a sesame seed, contains wonderful omega-3 fatty acids called alpha linolenic acid (ALA). Flax seed also contains generous amounts of manganese, fiber, magnesium, folate and other vitamins and minerals. Flax seed oil itself, contains more omega-3 fatty acids than the seeds, however it does not contain all of the nutrients of the whole seeds. Flax seed oil can be considered a good alternative to oils found in cold-water fish, like salmon. According to The World’s Healthiest Foods, there are over 1,677 research articles in medical journals on linolenic acid, some of which are long-term studies.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
To understand the benefits of omega 3 fatty acids, let's explore how they work in the body. Omega 3 fatty acids are found in flax seed, walnuts, canola oil and cold-water fish. Please refer to the chart below for more foods rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, from The World's Healthiest Foods.
Food/ Calories/ % of Daily Value
Flaxseeds/ 95/ 140
Walnuts/164/ 90
Salmon, Chinook/ 262/ 84
Soybeans, cooked/ 298/ 40
Halibut, baked/ broiled/ 159/ 25
Shrimp, steamed/ boiled/ 112/ 15
Tofu, raw/ 86/ 15
Snapper, baked/ broiled/ 145/ 15
Scallops, baked/ broiled/ 152/ 13
Winter squash, baked/ 80/ 13
Omega 3s produce anti-inflammatory molecules within the body while other fats, like omega 6s, produce pro-inflammatory molecules. Omega 6s are found in animal fats, margarine and vegetable oils. Omega 3s help reduce inflammation, like in asthma, osteoarthritis, migraine headaches and osteoporosis. Omega 3 fatty acids help reduce the formation of blood clots, and produce flexible cell membranes, which allow for infiltration of needed nutrients. A lower ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids can also help prevent bone loss.
Omega 6 to Omega 3 Ratio
In order to benefit from omega 3 fatty acids, one must have a health-promoting ratio of omega 6 to omega 3, like 4:1 or even 2:1. A typical American diet contains a ratio of 10:1. This means that Americans need to focus on eating more foods containing omega 3 fatty acids rather than other fats.
Ground Flax Seed
Flax seeds can easily be ground and added to baked foods and cereals. Flax seeds can be purchased in bulk or packages. Bulk flax seeds can be found at most health food or organic food stores. Make sure the seeds are stored in airtight containers, in cool, dark places. The seeds can easily be ground in a coffee grinder or seed grinder. Once the seeds are ground, refrigerate or freeze the ground flax seeds for optimum use. Never cook flax seeds or oil. Try to add ground flax seeds near the end of cooking, as they will soak up liquids.
Start adding small amounts of ground flax seed to your morning cereal or oatmeal to reap the benefits of this small, yet superb seed.
