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Health Benefits of Flaxseed
The early colonists introduced flax into the United States. Flax was first introduced into Canada during the17th century, and today they are the world’s largest producer of flaxseed.
Health Benefits of Flaxseed
Nutrients
Flaxseeds are an excellent source of the omega-3 essential fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), as well as phytoestrogens known as lignans. They are a very good source of dietary fiber, magnesium, potassium, and manganese. They are a good source of the minerals phosphorus, iron, and copper.
Glycemic Index (GI)
In a study to determine the GI of various foods, it was concluded that flaxseed has a low GI of 5.
Bipolar Disorder
One preliminary study hints that flaxseed oil may enhance the effects of conventional treatments for bipolar disorder when combined with medications. Although promising, further research is required to substantiate the result of this study.
Omega-3
Flaxseed oil contains alpha-linolenic acid, a type of omega-3 fatty acid similar to the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil, the difference being that it contains the shorter-chain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) rather than the longer-chain fats eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and do-cosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Although ALA can be converted to EPA and DHA, the problem is that there are factors that may block the conversion in certain individuals, such as excess cholesterol, a diet heavy in saturated fat, excessive alcohol intake, junk food, smoking, the absence of an enzyme called delta-6-desaturase which is common in diabetics, and other factors.
Kidney Disease
Flaxseed has shown some promise for treating kidney disease associated with lupus nephritis. Research is however weak and further studies are needed to establish flaxseed in this regard.
Cholesterol
Some studies have found flaxseed to be beneficial in reducing cholesterol.
In a study of post-menopausal women, the results of the study concluded that dietary flaxseed supplementation lowered total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol) by approximately 7% and 10%, respectively.
In another study involving fifty-five hypercholesterolaemic subjects, it was concluded that dietary flaxseed lignan extract decreased plasma cholesterol.
Cancer
Studies have shown flaxseed to inhibit the growth of human estrogen-dependent breast cancer. The lignans in flaxseed are phyto-oestrogens, plant chemicals that mimick the effects of oestrogen in the body by increasing the production of a compound known as sex hormone-binding globulin, or SHBG. This protein regulates estrogen levels by displacing excess oestrogen from cells in the body. It is believed that displacing oestrogen in this manner might help prevent those cancers that depend on oestrogen, such as breast cancer, from starting and developing.
Constipation
In a double-blind study, 55 people with chronic constipation caused by irritable bowel syndrome received either ground flaxseed or psyllium seed daily for 3 months. Those taking flaxseed had significantly fewer problems with constipation, abdominal pain, and bloating than those taking psyllium. The flaxseed group had even further improvements in constipation and bloating while continuing their treatment in the 3 months after the double-blind part of the study ended. The researcher concluded that flaxseed relieved constipation more effectively than psyllium.
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