Flax has long been revered as a healing food, and has been used traditionally in baked goods and cereals. In recent years flax has gained more acclaim with the increasing visibility of the Budwig Diet (which uses flax seeds and cottage cheese as part of a healing protocol, most notably used for cancer), and flax being used liberally in colon cleansing products and superfood powders.
Brown and golden flax are the two basic varieties of flax and are the most recommended. Flax is known in many parts of the world as linseed, however most of the linseed oil sold in the United States is not food grade and sold as a wood finish and preservative.
Regardless of how you use it, flax is a seed you definitely want to fully investigate due to its incredible healing powers.
Flax nutritional profile
Flax can be found in a few different formats, most notably in the seed itself, ground, or oil. Three of the most prominent features of flax with relation to its nutritional profile is its high omega 3 content, lignans, and mucilage content. In fact, flax has been touted as the number one source of omega 3’s and lignans!
Check out the nutritional profile of this powerful seed:
An excellent source of B-vitamins, including thiamin (B1), B6, folate (B9), niacin (B3), riboflavin (B2), and pantothenic acid (B5)
An excellent source of vitamin E
An incredibly rich source of manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, and copper
A good source of iron, calcium, potassium, zinc, and selenium
A great source of plant protein (18% protein).
An excellent source of fatty acids, most notably omega 3’s
An excellent source of dietary fibre
With this incredible mix of nutrients, it’s little wonder why flax is such a healing food!
Healing action of flax
So flax has all these incredible nutrients, but what does this exactly mean for your health? Well, turns out there is a laundry list of health benefits when consuming flax, including but not limited to:
Increases nutrient absorption
Promotes regular bowel movements
Detoxes the colon
Promotes healthy skin and hair
Reduces inflammation
Helps lower cholesterol
Promotes weight loss
Promotes good digestive health
Helps fight breast, prostate, ovarian, and colon cancer
Helps alleviate menopausal symptoms
With flax being able to assist with very common issues that are prevalent in society today (digestive issues and hormonal cancers), it makes sense to start looking at ways to incorporate it into your daily routine.
Try the Health Ranger’s Organic Flax SeedsHow to use flax in your diet
There are a number of ways you can incorporate flax into your daily routine, but the best solution is to use ground flax or flax oil to eliminate the inability to properly digest the seeds themselves. In that vein, consider incorporating flax through:
Hot or cold cereals
Muffins, cookies, and breads
Smoothies
Salad dressings
To use flax in one of the most medicinal ways possible, consider making a flax seed tea. You can get the simple recipe here.
Sources for this article include:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=81
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3163/2
http://draxe.com/10-flax-seed-benefits-nutrition-facts/
Derek A. Henry
Derek A. Henry, Founder of Healing the Body and the THRIVE Academy, used nutrition, supplementation, and a holistic lifestyle to naturally unravel 13 chronic disease conditions that conventional or alternative medical professionals couldn't help him resolve. As a result of this one-in-a-million health transformation and the knowledge acquired in the process, he is now happier and healthier than he has ever been and now educates, coaches, and inspires thousands of others to transform their health through a natural and holistic approach. Since 2014, he has helped his THRIVE Academy participants heal over 20 different chronic disease conditions, primarily related to digestive and autoimmune concerns.
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