The Amazing Flax: What is it and what's the big deal?

Anybody that has been "up" on the health food trends that have been rising in popularity and debate has more than likely heard of or seen flax, flaxseed, flaxseed oil, etc. Well I'm here to give you the quickest yet most useful and informational version that I can of all that this plant has to offer.  

Overview of plant and uses:

Flax is an all-natural product that comes from the flax plant, which produces small blue flowers and brown apple-shaped pods. The fibers from the stem are soft, elastic, stronger than cotton, and have been used for everything from fabric to rope to paper. One thing most may not know is that the flax plant also produces linseed oil, the original main ingredient in linoleum. Linseed oil has been used for centuries as a dye and drying oil for painting, and as a varnish. Flaxseed oil provides all the health benefits of the flaxseed and can be found in the supplemental section of your local grocery store. Despite all the many uses of the flax plant, the seed's health benefits are the healthy eater's primary source of interest.

Nutritional value and pertinent health info:

Flaxseeds contain extremely high levels of phytochemicals, including our best source of lignans, plant-derived chemicals that act like antioxidants for cell repair and offer anti-aging properties, while also forming substances in our intestines that balance female hormones. (Lesser sources of lignans are also found in wheat sources, mainly rye, soybeans, and veggies like broccoli.) They are an extremely rich source of dietary fiber, micronutrients (organic compounds like vitamins and minerals needed by the body for proper function: Vitamin B, Manganese, Magnesium) and are a rich source of Omega-3 fatty acids (mostly ALA - alpha linolenic acid) known to lower cholesterol and provide many other benefits for the human heart, while also fighting chronic disease-causing inflammation. Some studies have shown that flax may lower the risk of breast cancer in women, and prostate cancer in men. Flax has also shown to regulate blood-sugar levels (because of the fiber and protein content), therefore helping with insulin resistance and possibly lessening the severity of diabetes. Some may say, "But, isn't flax a grain and therefore high in carbs?!" The answer is absolutely not! Flax is an extremely low-carb seed and though it may have a similar vitamin/mineral genetic makeup as grain, the amount of healthy fats and fiber contribute to a feeling of satisfaction and are therefore ideal for weight loss, health, and low-carb, low-starch lifestyles.

flax seed meal

*Notes:

• Flaxseeds are now being sold whole and in ground flaxseed form. It has been said that ingesting whole flaxseeds reduces greatly the ability for your body to absorb all of the available nutrients, and therefore should be eaten in ground form only. In addition, flax oil doesn't offer the fiber nor the phytochemicals available in ground flax, so keep that in mind!
• The nutrient Lignans explained in this post contain phytoestrogens, which quite obviously will have some sort of hormonal effects. Research and health benefits so far have rendered this phytochemical safe, but it's unknown what high levels of this phytoestrogen may do to your health.

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