Flax Seed Health Benefits

02/11/2011 10:23

Flax, also known as linseed, is an herbaceous, annual plant that belongs to the family Linaceae of the plants. The seeds of flax contain high levels of omega-3, lignans, dietary fibre, protein, carbohydrate, sugar, fat, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, folate, vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron and zinc.Ten grams of ground flaxseed supply about 45 kilocalories, 2.8 grams of fibre, 4.1 grams of fat and 2 grams of protein. Flax seed is the source of flaxseed oil or linseed oil that offers numerous health benefits to its consumers.Flaxseed oil makes an excellent home remedy for premenstrual syndrome and dandruff. If you are interested, check out Flax Seed Health Benefits. A regular consumption of flaxseed oil helps improve immune system and relieves the symptoms of eczema and acne. It helps lower cholesterol levels and stabilizes blood sugar levels. Flaxseed oil helps relieve constipation due to its high dietary fibre and lignan contents. Researches show that flaxseed oil may benefit individuals with certain types of prostrate, stomach, colon and breast cancers. It helps heel bruises and sprains and relieves the symptoms of asthma. Omega-3 nutrients in the flaxseed oil help prevent gall disorders, arthritis and heart ailments.Essential fatty acids are very important for the health of your cardiovascular system because they reduce the LDL level, thin your blood and they prevent hardening of the veins and arteries.Therefore, it becomes very important that you use foods which provide your body with these nutrients on a regular basis. Natural oils such as salmon oil, primrose oil, flaxseed oil and black currant seed oil make a excellent sources and are used in many dietary supplements.A molecule of fat contains several fatty acids. Fats may be classified as unsaturated or saturated. Unsaturated fats are further categorized as monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. Moreover, unsaturated fatty acids are classified as omega-3 and omega-6. Unsaturated fats mainly come from plant sources and are considered healthier than saturated fats which typically come from animal sources. Important food sources of unsaturated fats include flaxseed oil and olive oil.Recent researches have revealed that omega nutrients (omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9) help improve brain power and promote high intellectual level. The research was carried out on two groups of young children aged 7-14. The first group was given a combination of omega-3 and omega-9 for 3 months, while the second was not. After 3 months, children who were consuming omega nutrients showed a significant improvement in hyperactivity, behaviour, attention levels, reading skills and short-term memory.If your child has a deficiency of omega-nutrients, you should consider either increasing the amount of oily fish in his or her diet, or giving a dietary supplement. The rich dietary sources of omega nutrients include salmon, mackerel, trout, flax seeds, walnuts, soy, pumpkin seeds and canola oil. Omega eggs also make a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. The hens that lay these eggs are fed on feeds that contain omega nutrients. For more details, visit Flax Seed Health Benefits.