Whether you're a big health nut or not, you've probably eaten flaxseed recently! Those who are always looking for new ways to build a healthy diet use flaxseed in their own cooking, and many premade foods use them, too.
But what exactly is flaxseed? Where does it come from, and what kinds of health benefits does it provide? Read on to learn the answers to these questions.
What Is Flaxseed?
Flax comes from the very old flax plant, which has grown since as long ago as 3000 B.C. in Babylon and Egypt. Originally, flax was used to make clothing since you could weave clothes with the fibers of the plant. But, when cotton became a more popular plant for clothes, especially in the United States, flax faded away more.
Today, when flax is grown, it's not used for clothing — it's to get the seeds. To many, flaxseed is a superfood. Health enthusiasts use them to make lots of different foods, from oatmeal to smoothies to salad dressing and more.
Flaxseed is full of three important nutrients: omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and lignans. These three nutrients are the main things in flaxseed that people believe help give it its health qualities.
So, does adding flaxseed to your diet provide the health benefits that many people believe it does?
Is Flaxseed Healthy?
More and more research is being done that shows flaxseed is a health food. Lots of people swear by it because you can add it to a variety of other foods and substitute it for other ingredients, too.
Like with any health trend, there is ongoing research about which parts of flaxseed do give the health benefits and whether those nutrients do indeed cause them instead of only showing a correlation.
Flaxseed's Health Benefits
As mentioned before, lignans, omega-3 fatty acids and fiber are the three primary nutrients behind flaxseeds' health status.
Omega-3 fatty acids are a necessary part of your diet because your body needs it but does not produce it itself. Those who eat more omega-3 fatty acids are linked with having a lower risk of stroke, heart disease and heart attacks.
Lignans are a plant compound that is believed to help lower risk for certain cancers, especially breast cancer for women and prostate cancer for men. Flaxseeds contain higher levels of this nutrient compared to many other foods.
You probably already know how important fiber is to your diet. Fiber helps to keep your digestive system working healthily, regulate your blood sugar and lower cholesterol.
With these things in mind, it's important to understand simply adding flaxseed to your diet will not guarantee these effects. And, like with other types of food, you need to eat flaxseed in moderation.
Buy Flaxseed From Sincerely Nuts
If you want to give this superfood a try, buy flaxseeds at Sincerely Nuts! Whether you want to buy a smaller amount to give it a try or are ready to stock up, we carry top-quality flaxseeds as well as a great selection of other healthy foods, including seeds, nuts and other snacks.
