Flaxseeds are awesome for your wellbeing

Flaxseeds are awesome for your wellbeing

Flaxseeds or Aalash are not commonly included in our daily diet, but those tiny, brown seeds pack a lot of health benefits that you might not know about. Containing Omega-3 fatty acids (also known as ‘good fat’), lignans (rich in antioxidants and estrogen content) and fiber, flaxseeds are great for your health, here’s why.

Can help control Diabetes:

Lignans present in flaxseed, are known to improve the blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetics. having flaxseed on a daily basis can help maintain your blood sugar levels over an extended period of time. Apart from having flaxseeds, there are other natural ways to prevent diabetes too, Here are some of them.

Helps prevent the onset of heart disease:

Flaxseeds are great for your heart health. Not only do they help prevent the formation of plaque within your arteries, but they also prevent atherosclerosis (when the arteries become stiff and less elastic), reduce blood pressure, heart rate and beat oxidative stress (due to its antioxidant properties). Apart from that flaxseeds can help lower the levels of bad cholesterol (or LDL cholesterol) in check, protecting your heart.

Can prevent the onset of cancer:

The high content of antioxidants and Omega 3 fatty acids protect against breast cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer. The lignin content in flaxseed especially protects against tumours that are hormone sensitive eg: estrogen-sensitive breast tumours.

Can help reduce inflammation: 

The omega 3 fatty acids, lignans and ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) present in flaxseeds are known to block the release of inflammatory agents and are especially beneficial for patients who suffer from diseases such as arthritis, and Parkinson’s disease.

Can help relieve hot flashes:

Hot flashes is a problem that is commonly associated with menopausal women. If you suffer from this condition then flaxseeds can help. The antioxidant properties of flaxseeds help regularise the hormonal imbalnce responsible for hot flashes and a study found that women who had a spoon of flaxseeds regularly experienced a 57% drop in the intensity of hot flashes they experienced.

How to use flaxseeds???

You could start off by having one tablespoon of ground flaxseed powder every morning on an empty stomach with a glass of warm water. Alternatively, you can even add it to your energy drink or fresh juice or include it in your meals by sprinkle one tablespoon of flaxseed powder on the dish you cook.

Remember to not put the powder directly into hot oil, as the excess heat tends to deactivate the beneficial properties of flaxseed and may add a bitter taste to your food. Also do not have more than 2 tablespoons per day, as it can be detrimental to your health.