Flaxseeds are widely available, reasonably priced, incredibly healthy, and, best of all, they don't even require cooking.
Flaxseed is this food, and experts say it's as close to a "superfood" as it gets. According to Jennifer Scheinman, a qualified and certified food nutritionist at Timeline Nutrition, "These tiny seeds are the unsung hero of the plant world." "They are a superpower in nutrition."
Although it may sound exaggerated, consuming flaxseeds has been linked to several health benefits, including better digestion, heart health, and a decreased risk of obesity, diabetes, and several types of cancer. Consuming flaxseed may even reduce menopausal symptoms, which frequently involve gastrointestinal problems, among many other annoyances. But the attraction goes further than that: Because flaxseeds are so rich in nutrients, influencers have started utilizing them in do-it-yourself skin and hair beauty treatments lately. One popular Tiktok boasts, "This is Botox that you make at home." The best part is that it only has two ingredients: water and flaxseeds. It also functions as a natural shampoo.
It may be rather dramatic to compare flaxseed to Botox, but there is no denying that flaxseed has a lot of transformational qualities, particularly when consumed. However, what are flaxseeds exactly, how are they best used, and what specific health benefits might they offer? Continue reading to learn the advice of the professionals.
What are flaxseeds?
As the name suggests, flaxseed is the seed of the flax plant. The seeds are either brown or golden, and they resemble sesame seeds in both size and shape. And here's a fascinating fact: For thousands of years, people have grown flax for its seeds, oil, and fibers; in fact, the fibrous stems of the plant are used to make your favorite linen shirts.
What are the health benefits of eating flax?
Flaxseeds include a variety of beneficial substances, including antioxidants, lignans, fiber, and vitamins and minerals like magnesium and thiamine. Furthermore, they are among the few plant-based sources of vital omega-3 fatty acids, which are also present in fish oil and have been shown to help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. According to Scheinman, "flaxseeds are packed with nutrients that are often lacking in American diets."
Flaxseeds for digestion
The extraordinary capacity of flaxseeds to lower cholesterol and "increase fat excretion" is attributed to a unique form of soluble fiber known as "mucilaginous gum," which is also present in seaweed and legumes. As seen in the aforementioned Tiktok, if you've ever soaked flaxseeds in water and noticed how slimy they become, that is the action of mucilaginous gum. According to Panitz, consuming this gel-forming soluble fiber can improve sensations of fullness and aid in weight management.
But fiber offers much more pleasure than that. According to Panitz, flaxseed has a high concentration of insoluble fiber and can thicken stool to help it pass through the colon faster. "This is how it benefits people who experience irregular bowel movements or constipation."
The gut microbiota will benefit from all of this fiber as well. According to Panitz, "flaxseed fiber can also feed beneficial gut bacteria." "In addition to its high ALA omega-3 fatty acid content, research has demonstrated that it can change the composition of the gut microbiota to support more beneficial species of bacteria that support and repair the gut lining, thereby improving insulin sensitivity, delaying the onset of diseases like cancer, and reducing inflammation.”
Lignans are another really helpful compound; they are connected to fiber and are exclusively found in plants. According to Pantiz, "the lignans found in flaxseed, when metabolized by gut bacteria, exert phytoestrogen effects that may reduce the risk of endometriosis, breast, and ovarian cancers, and lessen mild menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and vaginal dryness." "These lignans also contain antioxidants, which lessen the harm that free radicals do to the body as a whole."
Put another way, consuming flaxseeds helps to preserve and safeguard your general well-being in addition to promoting optimal gut health.
What’s the best way to eat flaxseeds?
You don't even need to consume a cup of flaxseeds to get the benefits; they are quite simple to add to your diet. "Eating just one to two tablespoons of flax a day, which is easy to do, provides the majority of its health benefits," states Scheinman. "Adding flaxseeds to a diet that emphasizes longevity is a great idea."
That being said, she enjoys incorporating flaxseeds into baked products such as yogurt, porridge, and smoothies. And because of their capacity to retain moisture—that mucilaginous gum at work once more—she claims they may even be substituted for eggs in vegan baking recipes: Simply combine one tablespoon of ground flax with three tablespoons of water, then set it to steep for a few minutes.
Panitz also suggests utilizing flaxseeds in novel ways. "You can use flaxseed in place of up to half of the flour in cake, bread, and muffin recipes when baking," she explains. Alternatively, "when making homemade meatballs or veggie burgers, you can use ground flax in place of breadcrumbs."
It's crucial to keep in mind that for fiber to function as intended, it must also be consumed together with lots of water—this is what keeps everything running smoothly. Therefore, Panitz advises, "Remember to drink more water when incorporating more fiber into your daily routine."
Ground or whole?
Regarding the optimal way to consume flaxseeds-whole or ground-both experts agree that ground flaxseeds are much more beneficial to the body. "This is because breaking down the outer wall of an intact seed can be difficult for our digestive tract, causing them to pass through the digestive tract without fully benefiting us," says Scheinman. "You can easily grind whole flaxseeds in a coffee or spice grinder if you have them."
Remember that flaxseed is a fresh food and that all foods might spoil at some point. According to Panitz, "Any seed, whole or ground, contains fat that can oxidize over time when exposed to the air." Therefore, to preserve flaxseed or ground flax from getting rancid and developing an "off" taste, store them in the refrigerator in a sealed container.
Beauty and the seed
Consuming flaxseeds can also significantly alter the state of your skin. After just twelve weeks, participants in a recent randomized controlled study reported reduced skin irritation and enhanced skin barrier function when flaxseed oil was added to their daily meals. It states that "smoothness and hydration were increased, while sensitivity, roughness, and scaling were significantly reduced with flaxseed oil."
But what about all those viral videos that promise that using flaxseed topically may change the game for skin and hair? While research on the advantages of applying flaxseed or flaxseed oil directly to the face is limited, studies on the application of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil, which shares many of the same qualities, have shown some encouraging results. According to a recent study, "clinical trials for skin application are still limited." However, it was shown that "omega-3 fatty acids can enhance skin barrier function, prevent inflammation and hyperpigmentation brought on by the sun, lessen dry skin and itching caused by dermatitis, speed up the healing of skin wounds, and stop the development of skin cancer," adding that "several routes of administration, including topical application, can achieve all of those benefits."
Regarding hair, it won't harm you to apply a mixture of freshly ground flaxseed and water to your hair; it might even add some moisture and encourage the growth of new hair. While an earlier study discovered that applying omega-3 fatty acids to mouse hair follicles increased hair growth, a more current study suggested that the lignans in flaxseed oil could "potentially be used as a treatment for alopecia."
One thing to keep in mind, though, is that the skin or scalp may find it difficult to fully absorb flaxseed oil due to its bigger molecules than other oils. Thus, consuming flaxseed through diet is probably preferable to applying it topically only.
"Although flaxseeds have some pretty amazing health benefits, it's important to keep in mind that no single food can heal all medical conditions," advises Panitz. "The best approach to meeting all of your nutrient needs and lowering your risk of disease is still to eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and healthy fats.”
Eat the rainbow and keep in mind that flaxseeds are only a tiny portion of the larger, more significant picture. Panitz says, "Adding flaxseed can be the icing on top of an already well-balanced diet."
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