Flaxseed has many health benefits, and flaxseed oil is commonly used in food products. Flaxseeds are one of the richest sources of plant-based omega 3 fatty acids. This makes flaxseed an important part of your regular diet if you want to stay healthy. Here are some flaxseed health benefits that everyone should know about:
Flaxseed And Blood Pressure
The anti-inflammatory properties of Omega 3 fatty acids can reduce the risk of heart disease. Adding a daily serving of flaxseeds can help you improve your cardiovascular health and prevent heart disease.
A systematic review of studies, published online in The Journal of Nutrition, suggests that these little brown or golden seeds may have blood pressure benefits in particular.
The paper reviewed 15 clinical trials that included more than 1,300 people and used various flaxseed products (the seeds themselves or extracts of the seed’s oil or lignans).
Overall, flaxseed reduced systolic blood pressure (the top number) by nearly 3 points and diastolic (lower number) by more than 2 points, on average, with greater effects seen in trials that were 12 weeks or longer and, generally, for the seeds compared to the oil and lignan extracts. According to the researchers, the blood pressure benefits may be due to the synergistic action of the flaxseed compounds.
How To Use Flaxseed For High Blood Pressure?
One tablespoon of flaxseed (ground) has about 40 calories, 3 grams of fat (more than half of which is ALA), almost 2 grams of protein, and more than 2 grams of fiber. It’s better to consume the seeds ground since the whole seeds pass through the body mostly undigested.
You can buy flaxseed already milled or, better yet, buy them whole and grind them yourself (a coffee bean grinder works well) just before using, as this will slow rancidity (the oils in flaxseed are highly unsaturated, so they are more susceptible to oxidation). Store the seeds, ground or whole, in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer to keep them fresh longer.
Helps You Lose Weight And Keep Your Lean Body Mass
We know that weight loss plays a key role in lowering your blood pressure. Omega 3s are known for their function in maintaining a lean body mass while encouraging healthy weight loss. According to experts, flaxseed can make you lose 80% more weight when taken with water before meals three times per day. It will also help you feel full after every meal, and flaxseeds consumption may lead to a reduced intake of calorie-dense foods.
Regulates Blood Sugar Levels
Flaxseed consumption can improve your lipid profile and reduce blood sugar levels. A flaxseed supplement daily for 12 weeks helped people with type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes maintain healthy blood sugar levels because flaxseeds slow down the absorption of carbohydrates into the body. Flaxseed is also effective in lowering insulin sensitivity. This means that flaxseeds can help lower insulin resistance which causes high blood sugar levels.
Flaxseed also has some wonderful benefits making them an excellent addition to everyone’s diet, whether they are looking to get healthy or not. Whether you are looking for weight loss, pain relief, or just want to be healthier flaxseed has you covered. Flaxseeds may even protect against heart disease and certain forms of cancer. So add some flaxseed to your diet. I would recommend powdered flaxseed as whole flaxseed cannot be broken down and digested.
It is obvious after researching for this article that nature has provided so a variety of ways we can get healthy. Let’s take advantage of these and lead a happy healthy life.
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