What is Flaxseed? What are the benefits of flaxseed?

by Abbas Jahangir · June 15, 2024

Due to its nutritional value, flaxseed is frequently included in the diet lists of those who care about living a healthy life. The seed, which stands out with its fiber and omega-3 content, has been used for different purposes for centuries and has become popular in our country in the last 10 years. So, what is flaxseed? What does it do?

What is Flaxseed?

Flaxseed is a seed obtained from the flax plant, also known as Linum Usitatissimum. Its homeland is known as Egypt. However, since it can easily adapt to different climatic conditions, it is grown in many countries today.

Flax, which has been used in the textile field for many years, started to be grown for seed purposes in North America for the first time. Bread and snacks with rich nutritional values are produced with flaxseed, which is mostly used as a grain today. In addition, flax oil obtained by crushing the seeds is also used in the cosmetics industry.

What is the use of flaxseed?

Although flaxseed is a plant-derived food, it is rich in B12 and omega-3. For this reason, it is beneficial for vegans to add it to their diet programs.
Thanks to its high fiber content, it can help relieve constipation. When you wake up in the morning, you can eat flaxseeds and drink plenty of water. In this way, you can contribute to the movement of your intestines.
Flaxseed is also a substance used in the textile field. The water absorption capacity of fabrics made from linen is 2-3 times that of cotton. In this way, it can make it easier for the skin to breathe.
It is also used as animal feed by mixing it with different seeds.
Flaxseed is a food that is also known for its benefits for hair. Regular consumption can help strengthen your hair. It is also included in hair masks that give shine to the hair.
Flaxseed is a food that is beneficial to the skin. The antioxidants and lignans it contains can delay the formation of wrinkles.

Benefits of Flaxseed

Studies have shown that lignan, one of the plant-derived compounds, can reduce the risk of cancer. Flaxseed contains approximately 400 times more lignans than other plants. In a study conducted in Portugal on women with breast cancer, attention was drawn to the anti-estrogen effect of flaxseed. Thus, it was thought that it could help kill cancer cells.

Flaxseed is a food rich in fiber. Moreover, it contains soluble and insoluble fibers together. In this way, you can simultaneously benefit from the effect of soluble fibers on balancing blood sugar and increasing the metabolic rate, and the effects of insoluble fibers on accelerating digestion. Intestinal health is directly related to the immune system, mental health and brain functions. Therefore, it is extremely important to add fermentable foods to the nutrition program. One of these foods that dissolves as a result of the interaction of beneficial bacteria is flaxseed. You can also increase the number of beneficial bacteria in your intestines thanks to guar gum, inulin, oligofructose and fibers called beta-glucans found in flaxseeds.

Research on people with peripheral artery disease and high bad cholesterol has shown that flaxseed may help lower cholesterol. Those who consumed 30 grams of flaxseed every day for 1 month had a 15% decrease in their cholesterol levels after 30 days. It has been proven that this effect is due to the fibers in flaxseed binding to bile salts and pulling cholesterol into the liver to maintain the body’s salt balance.

Research conducted by the Biotechnology Research Center at Mashhad University in Australia has shown that flaxseed consumption may be effective in lowering high blood pressure . Those who consumed 4 tablespoons of flaxseed daily for 3 months reduced their diastolic and systolic blood pressure by 2 mmHG. This decrease is; It can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 6%. Flaxseed is one of the foods that diabetic patients can consume. It can help prevent insulin resistance, which has a direct effect on blood sugar. Thanks to its fiber content, it slows down the rate of sugar absorption in the blood. In this way, there is no increase in insulin after a sudden increase in blood sugar. Blood sugar levels rise slowly and remain stable for longer.

How to Use Flax Seed?

You can consume flaxseed by chewing it without any processing. However, if you purchased it ground, you should be careful to consume it before it becomes stale. If you have difficulty consuming it alone, it is also possible to consume it in different ways.

Consuming flaxseed as a grain can make it difficult to digest and cause bloating. Additionally, since it is not fully absorbed, you may benefit less from its benefits. For this reason, you can be careful to consume it by grinding it.
You can prepare a delicious drink thanks to the flaxseed tea recipe. First of all, you can boil 1.5 cups of water in a coffee pot. Then, you can add 1 tablespoon of flaxseed and 1 cinnamon stick and let it brew for 5 minutes. You can add honey to sweeten. However, when honey comes into contact with high-temperature water, the beneficial enzymes in it will be damaged, so you need to wait for the mixture to cool down.
Flaxseed and yoghurt mixture can be a great snack to get the omega 3 and protein you need daily.
You can consume the mixture by adding 2 tablespoons of flaxseed to 1 glass of water, waiting 5-10 minutes for it to soften.
Flaxseed can be an ideal choice to flavor your salads and increase their nutritional value.
If you don’t like breakfast and are looking for an alternative that will keep you full for a long time, you can consider adding flaxseed to your smoothie recipe.
You can also consume flaxseed as oil. However, fiber loss occurs during the crushing and de-granulation of flaxseeds. Therefore, the benefits of flaxseed oil are not as many as those of flaxseed.

How Much Flax Seed Should Be Consumed?

Although flaxseed is a food with extremely rich nutritional values, consuming too much of it can be disturbing. 1 spoon of flaxseed contains approximately 2 grams of fiber. Although fiber is a healthy substance, excessive consumption can cause digestive consequences such as diarrhea and bloating. Therefore, it is beneficial to limit your daily flaxseed consumption to 4-5 tablespoons.

Does Flax Seed Help You Lose Weight?

Although flaxseed does not directly cause you to lose weight, it can reduce your appetite and enable you to consume fewer calories during the day, thanks to the substances it contains. The calorie count of flaxseed, known for its high nutritional values, is around 38 kcal for 1 tablespoon.

It is a food very rich in fiber. Fibers can prolong satiety as they are digested in a long time. Additionally, its ability to keep blood sugar balanced prevents your body from secreting insulin unnecessarily. Thus, you can benefit from the slimming effect of flaxseed by minimizing your sweet cravings.
There are studies revealing the relationship between omega-3 in flaxseed and satiety. Overweight people who took more than 1.3 grams of omega-3 daily stated that they experienced serious satiety within 2 hours after taking omega-3. It has been revealed that especially obese individuals increase the satiety hormone.
Glucomannan found in flaxseed is a substance frequently used as a nutritional supplement. This substance, which is effective against constipation, can support weight loss.
Flaxseed can help you burn more calories during the day by increasing your metabolic rate. Studies have shown that by consuming flaxseed regularly for 12 weeks, the metabolic rate can be accelerated by 5-14%. The increase in muscle mass of those who consume flaxseed during the weight loss process is also attributed to the acceleration of metabolism.
Flaxseed, along with oats, are among the richest foods in terms of viscous fibers. These fibers, which come together with water in the stomach, increase their fluidity and acquire a gel consistency. This way, food stays in your stomach for longer and you don’t need to snack.
It has been shown that the high amount of omega-3 contained in flaxseed can change the source the body uses to obtain energy. Getting the energy your body needs from fat instead of carbohydrates can help you burn more fat during exercise.

Don’t forget to have regular health checks for early diagnosis.