Flaxseed

Flaxseed is a wonderfully nutritious food that is a rich source of alpha linolenic acid (ALA), lignans, and fiber. ALA is a precursor to omega-3-Fatty acids, a potent natural anti-inflammatory. The lignans in flaxseed are considered to be phytoestrogens, which means that they have beneficial hormonal properties. The phytoestrogens of flaxseed have been found to be protective against hormonal cancers such as breast, prostate, and ovarian, as well as a few non-hormonal cancers such as melanoma and lung cancer.

Flax can be stimulating for the bowels. Flaxseed has about 3 grams of fiber per tablespoon, as a mixture of soluble and insoluble fiber. Flaxseed is not digestible in whole form, but the preground flaxmeal available at health food stores is prone to oxidation and can loose its nutritional qualities with time. For this reason, it may be preferable to purchase flaxseed in whole seed form, which is available in bulk at many natural groceries. The whole flax can then be ground into flaxmeal in a coffee or spice grinder, and stored in a jar in small quantities in the refrigerator. The whole (pre-ground) flaxseed can be stored in a sealed jar in a dark pantry at room temperature until you are ready to grind more.

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Start with about 1 tablespoon of ground flaxmeal daily, and increase from there depending on how you tolerate it. It can be used in smoothies or shakes, or mixed into foods like oatmeal. It can also be sprinkled atop salads or soups, as it has a mild nutty flavor. In baking, you can substitute some of the flour in your recipes with flaxmeal to increase the nutritional content of their baked goods (flax does not rise, don’t substitute more than 1/3 of flour with flaxmeal in baking, depending on what your baking goals are).

Be aware that when flaxmeal is mixed with food that is wet (like oatmeal or a smoothie), it should be ingested within 30 minutes. Otherwise, as it sits for long periods, it can thicken and become less palatable.