The benefits about Flaxseed are amazing

Flax seed, also known as linseed, is noted to have high nutritional value, making it a priority choice of food for health conscious people. Flax seed has the natural properties of fiber, lignans and omega-3 fatty acids that provide preventative and restorative abilities to your diet. There are two types of flax seed. One type is grown for the seed use and considered an oil seed variety. The other is grown specifically for fiber production to be utilized in the texture industry.

The health benefits of Flaxseed are as follows.

Rich in alpha linolenic acid, omega-3: Omega-3 is a precursor to the form of omega-3 found in fish oils called eicosapentaenoic acid ALA, in addition to providing several beneficial effects of its own, can be converted in the body to EPA, thus providing EPA's beneficial effects. Flax seed contains vitamin C, Vitamins B1, B2, Niacin, B6, Pantothenic Acid, Folic Acid and Biotin. It also has a great many minerals among which are calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and zinc and many of the trace minerals.

Provides improved Immune Function- Immunity is the body's ability to defend itself successfully against foreign substances. The alpha linolenic acid, as well as the lignans, decreases inflammation and promotes healthy functioning of the immune system. Flax seed may be useful to manage autoimmune and inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis.

Weight Management - Research indicates that including flaxseed in your daily diet can help you manage your weight. Besides stabilizing your sugar levels, flax expands five times in bulk when ingested. Flax taken half an hour before meals will help you eat less, so you will lose weight while simultaneously strengthening your immune system.

Affect on Hormone Levels - Flax seed, with its high concentration of lignans, is a great choice for all women, whether younger, middle-aged, or older, as a natural way to normalize the menstrual cycle, manage menopause. Intake of flaxseed on a daily basis results in hormonal changes that are beneficial to women of all ages. In menstruating women who consumed 10 grams (about 2 teaspoons) of flax seed on a daily basis, significant hormonal changes have resulted.

Protection against heart disease, cancer and diabetes: Omega-3 fats are used to produce substances that reduce the formation of blood clots, which can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients with atherosclerosis or diabetic heart disease. Omega-3 fats are also needed to produce flexible cell membranes. Cell membranes are the cell's gatekeepers, allowing in needed nutrients while promoting the elimination of wastes. While important for everyone, flexible cell membranes are critical for persons with diabetes since flexible cell membranes are much better able to respond to insulin and to absorb glucose than the stiff membranes that result when the diet is high in saturated and/or hydrogenated (trans-) fats.

In the colon, omega-3 fats help protect colon cells from cancer-causing toxins and free radicals, leading to a reduced risk for colon cancer. Extensive studies on both breast and colon cancer indicate that flax seed may play an important role in cancer treatment, as well as prevention. A breast cancer prevention program done at the Princess Margaret Hospital and the Toronto Hospital, involving 50 women diagnosed with breast cancer revealed that- while waiting for surgery, half of the women received muffins containing 25 grams of milled flax seed daily while the other half received ordinary muffins. The women who received the flax seed muffins had slower-growing tumors compared to the other group!

Protection against bone loss - Daily dietary intake of flaxseed offers protection against bone loss, may increase bone density, and reduces the risk of osteoporosis.

Flax seeds help Reduce the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease - It aids in decreasing the so-called "bad" cholesterol. Increase the "good" cholesterol, decrease blood pressure, suppress the development of atherosclerosis and inflammation, and enhances blood vessel tone.

Rich in beneficial fiber: Flaxseed's omega-3 fats are far from all this exceptional food has to offer. Flaxseed meal and flour provides a very good source of fiber that can lower cholesterol levels in people with atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease, reduce the exposure of colon cells to cancer-causing chemicals, relieve the constipation or diarrhea of irritable bowel syndrome sufferers, and help stabilize blood sugar levels in diabetic patients. Flax seeds are also a good source of magnesium, which helps to reduce the severity of asthma by keeping airways relaxed and open, lowers high blood pressure and reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease, prevents the blood vessel spasm that leads to migraine attacks, and generally promotes relaxation and restores normal sleep patterns.

Here are the benefits in a table.

These are the reasons why Flaxseed is gaining popularity among health and nutrition experts as well as consumers. Start adding them to your diet, to derive better health.

Look for a brand that has been certified organic if you opt for oil or capsules, make sure the oil is expeller-pressed (also called "cold-pressed"). Expeller-pressed seeds produce the highest-quality flax oils. But most importantly, look for the lignans. Milled flax is by far your best source of lignans, but if you prefer oil or capsules, the bottle should state "with lignans" clearly on the label and remember to store them in the fridge.

Try this combination: Add Natunola Omega-3 Flax to your favorite foods such as breads, muffins, cookies, cereals, crackers, snack foods, nutrition bars, salad dressings and soups for added nutrition and a great nutty flavor.

Flaxseed has been a part of human and animal diets for thousands of years in Asia, Europe, and Africa, and more recently in North America and Australia. As flax gained popularity for its industrial uses, however, its popularity as a food product waned, but it never lost its nutritional value. Today flax is experiencing a renaissance among nutritionists, the health conscious public, food processors, and chefs alike.