My Healthy Habits

Flaxseed is showing up in more and more products because of its benefits to health. Not only is flaxseed nutrient dense, but it contains compounds which may even promote healthy hearts. If you are wondering how to add flaxseed to your diet, you have lots of choices. Flaxseed comes as a ground meal you can add to recipes, as an ingredient in processed foods like cereal and bread, as flaxseed oil, or an oil capsule.

What is Flax?

Flaxseed, or linseed, is made up of fiber, protein and nearly 50% fat. Several vitamins and minerals are present at high levels in flaxseed including magnesium, manganese and thiamin. If you’re looking for worthwhile heart healthy supplements then this is one form to consider.

It’s the fatty acids in flax oil that make it good for the heart and cardiovascular system. Flaxseed is an excellent supplement that’s full of omega-3 fatty acids. It’s believed that eating a proper ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids helps ward off vascular disease. In the typical American diet, about ten grams of omega-6 fatty acids are consumed for every one of omega-3 fatty acids.

Experts believe the scale should be tipped more toward omega-3 fatty acids. But omega-6 fatty acids are more widespread in commonly consumed foods. One way to reach the proper ratios of omega-6 to omega-3 fats for a truly beneficial cardiovascular disease diet is to eat foods like flaxseed in addition to fish, another source of omega-3s.

Heart Health Benefits of Flaxseed

There aren’t any guarantees that your heart will be healthier if you consume lots of flax oil.

Flaxseed contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids and fiber, two food components known to be heart healthy. In addition, research shows that eating flaxseed can improve other factors that affect heart health: eating flax may reduce blood cholesterol levels, reduce blood glucose levels after eating a meal, and increase blood omega-3 fatty acid levels.

How to Add Flaxseed to Your Diet

You can buy flaxseed already ground as a flaxseed meal. This form of flaxseed is very convenient for adding to recipes or everyday foods. For a product that lasts longer (ground flaxseed turns rancid fairly quickly due to its fatty acid profile) look for whole flaxseeds and grind them as needed.

What is a good serving size of flaxseed? It depends on whether you are adding ground flaxseed or flaxseed oil. For ground flaxseed, start by adding about tablespoon per day to meals and recipes.

One tablespoon contains about 2 grams of fiber, 3 grams of fat (about half of which is healthy omega-3 fatty acids) and many vitamins and minerals. Because of flax’s high fiber content, it’s best to gradually increase the amount of flax you eat each to avoid gastrointestinal problems like constipation.

For flaxseed oil, start with one half to one teaspoon of flaxseed oil. The amount of healthy fats in half a teaspoon of flaxseed oil has been shown to reduce heart disease risk in a recent population study.

One way to add flaxseed to your diet is to use flaxseed in recipes. Ground flaxseed can be added to most baked goods. Just substitute part of the flour with ground flaxseed. Start by using 1/4 cup of ground flaxseed for a full recipe of cookies, muffins, pancakes, waffles or bread. Also, search for tested recipes that already contain flax in larger amounts.

Another choice is to sprinkle ground flax in dishes you eat every day. Use ground flaxseed on top of cereal, yogurt, in smoothies, or even in salad dressing.

Flaxseed oil is available in bottled form or in gel capsules. You will not gain the benefit of extra fiber and other nutrients by eating the oil alone, but you will get all the omega-3 fatty acids found in flax.