Flax seed benefits

Flax seed benefit # 1 – High fibre content

One of the main flax seed benefits is the remarkably high fibre content in flax seeds. Flax seeds contain 27.90 grams of dietary fibre for each 100 grams. This means that if you sprinkle no more than 1 tablespoon of flax seed over your yoghurt, you still get 3.35 grams of dietary fibres from the flax seeds, which is 13.39% of the dietary fibre RDA. If you increase you flax seed intake to one cup a day, e.g. by blending flax seeds into your breakfast muesli or baking flax seed bread, you will ingest 43.24 grams of dietary fibres. This is well above the recommended minimal daily intake. The American RDA (recommended daily allowance) guidelines were established by the Food and Nutrition Board of the (US) National Academy of Sciences. RDA is also known as RDI (Reference Daily Intake).

The Dietary fibre RDA is 25-30 grams for adults. It should however be noted that the necessary amount of fibres vary from person to person, and also from time to time. If you are suffering from indigestion or constipation, you might for instance benefit from an increased fibre intake. Consult your doctor to receive more detailed recommendations.

So, what are dietary fibres and how can flax seed benefit your life? Dietary fibres are a certain type of indigestible food particles. Since the body can not break them down, they will move food through the entire digestive system in the body. The fibres in flax seed benefit your digestive system by reducing the amount of spasm in the gastrointestinal tract. The flax seed benefit includes heavier stools-to-be that are easier to move through the body and bulkier stools that can retain ideal amounts of moisture. When stools retain the right amount of moist, they are much easier to eliminate and the level of straining and abrasion will be low.

Dietary fibres cause the absorption of vitamins, minerals, proteins and calories from the gut to be reduced. This can naturally be a problem if you live in a country plagued by famine, but in the industrialized parts of the world most of us are today more likely to be fighting obesity and/or high cholesterol levels than starvation. If you are trying to loose weight or lower your cholesterol level, you can therefore aid the process by taking advantage of the flax seed benefit. Sufficient fibre intake has also been linked to a lowered risk of developing type II diabetes, diverticulitis and heart disease. It may also help you to keep you cholesterol levels down.

Flax seed benefit # 2 – High amounts of two beneficial fatty oils

Another important flax seed benefit in addition to the fibrous content is the remarkably high levels of two beneficial fatty oils. Two types of fatty oils have been shown to reduce the risk of coronary hearth disease – EPA and DHA. As of September 15, 2004, producers of flax seed products are allowed to place the following FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) approved text on their products to inform the consumers about thee potential flax seed benefit.

"Supportive but not conclusive research shows that consumption of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. One serving of [name of food] provides [x] grams of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids. [See nutrition information for total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol content.]

EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) are not only found in flax seed, you can also ingest significant amounts of these fatty oils by frequently eating oily cold water fish, seal or certain types of algae and hemp. One of the flax seed benefits is however that flax seeds and flax seed oil can be included in vegetarian and vegan diets, and they are also the ideal choice for those suffering from fish and seafood allergies. Many health conscious persons choose flax seed over large amounts of oily fish and fish and seal oil, since they are concerned about the high levels of heavy metal in these food types.

___________________________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2006 flaxseeds.ws
health benefits of flax seeds