Flax seeds are truly a superfood that supports your body with fiber, antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, B-vitamins, and many other highly-respected nutrients. Flaxseed is one of the earliest documented superfoods. Egyptians, Asians, and other people worldwide began cultivating it thousands of years ago. Ancient cultures relied on it for its many practical uses and therapeutic properties. Many enthusiastic supplement users will tell you how flaxseed helped protect them from cancer, cardiovascular disease, and many other adverse conditions.
Flaxseed benefits prostatic health as well. If you are over 30, caring for your prostate health, consider include these healthy seeds in your diet. This may be as beneficial as taking preventive drugs. Most men are likely to be meat eaters and grew up internalizing some vague connection between plant-based protein and their prostate health. If you are a traditional meat-eating man, perhaps you have never considered flax seeds and their many benefits. Maybe it is time for you to integrate them in your diet.
In this article, you will discover 12 flax seeds benefits. Please continue reading to the end…
Here are 12 Flaxseed benefits
- Prostate Cancer
Flaxseed has been shown to minimize the risk of developing prostate cancer, a major health problem in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention monitors illnesses and conditions throughout the United States. Their most recent United States Cancer Statistics show that 107.5 out of every 100,000 men eventually receive a cancer diagnosis. The U.S. prostate cancer rate is second only to lung and bronchus cancers. The online publication, Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers, & Prevention, published a study on Flaxseed Supplementation.
Their research documents the results of a flaxseed study involving prostate cancer patients. Researchers found that flaxseed produced “biological alterations” which they believe enhance the body with properties that protect it against prostate cancer. Flaxseed is an important supplement for supporting your overall health. Multiple studies have determined that flaxseed lignans, also categorized as phytoestrogens, provide essential prostate support.
- Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
Flaxseeds have been shown to be an effective shield against benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). This disorder causes a man to have an enlarged prostate and various problems with urinating which include frequent urination especially at night, dribbling after urinating and not feeling as though the bladder is empty. Flaxseed lignan extract will not make your private parts bigger or sexier, but research has shown that, when used regularly as food supplement, it may provide the support you need for a healthier prostate.
- Cardiovascular Health
Flaxseed contains alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid that contributes anti-inflammatory agents. These and other flaxseed properties provide nutrients proven to protect the heart. Researchers have monitored omega-3 for several decades. The National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements’ Omega-3 Fatty Acid page documents and describes the discovered properties and benefits of flaxseed and other omega-3 rich foods.
- High Blood Pressure
Flaxseeds are high in potassium, a critical electrolyte that is essential for maintaining healthy blood pressure. The CDC report, The Role of Potassium and Sodium in Your Diet discusses how potassium helps regulate your blood pressure. Together with salt, potassium helps your body maintain appropriate fluid levels and blood volume. When you consume too much salt and not enough potassium, it increases your risk for cardiovascular diseases. Flaxseed-derived substances help minimize that risk.
- Reduced Atherosclerosis
Flaxseed properties reduce the risk of plaque buildup and hardening those blocks arteries and reduces vascular function. Researchers explain this benefit in the online publication, Heart and Circulatory Physiology. The article, Effects of dietary flaxseed on atherosclerotic plaque regression provides information on studies that demonstrated a slow-down of plaque buildup and potential plaque regression.
- Improved Eye Health
The National Institute of Health Office of Dietary Supplements reports that researchers found omega-3s an effective supplement for reducing eye-related diseases and conditions. Age-related Macular Degeneration: AMD often causes vision loss in older adults. Research has determined that omega-3 has properties that reduce the risk of developing this common condition. When your eyes do not produce enough tears, you may experience the uncomfortable condition known as dry eye. Research varies, but some patients reported relief after consuming foods or supplements containing omega-3.
- Tumor Suppression
Dietary polyphenols, including those found in flaxseed hulls and flaxseed mucilage extracts have demonstrated varying degrees of success in preventing cancer and slowing its progression. In the article, “Flaxseed Lignans as Important Dietary Polyphenols for Cancer Prevention and Treatment…,” drug researchers Franklyn DeSilva and Jane Alcorn examine dietary polyphenols and their role as alternative cancer treatments. They discuss the epidemiological support for these plant-based substances as potential cancer benefits. Unfortunately, due to limited scientific and medical research, Western medicine fails to acknowledge the therapeutic effect of these and other polyphenols.
- Reduce Arthritis Pain
The omega-3s in flaxseed cannot cure your rheumatoid arthritis, but they may help manage your pain. As the NIH Omega-3 page explains, patients experienced decreased pain when they supplemented traditional arthritis medications with omega-3s. When supplementing their diets with omega-3-rich foods, some patients required less pain medication.
More than 34 million Americans are diabetic; that’s about 1 in 10 Americans or 10.5% of the US population. Up to 95% of them have type 2 diabetes. Globally, it is estimated that 462 million individuals are living with type 2 diabetes, corresponding to 6.28% of the world’s population. No need to say the disease is a serious global health concern.
Fortunately, you can do something if you are affected by this impairment. Flax seeds may lower blood sugar in people with diabetes. Some studies have indicated that people with type 2 diabetes who consumed about 20 grams of flaxseed powder daily, for at least 30 days, experienced reductions of 8–20% in their blood sugar levels. The researchers believe the blood sugar-lowering property is due to the high content of insoluble fiber in the seeds. Freshly grounded powder is better than the oil. The flaxseed oil has little or no fiber, which is the main compound that lowers blood sugar levels.
- May Aid Weight Control
Besides eating unhealthy foods, one of the main causes of obesity and overweight is snacking between meals. And for people who have this tendency it may be difficult for them to just wake up one day and stop it. Fortunately, there is a simple solution: consider adding fresh ground flax seed to your salad or beverage to stave off your hunger pangs. The good news you don’t need to add a lot.
A recent study published on J Epidemiol Glob Health in 2020 showed that adding 2.5 grams of ground flax fiber to a beverage slowed digestion, and reduced feelings of hunger and overall appetite by providing a feeling of fullness in the participants, which led to weight reduction.
- Perimenopause Symptoms
Flaxseed might reduce improve hot flashes in perimenopause women some studies suggest. A double-blind trial of flaxseed for the treatment of hot flashes on 188 women found there was a reduction of hot flash score in the flaxseed group. During the study, twice a day, the participants consumed 20 grams of ground flaxseed, mixed into cereal, juice, or yogurt. By the end of the trial the severity of their hot flashes dropped by more than 50%.
- Other Potential Flaxseed Benefits
Although research is limited, researchers are investigating flaxseeds potential benefits in the treatment of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, cystic fibrosis, Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other cognitive issues.
Thank you for reading to the end.
