Flaxseed is one of the world’s most important medicinal foods

( Natural News ) Flaxseed is the latest of many superfoods that can provide a bounty of nutritional value while improving your overall health. It is an excellent source of omega-3 essential fatty acids, lignans, dietary fiber, protein, and many other beneficial nutrients, making it one of the world’s most important medicinal foods. Flaxseed, also known as linseed , is the seed of the flax plant. It is available in two edible forms: the seed and the oil. The seed can be eaten whole or ground into a flaxseed meal or flour, while the oil can be taken in liquid or pill form. To reap their medicinal benefits, you can either eat them on their own or add them to your daily diet. Even a single cup of flaxseed (168 grams) contains 30.7 g of protein and 70.8g of total fat. This means that a cup of flaxseed contains 61 percent of protein and 109 percent of total fat that the body needs in a day, respectively. Don’t worry, these are the good fats, including omega-3 fatty acids. But a recommended daily dose would be a tablespoon or two a day of either flaxseed meal or the oil. Nutrients, vitamins and minerals found in flaxseed Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids — It is important to have a sufficient omega-3 fatty acid intake to balance out the more common omega-6 fatty acids found in most other oils, such as corn and peanut oils. Fortunately, flaxseed oil is packed with omega-3 fatty acids, with a 4:1 ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids. These are the good fats that provide great health benefits to our hearts, brains, and normal growth and development. (Related: Flaxseed oil provides lost-lasting pain relief in patients with knee osteoarthritis. ) Lignans — Flaxseed has one of the […]

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