In a world of unhealthy diets, people try to find something healthy which can save them from the harmful diseases and also which won't mean sacrificing on taste buds. Looks like a difficult combination but it's not when we are talking about flax seeds.
Flax seeds come from the common flax plants usually grown in the cooler regions of the world and are also known as Linseeds. Their scientific name is linum usitatissimum. They come in two colours, brown and golden. These seeds also produce an oil which is called flax seed oil or linseed oil. This oil can easily replace the regular oil used in home for cooking.
Benefits of Flax seeds
Before moving on to the ways of eating flax seeds let us first get to know that why shall we eat these seeds. What extra benefit can they add to our daily lives?
Answering the above questions, flax seeds provide a range of benefits which our normal daily diet may not fulfil. They are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, lignans and fiber. These all combined together can protect us from various dangerous health problems such as diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol problems, digestive problems, they can help in weight loss and they can even reduce risk of some types of cancer.
- Omega-3 fatty acids are very essential for our bodies as they can improve eye health, they can help in fighting depression and anxiety, they help in improving risk factors of heart diseases and they can promote mental health during pregnancy. The golden flax seeds contain a little less amount of these fatty acids than the brown ones. But the golden seeds are more high on protein.
- Lignans can help lower down production of estrogen in females during their post-menopausal times. Hence, they help in tackling irregular menstruation more easily. They can help in reducing breast tumor growth and prevent them from spreading. Hence, we see that these seeds are of a huge help to the females. Lignans are the reason why flax seeds help in reducing some types of cancer.
- Fiber help in improving bowel movements and digestion hence preventing constipation and other problems.
How to consume flax seed?
Flax seeds can be easily consumed in three ways;
- in their coarse form
- in powdered form
- in the form of the oil
A spoonful of flax seed in their coarse form can be added to a bowl of cereals, cornflakes etc. and can be consumed. It may be difficult in the earlier days to adjust to their hard crunchy surface, but with time, one gets used to it.
Similarly, adding a spoonful of flax seed powder to regular cooking can help get all the benefits that these seeds provide. They can also be added to bakery products or milkshakes or any other savouries without causing any taste change.
If one has to choose between the coarse seeds or the powdered one, it is always better to go with the powdered one as it is easy to digest. The whole seeds may pass our bodies without getting digested hence, we may lose out on getting the benefits of the seeds.
Linseed oil or flax seed oil can replace the regular cooking oil without causing any difference. Therefore, if one feels like not having the seeds directly in any form then linseed oil is a way out.
These seeds are crunchy, have an aromatic essence and little flavour and they don't spoil the taste of the food. The only difference which they can make is they can enhance the taste of the food also providing our body with the benefits that the seeds promise.
From where to buy Flax seeds?
Flax seeds are available in physical market as well as in online market. They can be bought in any amount from any departmental or grocery store at a reasonable price.
If one is a working professional, and gets all the home stuff from online stores, then it's not a problem. Online market provides everything with just a few clicks and so one can get variety of flax seeds of different brands to choose from. In fact, online stores offer great discounts which can easily suit the budget hence, taking care of health as well as finance.
Online stores from where one can get flax seeds are amazon.in and bigbasket.com.
Final Words
Searching for things that can benefit health is a very important thing to do in today's times.With increasing pollution, disturbed routines, unhealthy dietary habits and not getting enough time to exercise, humans are struggling with various health problems coming up. So if in such routine, one gets something which can benefit in so many ways then definitely it is a call to take.