Reasons Why You Should Add Flax Seeds to Your Diet
Imagine a little brown seed can control blood sugar, obesity, help with digestion, heart conditions and even have the power to cure cancer. Are you wondering what this seed is and if it is even real? Well, luckily these seeds do exist and are called flaxseeds or alsi seeds. Available even in the form of oil, one can reap flax seeds oil benefits as well.
Did you know flax seeds were one of the earliest crops grown by humans? Rich in macronutrients as well as micronutrients, alsi seeds benefits are innumerable. In the past decade, flax seeds have gained immense popularity due to growing health awareness and lifestyle diseases.
Flax seeds come in two varieties, brown and golden and both are equally nutritious. There are many advantages of flax seeds, which is why nutritionists and doctors suggest adding the magical seeds to your regular diet. Read on to know more about the benefits of eating flax seeds.
Flax Seeds Health Benefits
While it may be hard to keep track of all the flax seeds health benefits, let us talk about some major ones. Flax seeds are a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids which are generally found abundantly in fish. Thus, flax seeds are a great alternative for vegetarians to incorporate the fatty acids in their diet. The Omega-3 fatty acids are also good for the heart and can reduce the chances of heart diseases.
The high amount of proteins and fats in the seeds can fill you up easily. Hence, flax seeds can help you lose weight by reducing the need for snacking between meals. Flax seeds also lower bad cholesterol in your body while adding good cholesterol and fibre content.
How to Use Flax seeds for your health:
The easiest way to consume flax seeds is by roasting them. Roasted flax seed benefits the whole body and adds a good dose of fibre to your diet.
Adding flax seeds to water and soaking overnight is also a way to consume them. Just drink the flaxseed water in the morning and improve your metabolism.
Flax Seed Benefits for Skin
Flax seeds benefits for skin are innumerable. Flax seeds contain antioxidants and lignans that have anti-ageing properties, help in skin-tightening, and work on wrinkles and fine lines. They can even control sebum and oil production, which is a major cause of acne. If you suffer from skin rashes and allergies, Flax seeds can help with that by keeping the cell membranes healthy.
How to Use Flax Seeds for Skin
An easy way to use flax seeds for skin is to make a powder and then add water to it to form a gel. This flaxseed gel benefits the skin when applied directly to problem areas and left to dry for 10-15 minutes. Consuming flax seeds daily can also help you achieve glowing and healthy skin.
Flax Seed Benefits for Hair
As mentioned above, there are a variety of benefits of flax seeds for skin and hair. The vitamin E content in flax seeds improves the blood circulation in your scalp and promotes hair growth. During the winter season, flax seeds can prevent your scalp and skin from drying and keeps them nourished and moisturised. Hence, flax seeds can prevent dandruff, which is caused by dry scalp. It is also believed that flax seeds can prevent hair loss and hair thinning, which are common hair conditions after a certain age.
How to Use Flax Seeds for Hair
To use flax seeds for hair, you can make another gel by mixing flax seeds with water and boiling till it gets a gel-like consistency and then separating the seeds. Flaxseed gel benefits for hair are similar to the skin as it retains moisture in your hair.
Another simple method to use flax seeds for hair is to mix the seeds in warm coconut oil to form a hair mask. Additionally, flaxseed oil capsules benefit hair growth too.
Benefits of Flax Seeds vs Chia Seeds
Another variant of seeds that have a wide range of health benefits is chia seeds. Both flax and chia seeds are powerhouses of nutrition, and there are countless benefits of chia and flax seeds. While both seeds have a high amount of vitamins in them, flax seeds have higher contents of Manganese, copper and Potassium compared to chia seeds. However, consuming them regularly makes chia and flaxseed good for dietary fibre.
Further, both seeds contain a good quantity of Omega-3 fats and protein, that help in weight loss, but flaxseed seeds benefits are more in terms of omega 3. However, chia seeds have the upper hand when it comes to your bones. They help improve your bone health over time as they are also rich in Calcium.
When it comes to calories, Chia seeds contain fewer calories than flax seeds, hence you must have chia seeds for weight loss. If you suffer from Anaemia or iron deficiency, then chia seeds can be the better choice as they have higher iron content than flax seeds.
Flax Seed Benefits for Men
In addition to the numerous flax seed health benefits discussed till now, there are many benefits of flaxseed for men. Flax seeds may have the power to reduce the risk and progression of different cancers, including prostate cancer. Thus, flax seeds can be highly beneficial to men who are at the risk of prostate cancer.
Flax seeds are a rich source of lysine and is a DHT blocking food for men. As a DHT blocking food, flax seeds prevent DHT hormones accumulating at hair follicles and leading to hair loss in men.
Also Read: Natural DHT Blockers | Ayurvedic Herbs & Solutions
How to Use Flax Seeds?
Here are some Tips -
- An easy way to incorporate flax seed in your diet is adding them to water, leaving it overnight and drinking it the next day. Flaxseed water benefits in increasing your metabolism. Make sure to soak the seeds in water at night because soaked flax seeds benefit more, as the water can absorb the nutrients at night.
- Flax seeds can also be consumed in the form of flax or linseed oil. Linseed oil benefits range from improving gut health, heart health and reducing cancer risk. Flax oil benefits also include improvement in skin health and weight loss. You can simply add the oil to your salad dressing and get the linseed or flaxseed oil benefits.
- You can also try flax seeds with curd which can be eaten with the meal or even in between meals like a snack. Just add flaxseed powder to your curd and mix well in a bowl. Flaxseed powder benefits your gut health, and curd helps with inflammation and digestion issues. Adding honey to the flaxseed curd can add a sweet flavour and make it more nutritious.
Conclusion
These were some of the flax seed uses and benefits that prove that these little seeds are miraculous. Linseed benefits have made these seeds a popular choice among health-conscious individuals who have incorporated them in their daily routines. Hence, it is time you welcome this superfood into your life and keep yourself miles away from many diseases and live a healthier life.
Sources
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-flaxseeds
- https://www.24mantra.com/blogs/organic-lifestyle/10-benefits-of-using-flaxseed-on-skin-and-hair/#:~:text=Flax%20seeds%20contain%20lignans%20and,and%20lessen%20sagging%20with%20age
- https://food.ndtv.com/beauty/flaxseeds-for-hair-growth-benefits-and-easy-way-to-prepare-natural-flaxseed-hair-gel-1978068
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/chia-vs-flax#TOC_TITLE_HDR_4
- https://www.livestrong.com/article/199731-the-benefits-of-flax-seed-in-men/
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/flaxseed-oil-benefits
- https://www.verywellhealth.com/flaxseed-oil-health-benefits-how-to-use-and-cautions-4178046
- https://www.tarladalal.com/flax-seeds-with-curd-and-honey-good-for-weight-loss-and-fitness-41113r