If you have registered for the newsletter you must create an account to be able to make purchases

Your shopping cart
Superfoods: Flax the king of omega-3s!

Superfoods: Flax the king of omega-3s!

Mireia Cervera 19 May 2022

Flax seeds (Linum usitatissimum), the fruit of a wonderful plant widely used by mankind for thousands of years. And why is it considered a superfood?

Flax is the most vegetable sourceIt's rich in good fats, omega-3s . They are essential fats for our body, which means that we cannot synthesize them and we have to obtain them from our diet. This type of fat is widely found infish, but now with so much contamination there are more and more people who stop consuming it or do not take it as often as before. Well, flax is the perfect option so that we can meet the requirements of these fatty acids.The specific fatty acid that flax has is alpha-linolenic (ALA) , it is an omega-3 fatty acid that serves as the raw material for our body from which it synthesizes other essential fatty acidsyes!

Why are omega-3s so important and flax is so valuable? Omega-3 fatty acids play a mega important role in the functioning of our nervous system, reducing the inflamation, improve the state of the heart and arteries, is essential for the maintenance of the retina. And flax is one of the few sources of this nutrient, especially in the plant world. The polyunsaturated fat that many otherThe seeds and nuts are omega-6s , which are pro-inflammatory fats. Ideally, the ratio is 1 to 1, but up to 1 of omega-3 to 5 of omega-6 has beneficial effects on our saltus ( 1 ). In modern diets with extra refined food, lots of fried foods and lots of fat the average ratio is 1 to 15, and this is average! ... And along with that there are so few atomega-3 rich ingredients, each one has to be highly valued!

With a tablespoon of flax seeds and half a tablespoon of flax oil, you cover all the daily needs of essential fatty acids, omega-3

Every day you need ALA yes or yes, even if you consume fish, in this case with more or less 1 g you have enough, but if fish is not your usual dish then you need approximately 4 g of ALA a day. And CUAHow many flax seeds do you need to consume in this case? Note that a tablespoon (15 ml) of flax seeds contains approx. 4 g of ALA, and even more oil, a tablespoon gives you 7 g of ALA
A super important tip! To take advantage of all the good fat, it should be consumed ground and ideally at the moment, because over time the oil oxidizes very quickly. Although eWhole flax is also very healthy! When you soak it, it forms mucus, which is great for the digestive system. There are many studies that show the benefits of flax , in one of them they say that itsDaily consumption reduces high blood pressure better than drugs! And that without any side effects! ( 2 ).

Apart from omega-3s , flax seeds have a lot of fiber, which you already know is very good for your health and, therefore, it has many lignans , some polyphenols , which have propAntioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties ( 3 ). Flax seeds have 75 to 800 times more lignans than other sourcesvegetables. Many studies showed that it is a substance that regulates the hormonal state of our body and prevents the development of cancers, especially related to hormones (breast and prostate cancer) (com / ajcn / article / 92/1/141/4597247 "> 4 , 5 , 6 ).

Well lThe last question that remains to be resolved is how can we incorporate these wonderful seeds into our diet? Very easily!!

To take advantage of all the good it has, the whole and ground flax can be added to yoursalads, cereals, smoothies, vegetable creams, juices (Teresa's Juicery's B-carotene is delicious) and even desserts, because they don't have much taste and won't alter the flavor of the dish. Use the oil to season cold dishes or afterheat and with the black bread it is delicious! It has a touch of fish that some love others not so much, you have to try. You can also use flax seeds for cooking, even if some of the properties are lost. It is also aA terrific substitute for eggs in pastry making, due to the mucus that it forms, binds the ingredients very well. Add whole flax seeds to your bread, so you will make it healthier and the whole seeds better overcome high temperatures and keep the nutrients.beneficial entities, or try making some raw toasts in the dehydrator ...? ;)

Studies show that daily consumption of flax seeds lowers blood pressure better than drugs.

And you can also germinate them, it gives very rich and very healthy sprouts! Although the mucus is somewhat more complicated than other grains, you will need a special germinator.

Lastly, flax seeds are foundeven in any herbalist or store of healthy and ecological products, and they have a very good price, even a person with the right means can easily afford it!

Better impossible! Don't wait any longer to introduce them to your diet!

And if you want to try something now, ask for our B-carotene juice that has ground flax to take advantage of all its benefits.

Bibliography:

  1. Simopoulos AP.ps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12442909">The importance of the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acids. Biomed Pharmacother. 2002; 56(8):365-79.
  2. Rodriguez-Leyva D, Weighell W, Edel A et al. Potent antyhipertensive action of dietary flaxseed in hypertensive patients. Hypertension, 2013; 62(6): 1081-9.
  3. Kajla P, Sharma A, and Sood DR. Flaxseed—a potential functional food source. J Food Sci Technol. 2015; 52(4): 1857–1871.
  4. Buck K, Zaineddin AK, Vrieling A et al. Meta-analyses of lignans and enterolignans in relation to breast cancer risk. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010; 92(1):141-53.
  5. McCann SE, Thompson LU, Nie J et al. Dietary lignan intakes in relation to survival among women with breast cancer: the Western New York Exposures and Breast Cancer (WEB) Study. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2010; 122(1):229-35.
  6. Demark-Wahnefried W, Polascik TJ, George SL et al. Flaxseed supplementation (not dietary fat restriction) reduces prostate cancer proliferation rates in men presurgery. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2008 Dec;17(12):3577-87.

Mireia Cervera Nutritionist Teresa Carles Healthy Foods Group - Flax & Kale