In addition to being the best plant source for the essential fatty acids, flaxseed is also an excellent source of soluble (viscous) and insoluble fibers, lignans (a phytoestrogen found to help protect against certain cancers), high quality protein and potassium. Reduces platelet aggregation (clot formation) within arterial lining.Neutral effect on the good cholesterol, HDL.Flaxseed is the richest source of ALA in the North American diet and has many potential heart-disease fighting benefits: ALA is an essential fatty acid (meaning the human body cannot create this fat from others and must get it from foods) and a precursor to the heart-disease fighting long-chain omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). What makes this so beneficial to heart health is that the majority of the polyunsaturated fat contained in flax is in the form of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). This total fat is comprised of a mix of different fatty acids: 73% polyunsaturated fat, 18% monounsaturated fat and only 9% saturated fat. Potential Benefits of Flax in Fighting Heart-DiseaseĪround 42% of flaxseed's calories come from total fat. Even more promising is the role of flax in helping the fight against heart disease. The use of flax in the diet is showing more and more promise in many health conditions like cancer, arthritis, diabetes and menopause. Flax is used to make linen and fine quality papers, as lamp oil and as an ingredient in a variety of food products and supplements. This blue-flowered crop has proven to be quite versatile. And in the 8th century, the medieval King Charlemagne was so convinced of flax's importance to good health that he passed laws requiring his subjects to consume it regularly. In 650 BC, Hippocrates wrote of flax's value in the treatment of abdominal pains. Archaeologists date the consumption of flax back to 9,000 BC. Flax, a relatively new term to most health-conscious individuals, has a much longer history than one would expect.
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