Healthy

Recent scientific reports point out that flaxseed can have a positive influence on everything from cholesterol levels to laxation to cancer and heart disease!

While flaxseed is rich in protein, research suggests that its health benefits probably have more to do with its fatty acid and fibre profile. Several studies confirm that flaxseed can be a cholesterol-lowering agent like oat bran, fruit pectin and other food ingredients that contain soluble fibre. By packaging both omega-3 fatty acids and soluble fibre together, flaxseed presents two ingredients that favour healthy blood lipid patterns.

More than half the fat in flaxseed is of the essential omega-3 fatty acid type. Scientific studies reporting health benefits for omega-3 fatty acids show that these fatty acids are required for proper infant growth and development. Cholesterol can be reduced by adding flaxseed to the diet. New research also suggests that alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid which is abundant in flaxseed, offers protective effects against both coronary heart disease and stroke. Omega-3s have been shown to also protect against hypertension, and inflammatory and autoimmune disorders. Long-term studies of flaxseed effects on breast cancer are now underway.