Flaxseed and Heart Disease Prevention
Did you know that some research on statin drugs show only a 1% reduction in arterial plaque? Instead of spending thousands of dollars on a prescription drug, you should at least consider a healthier and far less expensive dietary supplement like flax seed.
The American Heart Association found that women with increased dietary intake of the isoflavones and lignans found in soy and flax decreased their risk for atherosclerosis and arterial degeneration. Flax is by far the richest source of lignans, according to the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.
Can Flaxseed Prevent Cancer too?
Recently small studies of cancer patients in America who consumed flaxseeds have produced some encouraging results. In one study men with prostate cancer who ate an ounce of ground flaxseed a day as part of a very low fat diet were able to slow the progress of their cancers between the time they were diagnosed and the time of surgery. A similar study of women awaiting surgery for breast cancer found that those who ate a flaxseed muffin daily had a slower tumour growth rate. Various studies of animals, too, suggest some anti-cancer benefit from flaxseed.
How Do I Store Flaxseeds?
Whole golden flax seed which is clean, dry and of good quality, can be stored at room temperature for up to a year. For optimum freshness, ground flax seed should be ground as needed. Unused ground flax seed can be refrigerated in an airtight container if it will be used in just a matter of days, or it can be stored in the freezer for about a month.
Ground flax can be added to your morning juice or chocolate milk – usually a heaping tablespoon or two with your favorite beverage. Or you can sprinkle ground flax on cereals or yogurt.
Understanding why you eat certain foods is essential in maintaining life-long health habits. Certainly, pleasing taste and visual appeal is one reason we make food choices. Yet, choosing foods that keep our body working as a finely tuned machine is also the goal that healthy-minded individuals strive to achieve.