It seems like every week a new “superfood” is discovered. It is promised to cure many ailments and then shortly after, you’ll start seeing hundreds of new products centered around this new miraculous food.
But what if there was a superfood that really IS a miraculous defense against some critical maladies? And what if it were backed by numerous scientific studies? Some are even double-blind, placebo-controlled, and randomized, which is next to impossible when it comes to food!
You guys are in for such a great treat because this does exist and it’s one of the easiest foods to find: Flaxseeds.
Back in the times of Ancient Greece, Hipprocrates wrote about using flax seeds with his patients. They are THAT old! In fact, they are one of the first items ever considered to be health foods, purported to have healing properties. (1)
Flaxseeds are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, but what really sets them apart is their lignan content. In fact, they contain around 100x more lignans than other foods. (2) Read about the importance of lignans in the prevention of one of the most common forms of cancer below.
Let’s take a look at flaxseed’s effect on the following:
Blood Pressure
Flaxseeds have been found to work two to three times better than blood pressure medications without the negative side effects. In a 2013 study where flax seeds were given to a group of people with high blood pressure, their diastolic pressure dropped 7 points over a 6 month period! The group that received a placebo, actually experienced higher blood pressure at the end of the study. (3)
Breast Cancer
As stated above, flaxseeds contain a large amount of lignans. Lignans are phytoestrogens that can lower the effects of the body’s own estrogen. Why is this important when it comes to preventing breast cancer? Less exposure to estrogen equals less risk of breast cancer. (4) Lignan intake is also associated with significantly reduced breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women. (5) What about women that already had breast cancer and are currently in remission? According to three different studies, breast cancer survivors who have higher levels of lignans in their bloodstreams (6)(7) and diets (8) appear to live significantly longer. Another study even concluded that “Dietary flaxseed has the potential to reduce tumor growth in patients with breast cancer…[F]laxseed, which is inexpensive and readily available, may be a potential dietary alternative or adjunct to currently used breast cancer drugs.” (9) That is truly amazing!
Prostate Cancer
As stated above, flaxseeds contain high levels of lignans. When you look at a population of men with relatively low rates of prostate cancer, you will likely find high levels of lignans in their prostate fluids. (10)
Other Benefits
Flaxseeds have demonstrated in clinical studies to help control blood sugar levels, cholesterol, and triglyceride; reduce inflammation, and successfully treat constipation. (11)
Bottom line: Evidence suggests that flaxseed is a safe, low-cost source of nutrition and may reduce tumor-proliferation rates. (12) You can easily add them to salads, smoothies, soups, and stir fries. They also have a very mild flavor, so there’s no reason not to try them!
How to Eat Them and How to Find Them!
The best way I have found is to purchase flax seed whole and in bulk. The seeds have a hard outer shell aka hull and this protects the seed from losing those super important nutrients. However, this hull is difficult for us to digest, so it is best to grind them prior to eating. You can also purchase them already milled if you don’t want the extra step of grinding them yourself.
Once ground, they can last up to four months at room temperature or much longer in the freezer!
You can easily add ground flaxseed to just about anything. Oatmeal, salads, soups, etc. My favorite way of incorporating flax into my daily diet is to add a tablespoon to my protein shake every morning. You can also bake with ground flaxseed!
Here’s a yummy recipe for Blueberry Flax Muffins- Vegan: HERE!
*I substitute coconut sugar for brown sugar
You can also use flax seeds instead of eggs when baking. These are called flax eggs. Ratio is 1 egg= 1T ground flaxseed + 3T water (mix these two until it becomes gooey)
My favorite brands:
1. Ground Flaxseed- Find my favorite brand HERE!
2. Whole Flaxseed- Find my favorite brand HERE!
Now, what are you waiting for? Get this in your belly as soon as possible! Your body will thank you
Questions? Just ask!
Want to work with me 1:1 to create the perfect diet for you and/or your family? Contact me today at dana@thrivekin.com.
Sources:
1. Greger, Michael. How Not to Die. Vol. 1, Pan Books, 2017.
2. Smeds AI, Eklund PC, Sjöholm RE, et al. Quantification of a broad spectrum of lignans in cereals, oilseeds, and nuts. J Agric Food Chem. 2007;55(4):1337-46.
3. Rodriquez-Leyva D, Weighell W, Edel AL, et al. Potent antihypertensive action of dietary flaxseed in hypertensive patients. Hypertension. 2013;62(6):1081-9.
4. Kelsey JL, Gammon MD, John EM. Reproductive factors and breast cancer. Epidemiol Rev. 1993;15(1);36-47.
5. Buck K. Zaineddin AK, Vrieling A, Linseisen J, Chang-Claude J. Meta-analyses of lignans and enterolignans in relation to breast cancer risk. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010;92(1):141-53.
6. Buck K, Vrieling A, Zaineddin AK, et al. Serum enterolactone and prognosis of postmenopausal breast cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2011;29(28):3730-8.
7. Guglielmini P, Rubagotti A, Boccardo F. Serum enterolactone levels and mortality outcome in women with early breast cancer: a retrospective cohort study. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2012;132(2):661-8.
8. McCann SE, Thompson LU, Nie J, et al. Dietary lignin 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.
9. Thompson LU, Chen JM, Li T, Strasser-Weippl K, Goss PE. Dietary flaxseed alters tumor biological markers in postmenopausal breast cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 2005;11(10):3828-35.
10. Morton MS, Chan PS, Cheng C, et al. Lignans and isoflavonoids in plasma and prostatic fluid in men: samples from Portugal, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom. Prostate. 1997;32(2):122-8.
11. Goyal A, Sharma V, Upadhyay N, Gill S, Sihag M. Flax and flaxseed oil: an ancient medicine and modern functional food. J Food Sci Technol. 2014;51(9):163353.
12. 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;17(12):3577-87.