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It's
easy to enjoy the benefits of flaxseeds
Nov 29, 08
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
Shiny
little brown flaxseeds – they’re not much bigger
than sesame seeds – are being touted as nature’s
own nutritional supplements.
They’re rich in alpha-linolenic acid, an essential fatty
acid that is converted by the body into omega-3 fatty acids.
Some studies suggest that increasing our intakes of omega-3
fatty acids may have health benefits, including reducing the
risk of coronary artery disease.
The evidence is far from conclusive, but food companies are
using flaxseed’s omega-3 health-power potential to sell
flax-fortified cereals, breads, and other products. Whole
and ground flaxseeds, and flaxseed oil capsules, are also
widely available.
It’s too early to know if flaxseed can live up to the
hype. But we do know that whole flaxseeds are also a good
source of dietary fiber, manganese, folate, and several other
vitamins and minerals.
So what’s the right role for flaxseeds in your daily
routine? If you treat them like any other whole food, they
can be a healthful addition to your diet.
You can add whole flaxseeds to hot or cold breakfast cereals,
for example. However, in my experience, most people prefer
to grind the flaxseeds before adding them to other foods.
As one reader put it, “Trying to branch out, I put flaxseed
in our oatmeal. The texture was repulsive.”
Grind flaxseeds using a coffee mill or mini food processor.
If you buy milled flaxseed, keep it in the refrigerator or
freezer. That will slow the oxidation of the oil in the seeds
and help them stay fresh longer.
There are a number of ways to include ground flaxseeds in
your diet. For example:
* Stir them into yogurt, smoothies, rice pudding, hummus,
soup and cooked cereals. Like wheat germ, which is similar
in texture, ground flaxseeds add a nutty flavor.
* Mix them into crumbly foods. Add a few teaspoons of ground
flaxseeds to the oatmeal topping on apple crisp, in granola,
or in the bread crumb coating on eggplant parmesan.
* Bake them into breads. And cookies, muffins, pancakes and
waffles. Swap a few tablespoons of ground flaxseeds for the
equivalent amount of flour in recipes.
Don’t go overboard. A few teaspoons of whole or ground
flaxseeds added to other foods over the course of a day or
two isn’t likely to be a problem for most people.
Adding flaxseeds to your diet gradually can help your digestive
system get used to a higher fiber load and minimize problems
with gas. Fiber from large doses of flaxseed could cause a
bowel obstruction, especially if you don’t drink enough
fluids.
Talk with your health care provider if you have questions
about using flaxseed for therapeutic purposes, including as
a laxative. As one minor ingredient in a varied diet, though,
it shouldn’t pose any problems for most people.
Flaxseeds also have a practical use in the kitchen. One tablespoon
of ground flaxseeds mixed briskly with three tablespoons of
water can substitute for one whole egg in muffins, cookies,
pancakes and quick breads.
Ground flaxseeds can also be used to replace some or all of
the oil or shortening in recipes, according to Hodgson Mill,
a producer of whole grains, baking mixes and pasta. Use one
cup of ground flaxseeds, which are rich in oil, in place of
1/3 cup of oil or shortening.
But don’t give flaxseed all of your attention. Other
seeds and nuts are deserving of a place in your pantry (or
refrigerator), too. Walnuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds,
almonds and others add variety, flavor and nutrients to a
varied diet.
The best nutritional supplement doesn’t come in a bottle
or a seed. It comes from the collective nutritional power
of nutrients packaged naturally in a range of whole, minimally
processed fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, seeds and nuts.
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