Flaxseed, The Ancient Crop With Health Benefits!

The flax plant, an ancient crop, yields the fiber from which linen is woven, as well as seeds and oil. The oil, also called linseed oil, has many industrial uses—it is an important ingredient in paints, varnishes, and linoleum, for example. Flaxseed oil also comes in an edible form, sold mostly at health-food stores. Like olive, canola, and most other plant oils, it is highly unsaturated and heart-healthy. And flaxseeds have yet another very interesting component—lignans—which may have anti-cancer properties.

Flaxseed Has Alpha Linolenic Acids
Its high content of alpha linolenic acids has made the ancient flax seed become our modern miracle food. Alpha linolenic acid is a type of omega 3 fatty acid, similar to those found in fish such as salmon. Benefits of flax seed as shown in many studies include lowering total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the Bad cholesterol) levels. Other benefits show that flax seed may also help lower blood triglyceride (Also Read: How to lower Triglycerides?) and blood pressure.

When it comes to health issues, one is often faced with the chicken and the egg dilemma of "which comes first"". Again, it is helpful to think of your body as a finely tuned machine. When one portion is compromised it affects the efficiency of other necessary functions. Therefore it is sensible to know as much as you can about how your body functions and how you can contribute to your overall health with wise, sensible and long-lasting dietary and exercise habits.

How About Soybeans?
Soybeans contain compounds called phytoestrogens that are related in structure to estrogen, though the estrogenic activity of soy is quite weak according to some reports. Soy is known to affect the menstrual cycle in premenopausal women. Researchers have linked societies with high consumption of soy products to a low incidence of hot flashes during menopause. In one double-blind trial, 60 grams of soy protein caused a 33% decrease in the number of hot flashes after four weeks and a 45% reduction after 12 weeks. However, in further analysis of the data in this trial, researchers now believe constituents in soybeans other than phytoestrogens must have been responsible for the therapeutic effect.