If you’ve been following nutrition news, you’ve probably heard about many of the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is the essential omega-3 fat because our bodies cannot make it. Like some vitamins, we need it from foods to be healthy. One important question is whether the omega-3 fats in fish are the same as those found in flax? The answer is that they are not.
ALA is found mainly in flaxseeds and walnuts and plant oils like flax, canola, and soybean oils, but flaxseeds and flax oil are the richest sources of ALA. Two other omega-3 fats are EPA and DHA, which are vital for health as well. EPA and DHA are not strictly “essential” because our bodies can make EPA and DHA from ALA. EPA and DHA are found mainly in fatty fish like sardines, mackerel, and salmon since plants do not contain EPA and DHA.
Benefits of Flax:
ALA, EPA, and DHA are alike in keeping the body’s cell membranes flexible to help cells work properly and to block the actions of some compounds that cause inflammation. In a clinical study, ALA found in flax, helps reduce inflammation and thereby lowers chronic disease risks like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and arthritis.
Other benefits of Flax:
- High in both soluble and insoluble fiber, one ounce of flax provides about 1/3 of the recommended amount of fiber which promotes bowel regularity
- Contains lignans which are phytoestrogens that act as a natural hormone therapy and help stabilize hormone levels and may help decrease symptoms of menopause
- Reduces total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides.
- Omega-3 fatty acids also reduce clotting time which lowers the risk of heart attacks and stroke
- Both ALA and lignans have been found to improve immunity
- Research indicates improvement in depression
- Reduces inflammation
- High fiber content has a positive effects on blood glucose control
- Reduces risk of certain types of cancer, especially in the breast and colon
- Has antioxidants which helps protect the skin from damage caused by free radicals
Incorporating flax into your diet:
There are different types of way to incorporate flaxseed into your diet, either through flaxseed or flaxseed oil. Flaxseed oil is the result of cold-pressing flaxseeds. The flaxseed oil has high levels of omega-3 ALA, almost 8 grams per tablespoon. Since the oil only a portion of the seed, it does not have fiber, lignans, or protein like flaxseed, which is preferable over the flaxseed oil.
Whole flaxseeds are hard to chew and will pass through the digestive tract largely intact. If this occurs, you will not receive the full nutritional benefit. Therefore, ground flaxseed provides nutritional benefit than whole flaxseeds. You can grind flaxseeds at your home using a coffee grinder, food processor, or blender. Health experts recommend consuming 2 to 4 tablespoons a day. Slowly start flaxseed into your diet due to the high fiber content. Start with about ½ to 1 teaspoon per day, and gradually add more until you reach the recommended amount. You should keep ground flaxseed refrigerated in an airtight container to ensure freshness and can keep for up to 90 days. It is also suggested to increase liquid consumption, about ½ cup per tablespoon. Flaxseed can be added to cereals, juices soups, yogurt and salads. You can also add flaxseed to baked goods since studies show that baking temperatures have no adverse affect on the nutritional benefits. Flaxseed can replace the oil or shortening in a recipe because of the high oil content- use a 3:1 substitution ratio. If a recipe calls for 1/3 cup of oil, use 1 cup of milled flax to replace the oil. You can also keep good fats in your recipes by substituting 3 tablespoons of ground flaxseed for 1 tablespoon of margarine or butter.