Flax seeds.

gottagetitoff11
gottagetitoff11 Posts: 122 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Who eats flax seeds and are they as healthy for you as they say online. Thanks

Replies

  • fr33sia12
    fr33sia12 Posts: 1,258 Member
    Why wouldn't they be as healthy as they say online? You can only go by the nutritional info on the pack and I doubt they made it all up.
  • WifiresGettingFit
    WifiresGettingFit Posts: 1,773 Member
    I've put milled flaxseed on my yogurt and in my oatmeal from time to time.
    I only use half a serving at a time usually (15 grams) and it's 5c/5f/3p and 4 grams fiber for 75 calories for the brand I use.
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    I've eaten them. They go bad fast if ground in advance so store whole ones in your fridge and grind them yourself. They're a good source of fats. That's about it. I prefer peanut butter, almonds and olive oil.
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,213 Member
    When I have oatmeal for breakfast I always have ground flax seed with it. We keep a coffee grinder dedicated to flax seed. I eat flax seed bread too. BUT cold water fish like salmon are a far better source for Omega-3's than flax seed. Most of the benefit from Omega-3s comes from EPA and DHA, and flax seeds only provide ALA which, providing we aren't nutrient deficient, we can convert to DHA, but only in small amounts.
    http://chriskresser.com/why-fish-stomps-flax-as-a-source-of-omega-3/
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    I put 2 tbsp of ground flax seeds in my morning protein shakes daily.

    Have no idea if it's really good for me or not; no way to measure it. Just assume it is, as tbey say it is.

    I buy it in bulk (2# or more), keep a small portion in the frig and vacuum pack and freeze the rest until I need more. Keeps it fresh that way.
  • vingogly
    vingogly Posts: 1,785 Member
    If you're on blood thinners, you need to be careful with flax seed because it can decrease clotting. Flaxseed can also interfere with other meds you're taking. Discuss with your doctor before adding it to your diet.
  • Angelajeanmcmahan85
    Angelajeanmcmahan85 Posts: 23 Member
    My dad has a blood thinning problem, so I should encourage him on flax seeds. Good to know:)
  • olymp1a
    olymp1a Posts: 1,766 Member
    I eat flaxseeds very frequently, either by putting them in my morning oatmeal, mixing them up in shakes, eating flaxseed bread, sprinkling them on salads or putting an amount of them in food (like tuna patties for example). I really like them and I have noticed a nice improvement to my constipation issues.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    They are a decent source of fat/help with omega-3, but that's it. There seems to be some belief in some corners of the dieting world that they are some "superfood" or there's some benefit beyond the fat to adding them, which I assume what OP means (this has nothing to do with the nutrition label, which doesn't make them look all that amazing). Anyway, I've put them in oatmeal and probably will again, but so far for me the benefit rarely seems worth the calories and they don't have much taste. (If I didn't eat fatty fish they might be more important for me, I'd have to think through the options for plant sources of omega-3s.)
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I keep flax oil in my refrigerator and I use it in my pancake batter. It is a good source of omega 3 fatty acids.

    Flax is also helpful in keeping one regular.

    Whole flax seeds will often pass unchanged through the digestive process, so I wonder how much omega 3 is released.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    I believe you have to crush/grind them.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    @lemurcat12 a Canadian cereal blend, Red River, contains whole flax seeds. Hence my intimate experience with whole seed.
  • olymp1a
    olymp1a Posts: 1,766 Member
    jgnatca wrote: »
    @lemurcat12 a Canadian cereal blend, Red River, contains whole flax seeds. Hence my intimate experience with whole seed.

    Where I live you can find whole flaxseeds in cereal blends or bars as well. The best though is to crush it or grind it, however it goes bad really fast once you grind it so it's better to buy it whole and grind small portions each time.
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    I eat them whole in cottage cheese and yoghurt for the non soluble fibre.
  • AlabamaMama224
    AlabamaMama224 Posts: 137 Member
    I use them as egg replacers in baked goods. Never thought of eating them on their own.
  • Lisa_Ookoo
    Lisa_Ookoo Posts: 134 Member
    Flaxseed is high in phytoestrogens, even higher than soy.

    Research on the health and/or risks of phytoestrogens is mixed. In large populations, phytoestrogens reduce the risk of cancer. On the other hand, some high-risk groups should avoid phytoestrogens.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Ground V whole Flaxseeds

    http://piercewholenutrition.blogspot.com.au/2010/09/flax-seed-whole-or-ground.html
  • AlabamaMama224
    AlabamaMama224 Posts: 137 Member
    :)
  • Marietta64
    Marietta64 Posts: 3 Member
    Just browsing through and saw this thread. I am doing the low carb thing and found a yummy recipe for flaxmeal crackers that I really like. Net carbs per cracker are under 1 gram with 1 gram of fiber per cracker. Nice way to get in the fiber that I'm missing on days I eat really low carb.
    http://www.lowcarb-ology.com/spicy-italian-parmesan-flaxseed-crackers/
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    edited August 2016
    I take a flaxseed oil capsule each morning with my vitamin. It helps with PMS symptoms - not sure if OP cares about that or not. :p (Nope. Profile says male. Disregard. LOL)

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