There are three fantastic reasons to eat some type of flax food every day: favorable types of fiber, good-quality fats, and a high concentration of unique, immune-boosting phyto-nutrients. Let me elaborate on why I am I so excited about this blue-flowered plant that grows best in the cool northern climates. Canada is the world’s leader in flax production, while North Dakota is where 96 percent of flax seeds are grown in the U.S.
Flax appeared on the North American continent over 400 years ago, but humans have been eating flax for thousands of years. Flax researcher Dr. Diane Morris writes in a fact sheet for the Flax Council of Canada that its cultivation likely began in the valleys of Mesopotamia’s Fertile Crescent over 5,000 years ago. She also writes that flax was valued in the ancient and early modern times as food and medicine. Historical figures as diverse as the Greek physician Hippocrates and the French emperor Charlemagne have written about the benefits of flax. Mahatma Gandhi, the wise man of India, is rumored to have once remarked that “Wherever flax seed becomes a regular food item among the people, there will be better health.”
Fiber
First let’s discuss the fiber in flax, which is a combination of both the soluble and insoluble types. The water-soluble fiber fraction of flax, which is mainly mucilage gum, may help lower blood cholesterol levels. A study reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that when volunteers ate muffins made with partially defatted flax for three weeks compared with muffins made from wheat bran, total blood cholesterol levels and LDL-cholesterol in the flax group decreased significantly. The study authors attributed flax mucilage gums as the factor responsible for lowering the blood lipids.
The insoluble part of the fiber helps the body stay regular. In a study done in 2005, elderly residents of a long term care facility who had one tablespoon of milled flax added to their daily diet had a 32 percent increase in regularity.
Essential Fats
Now, about the protective type of fat in flax, I’m going to make it easy to understand. You may have heard that fish and fish oils are great sources of the Omega-3 fatty acids named EPA and DHA. Both are long-chain fatty acids that the body needs to function optimally, and both play preventative roles in heart disease and cancer (among other conditions) prevention.
Flax contains a compound called ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), which is the parent compound of those Omega-3 fatty acids found preformed in fatty fish. Our body can actually synthesize these long-chain fatty acids from ALA. ALA is considered the true essential omega-3 fatty acid, because our bodies do not make it and we must obtain it from our diet. One of the key functions of ALA in the body is to reduce inflammation. This is especially important in managing many chronic disease states, such as heart disease, diabetes and certain kinds of cancer.
ALA is also important metabolically, especially for the proper maintenance of the nervous system and for producing energy that fuels muscle function, digestion of food, and normal breathing.
As little as one tablespoon of ground flax provides 1.8 grams of ALA, which, according to Dietary Reference Intakes established by the Institute of Medicine, is enough to meet the daily recommended intake for this nutrient. The rate of conversion of ALA into those long-chain Omega-3s EPA and DHA is estimated to be between .05 and 20 percent. A good general recommendation is to get your omega-3s from a mix of plant sources, such as flax and chia (see WWW November issue), as well as from fish or fish oils. An algae-derived form of DHA is also available for vegetarians or those unable to consume fish.
From the research literature, flax has been found to improve endothelial function and improve blood flow. The endothelium is the lining of the blood vessels, and when it becomes inflamed, it loses its ability to work properly and vascular health can be impaired. Studies done on adults with type-2 diabetes have found that an ALA-rich diet improves endothelial function and blood flow.
Studies done on flax oil have shown that supplementing the diet with flax oil decreases markers of inflammation. In one, an ALA-rich diet decreased the production of inflammatory compounds such as eicosanoids and cytokines. In another clinical study, levels of CRP, a protein released from the liver in response to infection or injury, decreased about 75 percent when study participants consumed a diet rich in ALA obtained from flax and walnut oil. High CRP levels have been strongly linked with heart disease.
Lignans: A Unique Phytochemical
Flaxseeds are among the richest source of lignans, plant compounds known to assert beneficial effects on hormone and estrogen metabolism in both women and men. Elaine Magee points out in her book The Flax Cookbook that lignans have several biological characteristics going for them: They discourage undesirable cell division, they destroy and inhibit the growth of detrimental fungi, and they prevent or inhibit oxidation, a process that can damage healthy cells. Lignans also may have some role in supporting the health of the colon lining, regulating blood sugar, and normalizing cholesterol levels.
Flax Tips
With such a long, colorful history, and with flax being such a popular health food today, it stands to reason that flax is pretty versatile. And indeed it is. Between ground flaxseed and flax oil, there’s a myriad of things you can do to make this superfood work for you.
Let me just mention a few notes on purchasing and storing flax products: Always purchase ground flaxseed in opaque, sealed bags to ensure freshness. Once you’ve opened the bag, store ground flax in a tightly sealed container or bag in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for about three months. If stored in the freezer, it will last even longer. The same goes for flax oil; make sure to buy flax oil in opaque containers that were kept in the refrigerator section of the store, and store in the fridge at home, as heat and light cause this delicate oil to become rancid and lose its health-promoting properties. Remember, flax oil is not for cooking or baking! It’s fine to sprinkle flax oil on hot foods after they’ve cooled a bit, but high heat and flax oil don’t make very good friends. In seed form, the oil is protected from heat, so ground flaxseeds are the way to go for baking.
• Use flax oil in salad dressings and in smoothies to give them a healthy kick.
• Drizzle flax oil or sprinkle ground flaxseed (or both!) over oatmeal, cottage cheese, or yogurt, and mix with fruit for a delicious breakfast trea.t
• Try some flax oil over rice and vegetables to increase the nutrient content.
• Ground flaxseeds work great in smoothies to add fiber and good quality fats.
• Experiment with ground (or milled) flaxseed in baking and cooking. (See the following recipes!)
A typical serving of flax oil is 1-2 tablespoons per day, and ground flaxseed is about two tablespoons per day. A Mayoclinic.com article on ground flaxseed says that most nutrition experts recommend ground over whole flaxseed because the ground form is easier for your body to digest. Whole flaxseed may pass through your intestines undigested, which means you won’t get all the benefits.
Here are a few ideas to get your flaxen odyssey started:
Pumpkin Spice Flaxseed Cookies
Pumpkin season is drawing to a close, but here’s the perfect recipe to keep the spirit alive! Try these great cookies with your hot beverage on a cold winter night. I’ve adapted the recipe from The Flax Cookbook, by nutritionist and author Elaine Magee.
1/2 c. natural sugar (Sucanat, Coconut palm sugar)
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. butter (To make these non-dairy, use Earth Balance, Spectrum Naturals shortening, coconut oil, or light olive oil)
1 c. canned pumpkin (unsweetened, I use Libby’s brand)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 c. whole-grain flour (wheat, spelt, kamut, or a gluten-free blend)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. sea salt
3/4 c. ground flaxseed
chopped pecans or walnuts for garnish (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray. Mix together sugar, butter and honey; beat until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin, vanilla, and egg; beat until blended. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and sea salt. Add to wet ingredients, mix until blended. Stir flaxseed slowly into mixture and mix well. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto prepared cookie sheet. If you like, press a pecan or walnut half into the top of each cookie. Flatten each cookie slightly. Bake 10 to 12 minutes.
Banana-Blueberry Loaf
Here’s another great and easy way to get more flax into your diet. This one is adapted from the website of the flax experts themselves, the Flax Council of Canada.
1 1/3 cup whole grain flour (wheat, spelt, kamut, or gluten-free blend)
2/3 c. ground flaxseed
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/3 c. natural sugar (Sucanat, coconut palm sugar)
1 large egg
1 c. mashed banana (3 to 4 medium bananas, soft and slightly overripe work best)
3/4 c. milk or non-dairy milk substitute (rice, almond, or coconut milk)
1 tsp. lemon zest or 1 1/2 T. lemon juice
3/4 frozen, unsweetened blueberries
1/3 c. pecans or walnuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium sized pan, mix together flour, ground flax, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a separate bowl, beat together sugar and egg until sugar is dissolved. Add mashed banana, milk, and lemon zest to sugar mix. Mix well. Add dry ingredients and fold until moistened. Fold in blueberries and pecans. Turn batter into a lightly greased loaf pan and with a spatula or back of spoon, level in pan. Bake for 60 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove loaf form and cool to room temperature.
Flaxen Meat Loaf
Whoever thought we could sneak flax into a meatloaf? Our friends over at the Flax Council of Canada, that’s who!
2 lbs. ground beef
1 c. water or non-diary milk substitute (rice, almond, coconut)
1/2 c. ground flaxseed
1/2 dry whole-grain bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped onion (or 1 T. onion powder)
1 large egg
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. black pepper
1-2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dry mustard, or 1 T. prepared mustard
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/4 c. ketchup
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Spread mixture into a 9x5x3 loaf pan. (Alternative: Instead of mixing the ketchup in, mix all ingredients except for ketchup, spread into pan, and then spread ketchup on top of loaf.) Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until meat is fully done. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes
Spicy Peanut Dressing
Here’s a delicious dressing that can be used on salads, vegetables, pasta, and really just about everything! This recipe is slightly modified from the book Flax, the Super Food, an innovative collection of flax- inspired recipes.
1/2 c. natural peanut butter
2 T. flax oil
2 T. water
3 T. soy sauce
3 T. brown rice vinegar
2 T. natural sugar
1 tsp. chili powder
Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
Lauren Mirkin, CNS, LDN, LGPC, is a licensed nutritionist and counselor. She provides nutritional counseling at the Johns Hopkins Integrative Medicine and Digestive Center at Green Spring Station. Contact her at 443-326-7023
443-326-7023443-326-7023443-326-7023443-326-7023443-326-7023443-326-7023443-326-7023 or holisticnutritionhelp@gmail.com. Lauren thanks her son Yehoshua, a student at Yeshiva University
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