Flax seed is an ancient grain that has been used for centuries for it's wonderful health benefits. Many studies have proven that ground flax seed provides much better nutritional benefits than whole flax seeds because ground flax seed is easier for the body to digest. Ground flax seed is currently being used by many in the treatment of several dietary related issues as well as several diseases. Studies performed by health care professionals have shown that ground flax seed contains properties that can protect post menopausal women from the onset of breast cancer. These studies have suggested that phytoestrogens,which are naturally occurring compounds, work to bring down the levels of circulating estrogens that have been linked to the formation of breast cancer. High levels of lignan, one of these phytoestrogens, have been found to be contained in ground flax seed. A study preformed on 30 postmenopausal women over one year showed that the women that where given ground flax seed had a significant drop in the cancer causing estrogens. Ground flax seed has also proved to be successful in aiding the treatment of prostate cancer. A study performed by health care professionals showed that prostate cancer patients whose diets contained at least three large teaspoons of ground flax seed experienced more significant decrease in the spread of cancerous tumors than those who did not follow the regiment after about five weeks. Another great health benefit of using ground flax seed is its ability to lower cholesterol and the potential onset of heart disease. In addition to ground flax seed containing lignan it also contains alpha linolenic acids which help to bring down the cholesterol levels that can bring on heart problems. Usage of ground flax seed can also help blood platelets from sticking together and causing a heart attack. Tips for adding ground flax seed into your diet include the following. You can add ground flax seed to your morning cereal or to just about any kind of tossed salad. There are many great recipes that can be found on the Internet specifically using ground flax seed. |
