As Mahatma Gandhi put it, “whenever i flax seed they become a regular food among the people, health improves ”. Linum usitatissimum has been cultivated for thousands of years not only in India, but in various countries, and is a food with infinite beneficial properties, as well as an appreciated textile fiber.
For food use, seeds are selected, which can be eaten whole, flaked, crushed or squeezed to get it out linseed oil.
The seeds contain many nutrients of great importance, such as protein with high biological value, fat above all unsaturated, including the omega 3 (alpha-linolenic) and omega 6 (linoleic), soluble and insoluble fibers, which regulate cholesterol and blood sugar and promote intestinal transit, calcium, magnesium phosphorus, potassium and folic acid. Let's see how they can be used in the daily diet.
The benefits of flax seeds and their use
Studies on phytoestrogens have found that flaxseed compounds help and prevent the development of cancerous diseases, such as prostate or breast cancer. They also fight cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other pathologies. It is therefore recommended to take two tablespoons of ground flaxseed per day.
It's better buy them whole and then grind them at home with a coffee grinder, fresh just before consumption, so as to absorb all its properties. In fact, the flax seed has a very hard shell that would prevent our body from making its precious substances its own if consumed whole.
Another way to take advantage of their benefits is to cook them in various recipes. The freshly ground seeds can be added to cereals, soups, salads, yogurt, fruit juice, cheese, while cooked they can be added to soups and purées, or put in flour to make bread or pizza, with lasagna, pasta, sweets and biscuits.
Ground flax seeds can also be a great egg substitute for vegans: a tablespoon of ground seeds mixed with three tablespoons of liquid or water forms a compound that amalgamates and unites the dough, capable of replacing an egg when cooking baked desserts.
Find out about the seeds and their supply of essential fatty acids
Mucilage for the intestine
Flax seeds can also be left in water overnight, covered. They will form a gelatinous liquid, rich in mucilage. Strain it and drink it. In this way, only its emollient properties are used, which help the lazy intestine to recover its functions.
Flax seeds absorb about five times their weight of water, so it is important to drink plenty of fluids when consuming ground or cooked seeds.
There are two varieties of flaxseed: light and dark. Golden or light flaxseed is much more oily than dark flaxseed and is ideally suited for culinary use. However, they both have all the above properties. It is always necessary to use very fresh seeds, intact, stored in cool, dry and protected from light places.
Does flax in herbal teas fit? There is, there is!
