Day 49 - Just The Flax, Ma'am

My mornings often begin with a smoothie made of fruit, greens, a little soy milk and flax seeds.  Everything gets thrown into my Nutri-Bullet and a few seconds laater, i have breakfast in a glass.  I followed the smoothie recipes sent with the blender and dutifully added my flax seeds, but I never really knew what they were for.  What I do know now is that without my daily dose of flax seed, my digestive system doesn't work as well.


Flaxseed adds a critical element to a vegan diet -- Omega 3 fatty acids.  Omega 3 fatty acids include ALA, found in flaxseed, hempseed, canola oil, soybeans, soybean oil, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin seed oil, linseeds, walnuts, and walnut oil.   EPA and DHA are the other two fatty acids of the three and those are found primarily in cold water fish and algae.   Once ingested, the body converts ALA into EPA and DHA, allowing it to be more readily used by the body.   However, this conversion isn't very efficient. That's why experts recommend including EPA and DHA sources in your diet as well.

Omega 3 fatty acids have many different health benefits.  They::
-Improve artery health by helping to reduce plaque buildup and blood clots in arteries that lead to the brain.

-Improve cholesterol-by lowering triglycerides and elevating HDL (good cholesterol) levels. These benefits come primarily from DHA and EPA. Learn more about fats that fight cholesterol.
-Improve joint health by reducing joint tenderness and stiffness associated with arthritis and osteoarthritis.
-Improve bone health by positively impacting the body's calcium levels, reducing the incidence of bone loss.
-Improve mental health by helping to insulate nerve cells in the brain, allowing these nerve cells to better communicate with one another. 
-Improve skin health by helping to alleviate symptoms related to skin disorders like acne and psoriasis.
-Improve bowel health by reducing inflammation of the bowels, helping alleviate symptoms of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
-Improve lung health by reducing inflammation in diseases like asthma. To read more on this topic, click here.
-Improve menstrual health by reducing the pain associated with PMS and menstruation.
-Help prevent cancer. Colon, breast, and prostate cancers have all been correlated with low intakes of omega-3's.

The best way to get Omega 3 fatty acids is from ground flaxseed.  But the flaxseed must be ground fresh since pre-ground flax seed must be stored in a dark container in the freezer.  Even then, it spoils quickly, losing its health benefits.  Flaxseed oil can also be used, but is only effective if it's fresh.  Whole flaxseed stays fresh for a  long time and when ground in a blender, it is ready to do its thing in your body.

Sources:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=873
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=451