Use Flaxseed for Weight Loss - Health benefits & Side effects

Flaxseed is a flat & smooth seed with reddish brown and golden colors that derived from flax plant. It contains omega-3 essential fatty acids, manganese, vitamin B6, and alpha-linolenic acid so it becomes remedy for many diseases. Flaxseed has many properties that make it idol food for weight loss therefore weight conscious people can include flaxseeds or its oil in daily diet plan. Read on to know about how it works for weight loss, its health benefits and side effects.

Annual Flax, Common Flax, Linseed Flax, Linseed, Linum usitatissimum are the other common names of the flaxseed. Ancient people used powdered form or oil form of flaxseeds in different recipes for health benefits. Flaxseed has nutty test and it also gives you unique test, when it is used in proper recipes. It has mineral property like magnesium, zinc and potassium.

Combination of two substance, omega-6 and omega-3 helps to maintain good health therefore one should preserve a proper balance of omega-6 and omega-3 in the daily diet. Flaxseeds have proteins, lecithin and fibers for weight loss. Flaxseed oil can also be used for weight loss but remember it loses its valuable substance, when it is heated.

How flaxseed works for weight loss?

You can take flaxseed in three forms such as flaxseed oil, ground flaxseed and whole flaxseed but whole flaxseed gives you a maximum benefits compared to its other forms. You can take ground or whole flaxseed in bakery products such as cakes, cookies, bread etc. For maximum advantage, mix powder of flaxseeds with plain water and drink it daily.

Flaxseed helps to lose weight in two ways as it has rich quantity of fiber and polyunsaturated fats. One ounce of flaxseed has 32% of fiber. Body takes a more time to digest flaxseed than other foods. That means flaxseed gives you fullness feelings. High-fiber foods give you "satisfied" feeling when you take a meal. Flaxseed maintains level of blood sugar so your body gets energy from eating last longer and also prevent early hunger of the person.

Many foods with minimum nutritive value give you feeling of emptiness even though you have consumed many calories. The person can not follow the diet plan when he/she has empty feelings. So flaxseed is best food for the weight loss. Flaxseed helps to burn additional calories by increasing the metabolic rate of the body.

Flaxseed contains polyunsaturated fat that is important part of the diet. Saturated fats should be avoided as it is bad for the health but polyunsaturated fat should not be excluded from diet. Flaxseed has sufficient amount of polyunsaturated fat that maintains healthy diet by giving you fullness feelings. It does not disturb saturated fats.

How much quantity of flaxseed should be taken?

Children between the age group of 2 to 12 years should take 1 teaspoonful of ground flaxseeds everyday. Adults should take 1 tablespoonful of flaxseeds for 2 - 3 times everyday or 2 - 4 tbsp at only one time per day. It should be taken with lots of water.

Health benefits of flaxseeds

Helps in constipation

Flaxseed is a rich source of insoluble as well as soluble fiber. To avoid constipation, two to four tablespoons of flaxseed should be included in your diet. When you add fiber food in your diet, you should drink at least eight glass of water. 

Heart Disease

Flax decreases the risk of heart attacks by reducing bad cholesterol (LDL levels), total cholesterol, triglycerides and clotting time. Take low-fat food and the foods that contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in place of saturated fats to avoid heart disease.

Prostate problems

Inflammation of the prostate, a small gland that can be found under bladder in males, can be avoided by consuming flaxseed. The people who consume flaxseed-supplemented and low fat diet have less risk of prostate problems than who do not consume, as per research study.

Menopausal symptoms

Imbalance in hormonal levels in women may result in osteoporosis, irregular menstrual cycles and weight gain in some women. Flaxseed helps to maintain blood sugar level. Flaxseeds are rich in phytochemicals and have many antioxidants properties. It contains lignans that help to maintain a proper balance of hormones in females.

Skin cancer

Lignans of the flaxseed protect skin as it helps to prevent the incremental of metastatic melanoma from the skin to the lungs. The skin, which burns due to sunrays, should be treated with flaxseed oil to get maximum result.

Cardiovascular diseases

Some study says that ground flaxseeds and flaxseed oil maintains cholesterol level so it decreases the possibility of heart disease. Flaxseed oil and seeds give protection against high blood pressure and chest ache (angina).

Side effects of flaxseeds

Hormonal Effects

Flaxseed contains consumable estrogen phytoestrogen so estrogen levels may be affected due to these hormones. Therefore pregnant women should avoid flaxseed to reduce the risk of premature birth.

Risk of Cyanide poisoning

When flaxseed is taken in more than 10 tbsp. per day, it leads to cyanide poisoning as it has little quantity of cyanide compounds. When cyanide poisoning takes place, the cells' ability to use oxygen is stopped. Some symptoms of cyanide poisoning include weakness, headache and in severe cases coma, shortness of breath, seizures and death, which has similarity with the symptoms of suffocation.

Diarrhea

Diarrhea is the common side effect of flaxseed. It increases bowel movements and abdominal uneasiness, if the person intakes extra amount of flaxseeds. Additional consumption of flaxseed also results in stomach gases.

Constipation

No doubt flaxseed helps to cure the problem of constipation but sometimes it becomes the cause of constipation, when it is not taken with sufficient water.

 Other side effects

• Some women, who consume flaxseed powder everyday, may experience change in menstrual period. This situation takes place due to the estrogen effects of flaxseed.
• Nursing mothers and the females, who are suffering from endometriosis situation, should avoid flaxseed and the food that is made from using substances of flaxseeds.
• Consumption of flaxseed may lead to hemorrhagic stroke, bleeding in the brain, in rare case. Weakness, alteration in vision, headache, and feeling of numbness in limbs are the signs of hemorrhagic stroke.
• The person may experience abdominal pain, vomiting and nausea in short time after taking flaxseed. This may occurs due to allergy.