No Body knew about Flax seeds in our country about 20 years ago. They have been recently introduced and have become favourites of normal people, Heart Patients, Diabetics & Cancer patients.
What are flax seeds - a brief introduction courtesy Wikipidia.
Flax seeds is a food and fiber crop cultivated in cooler regions of the world.
They are rich source of proteins , omega 3 fatty acids for vegetarians who do not consume fish to get omega 3 fatty acids.
They are also known as Linseeds and are available as seeds and as oil to apply on affected areas or on normal face and hands which show ageing faster than other organs of body including heart.
1 Tbs =55 calories only.
The Fiber Crop is Cultivated in cooler regions.
Textile obtained is called linen used for bed sheets , underclothes and table linen.
Word Flax may refer to unspun fibers of Flax plant.
The Cultivated plant appears to have been demonstrated just one form of wild species.
Flax seeds ( ground well) 1 Tbs /day reduces Bad Cholesterol faster than any Cholesterol lowering drug and effect is more in women. It reduces bad cholesterol and indirectly helps the heart ,by hindering the process of Plaque ( blockage ) Formation within blood vessels which lead to Heart Attack / Stroke /Deep Vein Thrombosis.
They can be taken Raw , ground well and sprinkled on any Heart Friendly Snack/ Upma/ Pohe/ Boiled egg /Salads and Fruits along with other palatable Spices.
They are Safe for Human consumption , provided some precautions are taken.
They do Reduce Hot Flushes in ( peri) Menopausal women.
One of the favorite encounter among women around 50 + goes like this , if they happen to meet after few months- Oh You have grown old so suddenly !
And the affected woman can take it as a taunt to get reassurance from her daughter ,whether it is true or not and answer from daughter would be Diplomatic , as if She too wants her mother to Come to Terms with Reality of Growing Old with Crackling bones and Wrinkled face !
Good News is the oil/ seeds are Better anti ageing agents than Botox.
Apply it on face or eat the seeds , effect is same and noticed very soon .
There is Less Shedding of hair , skin does become smoother.
These are External Cosmetic changes. Remember , if seeds are showing effects , they are for Entire Body !
Heart becomes younger too , Diabetics get reduced sugar levels and persons suffering from Cancer can ward off the effects of Chemotherapy and Radiation Risks.
Angiography procedures / Cardiac CT scans / Mammography tests / CT scans also expose people to Radiations and if radiations can burn away unwanted Cancer tissues, same radiation does affect our entire body too.
Too Much of any thing is Bad.
If taken in excess, Flax seeds do lead to Flatulence, Nausea, Bloating .
If you are used to binge eating solid snacks while watching TV , be prepared to go to loo again and again, because the food pipe is Not Irritable , it is Just doing its Duty to Remove Extra Junk from the large intestine.
A word of caution to people taking blood thinners as medicines , reduce the dose as Flax Seeds Do make the blood thin , Make a person to bleed more and it applies more to women during the ( peri) menopausal time , when periods should stop but they may not because of extra intake of flax seeds.
But do Apply the oil on face as absorption through Skin has Not been Reported yet.
During this passing phase lasting for 2-4 years , the woman can happily use the oil as anti ageing agent
Note-The picture shown here is Not Flax seeds but they look like Jeera ( Cumin seeds) .
One can grind a tbs of Jeera along with Flax seeds to get benefits of weight loss also,as it is considered Physiological to Put on Weight @ 1 kg/ year after Menopause.