Nutrition tips: Are you making this mistake in eating flaxseeds?

Crunchy, nutty and delicious, flaxseeds not only enhance your gastronomical experience but also pack a nutritional punch. You can add them to your breakfast cereal, smoothie, cakes or cookies to reap an array of health benefits. While flaxseeds are a storehouse of omega-3 fatty acids, lignans, protein and fibre and helpful in managing many health conditions, how you eat them can make all the difference. There are chances you might be eating them all wrong. An Ayurveda expert recently talked about the right way to consume them in her recent Instagram post. (See pics: What happens when you have flaxseed every day)

Flaxseed can be your best friend in your weight loss journey and help you manage many health conditions from blood pressure, diabetes to high cholesterol. They are loaded with soluble fibre and you can trust them to keep those mid-meal hunger pangs at bay. Nutritionists also recommend flaxseeds to people who suffer from constipation.

Ayurveda expert Dr Dixa Bhavsar is all praises for these wonderful and versatile seeds.

“It is an immunity-booster and possesses antiaging property, rejuvenating and good for skin and hair. Flax seeds contain a group of nutrients called lignans, which have powerful antioxidant & estrogen properties. It helps in preventing BPH, breast and prostate cancer, as well as other types of cancer. It helps improve brain function especially in children with ADHD & Autistic syndrome. Also useful in controlling menopausal symptoms and depression,” she wrote in her recent Instagram post.

The expert also talks about the best way to eat flaxseeds. She says it’s better to ground them instead of having them whole for this reason.

“If you eat flaxseeds whole, you will likely pass them whole in your stool. So, consume ground seeds rather than whole, as your intestines cannot break down the tough outer shell of the seeds,” she says, adding, “Even soaked seeds can be consumed.”

So, if you usually add whole flaxseeds to your smoothie or cereal, you may add a tablespoon of ground flaxseeds to reap maximum health benefits and absorb all the nutrients. In case of a sandwich, a teaspoon of it could be added to mayonnaise or mustard.