Joanna Brady Schmida's - "Keys Cuisine"
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Ease a Little Health into Your Diet with Flaxseed

By Joanna Brady Schmida

At our house, we've been sprinkling ground flaxseed on our breakfast cereal for years -- so long, in fact, that I'd almost forgotten what prompted us to do it in the first place. But recently I've come across some research showing the benefits of this remarkable plant and it has validated our continued addition of it, not just to cereal but to other foods as well.

These days flaxseed is being touted as a wonder food and apparently with good reason. First of all it's high in both soluble and insoluble fiber, which is something most of us can use more of in our diets. Secondly, the seed contains a gazillion times more antioxidants (lignans) than any other plant food. These antioxidants, say the experts, may provide some protection against cancers, especially those sensitive to hormones, as they interfere with the growth and spread of tumor cells.

Thirdly, flaxseed is high in omega-3 essential fatty acids, which are beneficial to the arteries. Research suggests that plant omega-3s help the cardiovascular system via several different mechanisms, including anti-inflammatory action, normalizing the heartbeat and reducing atherosclerotic plaque buildup. The suggested portion for an adult per day is one to two tablespoons. Each tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains as much as 1.6 grams of plant omega-3s.

Aside from those reasons, there are also cautious preliminary claims about flaxseed helping to prevent diabetes, suggesting that daily intake of the antioxidants in the seeds may modestly improve blood sugar. The same researchers suggest that flax can possibly reduce the inflammation that accompanies certain illnesses, such as Parkinson's disease and asthma, by helping to block the release of certain pro-inflammatory agents.

These are early studies to be sure, but it would be pretty amazing if so many health benefits could be attributed to a cheap little commodity like flaxseed that you can buy in grocery stores for a couple of bucks.

OK, so who are the researchers making all these claims? Canada grows 40 percent of the world's flax. Which is a lot, when you consider that China, India and the U.S. together produce another 40 percent. So it shouldn't be surprising that much of the recent research on the benefits of flaxseed is being done north of the border at the University of Toronto's Department of Nutrition, in their Faculty of Medicine. Leading the project is an internationally known flaxseed researcher, Lillian Thompson. A lot of the work is also being done by the Flax Council of Canada.

Dr. Thompson, flax guru at the university, cautiously says she wouldn't call any of the health benefits of flax "well established," but her research confirms that the possible health benefits of flax include reducing the risks of certain cancers as well as cardiovascular disease and lung disease. Until more is known, Thompson says pregnant women and possibly breastfeeding mothers should not supplement their diets with ground flaxseed.

The research done by the Flaxseed Council may be taken with a grain of salt considering its vested interest, but it's still interesting to read their findings. According to Kelley C. Fitzpatrick, director of health and nutrition with the council, their researchers have shown that diets rich in flaxseed omega-3s help prevent hardening of the arteries and keep plaque from being deposited in them, partly by keeping white blood cells from sticking to the inner linings of blood vessels. They also claim flax helps control cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes. Their studies in animals, they say, have found that the antioxidants in flax can decrease levels of several pro-inflammatory agents.

As if those claims weren't enough to make you invest in a little bag of flaxseeds, one preliminary study on menopausal women, published in 2007 in Quebec, reported that two tablespoons of ground flaxseed taken twice each day cut women's hot flashes in half. And the intensity of their hot flashes dropped by 57 percent. The women noticed a difference after talking the daily flaxseed for just one week and achieved the maximum benefit within two weeks.

Flaxseed has been around for a long time. It was cultivated in Babylon as early as 3000 B.C. Much later, Charlemagne believed so strongly in the health benefits of it that he passed laws requiring his subjects to consume it. An extraordinary edict for the times.

Now, all those centuries later, flaxseed is being called one of the most powerful plant foods on the planet. I don't know about that, but it's nice to have something to believe in. And sprinkling a little of it in food is simple enough to do. I like to put it in oatmeal for a healthy double whammy. And putting ground flaxseed into casseroles like chili or as part of the binder in meatloaf is a great, cheap way to render our diets a little healthier.

Here are some tips from the experts on flaxseed.

1) Use flaxseeds rather than flaxseed oil. Seeds must be ground for maximum effect, so keep a little coffee grinder just for flaxseed. Store ground seed in the freezer to keep nutrients in. If you buy it already ground, make sure it is flaxseed, not flax meal (which has lost much of its valuable oil).

2) Add a couple of tablespoons of ground flaxseed to foods you habitually eat, like oatmeal, smoothies, soup, meatloaf or yogurt. Soon it will be a habit and you won't have to think about it. No one notices flaxseed when it's stirred into casseroles, chili, beef stew, meatloaf or meatballs. For a 4-serving casserole, you can usually get away with adding two to four tablespoons of ground flaxseed. For a dish serving six to eight people, use four to eight tablespoons.

3) Whole flaxseed can be stored for up to a year. The outside shell in the seeds keeps the fatty acids inside well protected. Keep whole flaxseed in a dark, cool place until you grind it. There is no need to refrigerate it.

4) Use flaxseed in baking. Substitute ground flaxseed for part of the flour in recipes for quick breads, muffins, rolls, bread, bagels, pancakes and waffles. Try replacing 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the flour with ground flaxseed if the recipe calls for two or more cups of flour.

5) According to Katherine Zeratsky of the Mayo Clinic, you can use flaxseed in place of eggs in muffins, pancakes and cookies. To substitute flaxseed for one large egg in a recipe, use one tablespoon ground flaxseed plus three tablespoons water. (Keep in mind that this will somewhat alter the texture of the finished product, making it slightly gummy.)

Here are a few recipes that use flaxseed:

Flax Bars

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup corn syrup

1 cup ground flaxseed

5 cups Rice Krispies

In a microwave-safe bowl, mix together the peanut butter, corn syrup and brown sugar. Microwave for about three minutes on high. Stir in the ground flaxseed and vanilla. Pour the mixture over Rice Krispies and mix well. Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray, then spread into the pan and press down to form a dense sheet. Let sit for about five to 10 minutes, until firmly set. Cut into bars. Makes 28, each containing about 2/3 tablespoon flaxseed.

Carrot quick bread

3 egg whites

2/3 cup white sugar

1/4 cup nonfat milk

1/3 cup applesauce

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp almond extract

1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 tbs ground flaxseed

2 tbs ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp baking soda

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup raisins

1/2 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained

1 cup grated carrot

Heat oven to 350°. Lightly oil a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with vegetable cooking spray. Whisk together the egg whites, sugar, milk, applesauce, vanilla and almond extract in a small bowl; mix until well blended. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, whole wheat flour, flaxseed, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and baking soda. Mix the egg into the flour; stir until well blended. Fold in the walnuts, raisins, carrot and drained pineapple. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (but not necessarily dry), about 40 minutes. Set aside to cool for 20 minutes. Refrigerate overnight.

Flaxseed Muffins

1/2 cup crushed pineapple with juice, canned

1/2 cup finely chopped unpeeled apples

2 tbs canola oil

1 large egg, beaten lightly

2 egg whites

1 cup fat-free sour cream

1/4 cup molasses

1/2 cup raisins

1 1/4 cup unbleached white flour

1 2 cup whole-wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup ground flaxseed

Preheat oven to 400°. Line muffin pan with paper or foil liners. Coat inside of 12 liners with canola cooking spray.

In large bowl, beat together pineapple with juice, apples, canola oil, egg, egg whites, sour cream and molasses until mixture is fluffy. Stir in raisins.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and flaxseed. Beating on low speed, add dry mixture to wet mixture, just until combined (batter should be a little lumpy). Spoon batter by 1/4 cupful into prepared muffin pan.

Bake in center of preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until muffins are golden brown and springy to the touch. Makes 12.