If you are trying to lose weight, then here’s the lowdown on how flax seeds can help you shed those pounds. There are a few ways flax seeds help with weight loss: first, flax seeds are high in fiber. Second, flax seeds have high levels of polyunsaturated fats, such as the omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Third, the large amount of lignans contained in flax help balance estrogen levels. After you learn about the information I am about to give you, you’ll know how exactly flax seeds can help you lose weight.
Flax Seeds Weight Loss
A high-fiber diet is not only great for your health, but it will also help you lose weight. Among the many sources of fiber, flax seeds are one of the best, as an ounce of flax seeds contains about 32% of the recommended daily dosage. A high-fiber food like flax seed has a low energy density, meaning that relative to the total weight of the food, it is rather low in calories. Furthermore, our bodies absorb fiber much more slowly than other food compounds, so after you eat it, you will feel full for a longer period of time. Flax seeds are unique in this aspect in that they actually swell up in the intestine to form a rather gel-like substance. Eating flax seeds can also help stabilize your blood sugar levels, so the energy that you get from eating lasts longer and also keeps you feeling full.
To this day, dietary fats still have a bad rap from years of misconceptions. On a surface level, it seems logical that eating fat will make you fat, but when you examine things more closely, you’ll find that not all fats are the same. Saturated fats from greasy, fried foods like french fries or pretty much anything you can get from McDonald’s are certainly not good for you. These fats will make you fat, but polyunsaturated fats are essential to our health and well-being. If you’ve ever been on a low-fat diet, perhaps you’ve had the feeling of never being full after you eat, and that’s because fats are a big element in getting that full feeling. Flax seeds contain good fats, the kind of fats that not only don’t make you fat, but actually help you lose weight. If you don’t feel full, you might be able to hold out for a little while with your willpower, but eventually you will break and overeat to your heart’s content. The fats found in flax will help keep you feeling full without the negative properties of certain saturated fats.
On a theoretical level, losing weight is all about calories in vs. calories out, meaning the number of calories that you take in has to be lower than the number of calories you burn. On a practical level, however, the situation is much more complex because there are other factors that matter, such as your body’s hormones. In particular, the hormon estrogen, found in both men and women, plays a huge role in storing body fat. Lignans, a beneficial compound found in flax seeds, helps modulate estrogen activity. Don’t get me wrong though, estrogen is not all evil and it plays a critical role in healthy bodily functions, but an imbalance of estrogen can negatively affect your weight loss efforts. Researchers believe that lignans balance estrogen activity by exerting both anti-estrogenic and weak estrogenic properties. To further the case for the effect of lignans on estrogen, studies are currently being done to determine whether lignans can relieve menopausal hot flashes. As far as weight loss goes though, you should consider putting more flax in your diet to get more lignans to regulate your estrogen levels and ultimately help you lose weight.
Now that you understand the benefits of flax seeds for weight loss, you’ll probably want to start adding some flax to your diet. Remember, flax seeds give you lots of fiber, have high levels of good fats, and contain lots of lignans, all of which contribute to your weight loss. So put this information to use and you’ll be able to cut down to the weight that you’ve always wanted to be at.
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