How Flax Seed Omega-3 Benefits Can Help You

High-fiber content of foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains are necessary for the digestive system to work efficiently. What makes flax seed stand out above other whole grains is its mix of fiber. Flax seed fiber is both soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber has been known to have positive cholesterol-lowering effects. Health authorities recommend approximately 30 grams per day of fiber. It is estimated that most Americans consume less than 15 grams per day of fiber. We need a little boost on this endeavor, don’t we? Just 1/8 cup (heaping) of flax seed contains six grams of fiber, the same you would get eating one and one-half cups of cooked oatmeal. Add that to your oatmeal and you’ll be well on your way to the necessary requirement for your daily fiber intake. Flax seed Omega-3 benefits ensure that you’ll get all the flax seed fiber you need in your diet!

All dietary fiber comes from plants. The cell walls that give plants their firm structure combined with non-structured substances mixed with plant starches are the basics of fiber. Dietary fiber is a necessary part of the human diet to keep the digestive system working efficiently and enhances the nutritive qualities of other dietary components. Except for some "processing" by teeth, fiber passes through our digestive tract into the large intestine pretty much intact. Then when it reaches the colon, or large intestine, part of the fiber is broken down by healthy intestinal bacteria. This chemical process provides absorption into the system of the necessary and nutritive properties of the high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids found in flaxseed. It also releases the healthy properties of plant lignans.

Noted nutritionist and syndicated columnist, Jane Brody, has stated that diets lacking in adequate fiber can lead to higher likelihood of chronic constipation, hypertension, cancer, problems in weight control, heart disease and diabetes. How fiber assists in combating these problems is addressed in the accompanying links in this website.