Many consumers are asking an important question about flax: What benefits does flax offer to consumers of low-carbohydrate diets? Plenty, as it turns out. The health benefits that make flax good in regular diets make it good in low-carbohydrate diets.
Flax is Low in Digestible Carbohydrates
Low-carbohydrate diets count only the “digestible” or available” carbohydrates like simple sugars and starch in food. Because one tablespoon of ground flax contains only 0.1g of available carbohydrate, flax fits in the low-carbohydrate diet.
Flax is a Low GI Food
Low-carbohydrate diets limit the intake of high glycemic index foods but allow for a few low GI foods. Because flax is low in available carbohydrates, it has a low GI value like meat, poultry, fish, cheese, eggs, avocados, and salad vegetables, which also contain little or no carbohydrate.
Flax is a Good Source of Dietary Fiber
One criticism of low-carbohydrate diets is their low dietary fiber content. Ground flax contains 2.2 g of fiber per tablespoon and can add a significant amount of fiber to a low-carbohydrate diet.
