Vanilla Flax Snax

Vanilla Flax Snax are a delicious blend of Pure Vanilla, Crosby's Corn Syrup, Canola Oil, and Flax Seed all rolled up into one nutritious, healthy, great tasting cookie.

Health Benefits of Flax seed

Its high content of alpha linolenic acids has made the ancient flax seed become our modern miracle food. Alpha linolenic acid is a type of omega 3 fatty acid, similar to those found in fish such as salmon. Benefits of flax seed as shown in many studies include lowering total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the Bad cholesterol) levels. Other benefits show that flax seed may also help lower blood triglyceride (Also Read: How to lower Triglycerides?) and blood pressure. It may also keep platelets from becoming sticky therefore reducing the chance of a heart attack.

The recommended daily dose for most people is at least 1,000 mg taken one to three times daily. Even better is adding flax seeds into your diet in breads, muffins or on salads. Scientific studies have used up to 30 grams of flax seeds a day safely and without side effects.

Other Benefits of Flax seed

Aside from alpha linolenic acid, flax seed is rich in lignan. Lignan is a type phytoestrogen (antioxidant) and also provides fiber. Researches reveal that lignan in flax seed shows a lot of promise in fighting disease -- including a possible role in cancer prevention especially breast cancer. It is thought that lignan metabolites can bind to estrogen receptors, hence inhibiting the onset of estrogen-stimulated breast cancer.

Recent studies also showed positive benefits of flax seed oil in IBD (Crohn's Disease and Colitis). Flax seed oil seems to be able to heal the inner lining of the inflamed intestines.

Moderately include flax seed in your diet. Indeed, a lot of food products contain flax seed such as bread, cereal and bakery goods. Bakers may use flax seed flour or include flax seed in baking.

Tips to include flax seed in home cooking:

Other information on Flax Seed

Some nutritionists, researchers, and scientists believe that it could be the most important health-promoting supplement next to a multi-vitamin. Nearly every system in the body can benefit from flax seed oil's natural properties, including the cardiovascular system, immune system, circulatory system, reproductive system, nervous system, as well as joints.

Flax Seed Oil is a blue flowering plant that is grown on the Western Canadian Prairies for its oil rich seeds. This natural oil (also known as Linseed Oil) is highly recommended for the general well being and whole body nutrition and is considered to be nature's richest source of omega-3 fatty acids that are required for the health of almost all body systems.

Flax Seed and CANCER PREVENTION

Flaxseed is a principal element giving a person a diet high in fiber and lignan content. The high lignan content is believed to be the defense mechanism against cancers that are primarily hormone-dependent. Lignans are considered to act as plant hormones. Researchers believe these plant hormones mimic the bodies own estrogen type of cells and can block the formation of hormone-based tumors or growths.

Flax Seed Oil contains omega-6 and omega-9 essential fatty acids, B vitamins, potassium, lecithin, magnesium, fiber, protein, and zinc and also provides approximately 50% more omega-3 oils than what you could get from taking fish oil, minus that horrible "fishy" after taste. Sounded good to me already!

Quick Points

- Research shows low incidence of breast cancer and colon cancer in populations that have high amounts of lignan in their diet. Flax is 100 times richer in lignan than most whole grains.

- Studies show that Omega-3 fatty acids help lower cholesterol and blood triglycerides, and prevent clots in arteries, which may result in strokes, heart attacks and thromboses.

- Helps protect the body against high blood pressure, inflammation, water retention, sticky platelets and lowered immune function.

- Shortens recovery time for fatigued muscles after exertion.

- Increases the body's production of energy and also increases stamina.

- Accelerates the healing of sprains and bruises.

- Eases weight loss in people afflicted with obesity.

- Stimulates brown fat cells and increases the metabolic rate making it easier to burn off fat.

- Improves the absorption of Calcium.

- Strengthens finger and toenails.

- Can improve eyesight and perception of colors.

- Can often improve the function of the liver.

- Can relieve the side effects and stop development of many forms of cancer.

- Can relieve some cases of Asthma.

- Helpful in the treatment of Eczema, Psoriasis, and Dandruff.

- Can relieve the symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis. It can relieve the symptoms of Diabetes Mellitus.

- Can alleviate some allergies.

- Helps prevent Atherosclerosis (the accumulation of fatty deposits inside the blood vessels, especially the large and medium-sized arteries, that many people experience during the aging process).

- Lowers high blood pressure in Hypertension sufferers.

- Has been scientifically proven to treat some cases of depression.

- Can improve the mental function of many old age pensioners.

- Can help in the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis.

- Has been proven to improve the behavior of Schizophrenics.

- Can relieve some cases of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) in females.

Flax Seed, Omega-3 Fatty Acids

The diet of our ancestors included a good balance of essential fatty acids (EFA). Essential fatty acids (EFA) are grouped into two families, the omega-6 EFAs and the omega-3 EFAs. The omega groups are considered the "good fats" or known as the polyunsaturated fats. The omega-6 fatty acids are found in corn, safflower, sunflower, canola and soybean oils. Omega-3 EFAs are found in flaxseeds and flaxseed oil along with fish such as salmon, herring, trout, sardines and albacore tuna. Ground flaxseed and flaxseed oil provide a natural and concentrated level of omega-3 EFAs, without concern for chemical contamination that may be a risk with fish consumption.

Finding Balance – The Alpha and the Omega
Understanding the difference between the omega-6 and the omega-3 fatty acid is very important to know. It is more than just the difference in their numbers that should concern you.

Omega-6 fatty acids (found in vegetable oils with high proportions of linolenic acid) are best used by the body in a range of anywhere from a 4:1 to a 1:1 proportion with the omega-3 fatty acids. We need both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Yet, an excess of omega-6 fatty acids can have dire consequences. Many scientists believe that a major reason for the high incidence of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and some forms of cancer is the extreme imbalance between our intake of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.

The parent compound in the omega-3 fatty acid is called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). It is this compound that serves as the “computer” or brain for the omega-3 fatty acid in determining how it will best maximize the body’s functioning.

Our ancestors evolved on a diet with a 1:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids. Dietary changes over the last few centuries have changed this ratio anywhere from 20:1 to 25:1. This is clearly an equation for trouble, and today’s chronic health problems obviously exemplify this concern.

One of the primary reasons we ingest too much of the omega-6 fatty acid groups in our diet is the mass use of vegetable oils. This practice is so far-reaching that practically every fried food and snack food available has been cooked in soybean, corn, sunflower or canola oil. These oils are usually processed by hydrogenation. This changes their molecular structure so they are basically good for frying foods at a high temperature and providing a lengthy shelf-life in the grocery store. Unfortunately, these molecular properties in the omega-6 fatty acids promote inflammation, blood clotting and tumor growth.

The omega-3 fatty acids act entirely opposite. But, when the omega-6 fatty acids are disproportionately higher, the omega-3 fatty acids cannot compete with the omega-6 activity. When in balance, they work in concert, making sure for every action there is a reaction, helping to maintain stability in the body.

When the omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids maintain a healthy balance; they effectively become clearinghouses or message centers to the rest of the body to:

Alert the immune system to go into action
Signal the blood vessels to either widen or narrow
Tell blood platelets to clot or not by sticking together or separating
Regulate inflammation
Formulate neural networks for brain activity in learning, memory processes and mood regulation

Trouble is brewed when one fatty acid overpowers another. Clearly, the data shows we need to seriously increase omega-3 fatty acids in our diets. Omega-3 fatty acid deficiencies are increasingly prevalent with young children. A Purdue University study showed that children low in omega-3 essential fatty acids are significantly more likely to be hyperactive, have learning disorders and to display behavioral problems.

In the general public, studies have linked omega-3 deficiencies to chronic health problems of diabetes, cancer, arthritis, inflammatory diseases, depression, heart disease, hypertension, memory problems, weight gain and some allergies and skin conditions.

Researchers believe 60% of Americans are deficient in omega-3 fatty acids and approximately 20% of those have so little that test methods would not be able to detect even a trace in their blood.