Flaxseeds: An essential food for the 21st century?

Flax seeds are not a popular food item in North America. But the demand for flaxseed could grow exponentially in the 21st century as the health benefits become more widely known.

Flaxseeds are the richest food source of omega 3 fatty acids. These fats are crucial to human health. The vast majority of people are now deficient in this nutrient. Omega 3 has been prescribed as a treatment (and prevention ) for several serious and increasingly common illnesses including:

• depression or bipolar disorder (click for more info)
• alzheimer's disease
• cancer
• diabetes
• migraine headaches
  
• eczema
• high blood pressure
• obesity
• osteoporosis
• rheumatoid arthritis
• cardiovascular disease
• attention deficit disorder

Unless people eat large quantities of fish, walnuts and green vegetables they are likely to be deficient in omega 3 fats. It is difficult to meet the recommended daily allowance for omega 3. This is where flaxseeds come in. They are the easiest and cheapest choice of omega 3's to add to one's daily diet.

It's recommended that people get at least four grams of omega 3 fats on a daily basis. Here is a list of some of the foods highest in omega 3 as outlined at the World's Healthiest Foods website:

• Flax seeds (2 tbs) = 3.1 grams
  
• Walnuts ( 0.25 cup) = 2.27 grams
  
• Chinook Salmon baked or broiled (4 oz) = 2.09 grams
  
• Scallops, baked or broiled (4 oz) = 1.1 grams
  
• Soybeans cooked (1 cup) = 1.03 grams
  
• Halibut baked or broiled (4 oz) = 0.62 grams
• Cod fillet, baked or broiled (4 oz) = 0.32 grams
  
• broccoli pieces steamed (1 cup) = 0.20 grams
• Brussel sprouts boiled (1 cup) = 0.26 grams
• Tofu raw (4 oz) = 0.36 grams

Eating fish several times a week is not a viable option for people with a limited food budget. Flaxseed, on the other hand, costs less than two dollars per pound. And as the world's fish stocks continue to decline and suffer from contamination, the demand for flax seeds will undoubtedly surge over the next couple of decades.

This website has been created to discuss the various health benefits of flaxseed and to investigate into the dynamics of the flaxseed industry. I hope you enjoy your visit here.

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The above image is "Flax fields across the Saskatchewan Plain" by Michael Lewis