Better Health with Flax - A Flaxseed Muffin a Day Keeps Cancer at Bay Orange Bran Flax Muffin recipe at bottom of page Once in a while a WOW food product comes along. A food so wonderfully tasty and absolutely healthy you want to shout out to everyone: Hey, come see what we've discovered. It tastes GREAT! And is it ever outrageously healthy! That's what we think about milled flaxseed. It is an outrageously useful and healthy food. If you don't start sprinkling a little milled flaxseed on your breakfast cereal, snacks, and baked goods you're going to be missing out on one of the healthiest, most cancer-protective whole foods. Newly Introduced & Wonderful We had always been skeptical of so-called fresh flaxseed products mainly because some products we have tried in the past did not taste good. Because of flaxseeds high omega-3 fatty acid content, it is an extremely perishable food, much like any fresh produce product, prone to become quickly rancid if not properly packaged in airtight containers and stored for any length of time. Making matters worse, some flaxseed products are stored at room temperature or greater and in direct sunlight; their taste turns fishy. For this reason, many consumers have shied away from whole flaxseed. But when properly milled and packaged, the consumer can purchase products that taste crunchy, like nuts, almonds in particular. Beyond the Taste...  But taste aside, the healthy benefits of this whole food are simply
remarkable. Two tablespoons, the recommended minimum daily amount,
provide 3000 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid)
and 1,000 mg of omega-9 monounsaturated fatty acids. Expect 50 mg or
more of cancer-fighting lignans; 100 mg of phenolic acids and 320 mg of
phytic acid (inositol hexaphosphate)all valuable anticancer compounds.
Two tablespoons also provide 15 percent of the daily value for magnesium
and three percent of the daily value for potassium and calcium, as well as
trace minerals such as copper, iron, manganese, and zinc.
And two tablespoons of flax is EASY to put into your daily diet. What's more, there is no upper limit for the amount of flax you can enjoy daily. You can eat a lot more than two tablespoons and enjoy tremendous health benefits. And is this stuff good for you or what? Take the anticancer muffins everyone has been talking about... Just think about what one flaxseed muffin a day could do for your long-term health. Flaxseed Muffin a Day Keeps Cancer at Bay A recent Canadian study from a major hospital involved in breast cancer prevention research found that a single flaxseed muffin a day with 50 grams of ground flaxseed could keep breast cancer at bay. The researchers found there was a "slowing down in tumor growth" in breast cancer patients fed flaxseed muffins. "Our results are very exciting because this is the first time anyone has demonstrated these changes in breast cancer with any dietary component," says Dr. Paul Goss, director of the breast cancer prevention program at Princess Margaret Hospital and the Toronto Hospital. Earlier animal studies have shown that flaxseed has anticancer properties, but the researchers were surprised by how potent the effect appears to be in people. "It encourages us to believe this is a very significant biological effect in women and we are heading towards more definitive proof that dietary flaxseed may prevent breast cancer," Goss said. Goss presented his research team's finding in January at an international breast cancer conference in San Antonio, Tex. The study involved 50 women who had been recently diagnosed with breast cancer. While waiting for their surgery, the women were divided into two groups. One group received a daily muffin containing 50 grams of ground flaxseed, about 30 milliliters (two tablespoons). The others were prescribed ordinary muffins. When their tumors were removed usually within 40 days of diagnosis the researchers examined them for signs of how fast the cancer cells had been growing. It turned out that the women who had received the flaxseed muffins had slower-growing tumors than the others. There are many other health benefits from flaxseed. Infants and girls who consume a diet rich in flaxseed are more likely to produce safe forms of estrogen and to experience a delay in reaching menarche while enjoying strong bone density for later in life. Ultimately, this slight delay in menarche will also decrease their risk for reproductive cancers. For men and women, flaxseed can help normalize blood lipids and reduce risk of heart disease, not to mention colon cancer risk. Since it is a rich fiber source, it helps with detoxification and to normalize bowel movements. Flax also helps improve moods, attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder. It is essential for normal visual development in the fetus and young children and should be part of every pregnant woman's diet. In every way, cold-milled, ground flaxseed is good for your health and that of your family and loved ones. It is a wonderful whole food. Long Used for Baking Flaxseed was once a staple food source used by the ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians, supplying ample amounts of valuable essential fatty acids, amino acids, protein, dietary fiber and cancer preventing phytonutrients. Unfortunately, within the last 100 years, modern methods of food processing, combined with preferences for wheat and other less nutritious enriched grain products, have removed many of these essential and vital nutrients from our food chain. Nutrition research on flaxseed has confirmed it's potential as a new (actually ancient) ingredient for breads, buns, and other bakery products. Ground flaxseed (flaxseed flour) can be added to almost any baked product and adds a nutty flavor to bread, waffles, pancakes, and other products if it composes a minimum of six to eight percent of the dry ingredient of the recipe or formula. Some other food uses for ground flaxseed include, but are not limited to, fiber and nutrition bars, protein powders, pastries, pastas, bagels, muffins, crackers, cookies, and cereals, as well as soup and bakery mixes. When partially defatted flaxseed flour is used in baked products, the oil in the recipe can be reduced by the amount of the oil in the added flaxseed (which is usually approximately 10 percent). Gluten content should be balanced in yeast-leavened products. Flaxseed is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for inclusion in foods. Flaxseed can be used to reduce the oil or shortening specified in a recipe because of its high oil content. If a recipe calls for 1/3 cup of oil, replace with 1 cup of ground flaxseed a 3:1 substitution ratio. As an alternative, the flour specified in a recipe can be reduced by 25 percent and replaced with ground flaxseed. Baked goods tend to brown more quickly if flaxseed is substituted in the recipe. Whole flaxseed can be used to add crunch and taste to a bread dough, pancake, muffin or cookie mix. In any form, you're always adding to the nutritional value of your diet! Flax can be used in baking (e.g., muffins and bread), salad dressings and in smoothies as well as many other tasty dishes. Although many persons believe that flax is too fragile to be used as a cooking oil, this may not be true, reports flax expert Clara Felix. "The recorded use of flaxseed oil as a cooking oil goes as far back as nine thousand years in area of the Near East," she says. "Soldiers of the Roman Empire marched with rations of bread baked with flaxseed. China, the third largest flax grower in the world, has used flaxseed as a food oil for at least five thousand years. Germany uses 66,000 tons of flaxseed a year in baked breads and buns. Recent studies show little or no loss of [alpha-linolenic acid] when milled flaxseed is baked as an ingredient in muffins or breads. Cooking also doesn't cause [alpha-linolenic acid] or other fatty acids to oxidize (break down). Baking and cooking seldom expose fats and oils to temperature above the boiling point (212ºF or 100ºC)." Felix adds that in one study, stir-frying with flaxseed oil seemed to be okay if the oil temperature was kept below 300ºF but that at higher temperatures, a fishy odor was detected, and significant levels of oxidation appeared. "I've been recommending flax seeds and flax seed oil for years," says Christiane Northrup, M.D., one of America's leading experts on women's health. "Flax seed is the highest known source of anti-cancer and phytoestrogenic compounds known as lignans, a concentration more than 100 times greater than other lignan-containing foods such as grains, fruits, and vegetables. Lignans are plant substances that get broken down by intestinal bacteria into two main mammalian lignans, senterodiol and enteolactone. These lignans then circulate through the liver and are later excreted in the urine. There are a number of reasons why we all should be interested in incorporating more lignans into our diet. The following are some of the most compelling. Lignans have potent anti-cancer effects. An impressive number of studies have shown that flax seed lignans are very potent anti-cancer agents for both breast and colon cancer because of their ability to modulate the production, availability, and action of hormones produced in our bodies. Lignans are potent phytoestrogens. In women who consume flax seed oil, studies have shown significant hormonal changes and decreased estradiol levels alterations similar to those seen with soy isoflavones. This makes flax seed oil or meal a great choice for women who can't use soy or who simply want another source of phytohormones." The Doctor's Prescription If you're already health conscious you're probably consuming oatmeal or other cereals in the morning as a part of a nutritious breakfast. You can easily use four tablespoons of ground flax in your cereal, enjoy the taste and the great nutritional benefits. You can also mix with yogurt or salads as a topping or add a heaping teaspoon or two with your favorite juice. Better yet, bake flaxseed muffins. How to Select a Quality Milled Flaxseed Product Be sure when you purchase whole flaxseed for your baking needs that the label of your product states that the flax is from cold-milled select flaxseed and that it is 100 percent organic and therefore pesticide and herbicide free. Such a milling process delicately liberates naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, amino acids, lignans, and phytonutrients without damaging delicate omega-3 fatty acids. Concurrently the surface area of both soluble and insoluble fibers is greatly increased for maximum benefit. Another advantage with flaxseed is that the viscous nature of soluble fibers such as flaxseed mucilage is believed to slow down digestion and absorption of starch, resulting in lower levels of blood glucose, insulin and other endocrine responses. Just two tablespoons is the recommended daily usage whether using whole flaxseed or lignan-rich flax oil. References: 1. footnote* Felix, C. All About Omega-3 Oils. Garden City Park, NY: Avery Publishing, 1998.  Orange Bran Flax Muffins
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