When it comes to eating for optimum health, there’s one food that should definitely be on your list. It’s accessible, inexpensive, and ridiculously good for you—and, best of all, it doesn’t even have to be cooked.
This food is flaxseed, and according to experts, it’s as close to a “superfood” as it gets. “These tiny seeds are the unsung hero of the plant world,” explains registered and certified dietary nutritionist Jennifer Scheinman of Timeline Nutrition. “They're a nutritional powerhouse.”
That may sound hyperbolic, but it’s the truth: multiple well-conducted studies have found that eating flaxseeds has a number of benefits, among them improved digestion and improved heart health, as well as lower risk of certain cancers, obesity, and diabetes. Eating flaxseed might even ease menopausal symptoms, which—among its many other nuisances—can often include GI issues. But the appeal doesn't end there: Flaxseeds are so filled with nutrients that, recently, influencers have even been using them in DIY beauty treatments for their skin and hair. “This is Botox that you make at home,” one viral Tiktok proclaims. “And the best part is, it’s two ingredients: flaxseeds and water. It works as a natural shampoo as well.”
While comparing flaxseed to Botox might be a stretch, there’s no doubt that they do have many transformative properties, especially when ingested. But what exactly are flaxseeds, how should you use them, and how do they specifically benefit your health? Read on to find out what the experts recommend.
What are flaxseeds?
Flaxseed is exactly what it sounds like: the seed of a plant called flax. The seeds are very small—similar in size and shape to a sesame seed—and either golden or brown. And, here’s a fun fact: Humans have been growing the flax plant for thousands of years for its seeds, oil, and fibers; your favorite linen shirts are actually made from its fibrous stems.
How much of flaxseeds should you eat a day?
According to Samantha Dieras, RN, DCN, director of ambulatory nutrition services at Mount Sinai Hospital, the recommended daily intake of flaxseeds is 1 to 2 tablespoons per day (which equates to about 14 to 28 grams). Research shows that getting about 1 tablespoon of flaxseeds per day is enough for you to get the most benefits. If you consume more than the recommended amount, you’ll increase your fiber content which she says may lead to digestive discomfort.
What are the risks? Who shouldn’t eat flaxseeds?
Flaxseeds are generally safe. Dieras says that they might increase bowel movements because of its high fiber content and can cause bloating, gas, a stomach ache, or nausea. You’ll also want to be mindful of how flax seeds might interact with medication—specifically if you’re taking blood thinners, diabetes medication, blood pressure medication, hormone replacement therapy, or birth control pills—you’re on. “In general, because of the fibrous nature of flaxseeds, they decrease absorption of medications,” she says. “Therefore, [they] should be taken one to two hours before [taking] medication.”
And to be super safe, consult with a doctor if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, have breast cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, endometriosis, have a bowel obstruction, or other health concerns before incorporating this into your diet.
What are the health benefits of eating flax?
Flaxseeds have a host of good-for-you compounds, among them fiber, lignans, and antioxidants, as well as vitamins and minerals like thiamine and magnesium. Aside from the obvious fact that all of the nutrients in flaxseeds are essential for our general health, the compounds in flaxseeds perform several specific functions as well.
Lowers Cholesterol
Flaxseeds' magical ability to reduce cholesterol and “increase fat excretion” is thanks to a very specific kind of fiber called “mucilaginous gum”—a gelatinous type of soluble fiber also found in seaweed and legumes. If you’ve ever soaked flaxseeds in water and noticed how slimy they get—as seen in the aforementioned Tiktok—that’s mucilaginous gum doing its job. When eaten, “this gel-forming soluble fiber can increase feelings of fullness and help with weight management,” says April Panitz, a registered and certified dietary nutritionist at Amenta Nutrition.
They’re also one of the few plant sources of all-important omega-3 fatty acids—an essential nutrient also found in fish oil that has been proven to help lower cholesterol. “Many of flaxseed’s benefits are related to how these compounds act in the digestive tract and interact with the gut microbiome,” explains Panitz. “Due to their fiber content, flaxseeds can reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood by decreasing lipid reabsorption and increasing fat excretion in stool when eaten regularly.”
Lowers Risk of Heart Disease
Another added benefit to flaxseeds is their ability to lower the risk of heart disease. “Flaxseeds are packed with nutrients often lacking in Americans' diets,” Scheinman says.
Eases Digestion
“Flaxseed is also high in insoluble fiber content and can bulk up stool to make it move through the colon more quickly,” explains Panitz. “This is how it helps those who suffer from constipation or who have irregular bowel movements.”
Improves Gut Health
All this fiber also means good things for the gut microbiome as well. “Flaxseed fiber can also feed beneficial gut bacteria,” says Panitz. “Along with its high amounts of ALA omega-3 fatty acids, it has been shown to alter the gut microbial composition to promote more good-for-you species of bacteria that help maintain and heal the gut lining, which in turn increases insulin sensitivity, slows the progression of diseases like cancer, and decreases inflammation.”
Lignans, which are also related to fiber and also only found in plants, are another super-beneficial compound. “When metabolized by gut bacteria the lignans found in flaxseed exert phytoestrogen effects that may reduce the risk of breast and ovarian cancers, endometriosis, and lessen mild menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and vaginal dryness,” says Pantiz. “These lignans are also a source of antioxidants which help to reduce damage from free radicals throughout the body.”
In other words, eating flaxseeds is not just a way to ensure excellent gut health, it’s a way to maintain and protect your wellbeing overall.
Manage Weight
Dieras points to a study that shows taking 30 grams of flaxseeds daily for 12 weeks can help those who are overweight. Because flaxseeds are high in fiber, she says that is the most likely source to credit for the weight loss.
May Lower Risks of Certain Cancers and Other Diseases
Dieras explains that flaxseeds contain lignans, which are plant compounds that have cancer protectant properties. Studies show that it can possibly lower the risk of breast cancer in women and possibly lower the risk of colon cancer in human and animal models. For those with lupus, she says studies show that taking flaxseeds seemed to improve kidney function and reduce inflammation.
What’s the best way to eat flaxseeds?
Flaxseeds are incredibly easy to incorporate into your current diet, and you don’t even need to eat cup-fulls of them to reap the benefits. “Most of the health benefits of flax come from eating just one to two tablespoons a day, which is easy to do,” says Scheinman. “Flaxseeds are a great food to include in a longevity-focused diet.”
To that end, she likes to add flaxseeds to smoothies, sprinkle them on yogurt or oatmeal, or add them to baked goods. And, because of their ability to hold moisture—that mucilaginous gum in action again—she says they can even be used as a vegan egg-replacement when baking: “Just mix one tablespoon of ground flax with three tablespoons of water and let it rest for several minutes.”
Panitz also advises getting creative with flaxseeds. “When baking, you can replace up to half of the amount of flour called for in cakes, breads, and muffin recipes with flaxseed,” she says. Or, “you can use ground flax in place of breadcrumbs when making homemade meatballs or veggie burgers.”
It’s important to remember that for fiber to do its job properly, it must also be consumed with plenty of water—that’s what keeps things working smoothly. “So, don’t forget to increase your fluid intake when adding more fiber to your daily regimen,” Panitz says.
Ground or whole?
When it comes to the question of whether flaxseeds are best eaten whole or ground, both experts concur: flaxseeds are way more useful to your body when finely ground. “This is because it can be tough for our digestive tract to break down the outer wall of the intact seed, so they pass through the digestive tract without us being able to reap all the benefits,” explains Scheinman. “If you have whole flaxseeds, you can easily grind them up in a coffee or spice grinder.”
And, keep in mind that flaxseed is a fresh food, and all fresh foods can eventually go bad. “Any seed—whole or ground—contains fat that can oxidize over time when exposed to the air,” Panitz says. “So you’ll want to keep flaxseed or ground flax in a sealed container in the refrigerator to prevent them from going rancid and having an ‘off’ taste.”
Beauty and the seed
Eating flaxseeds can also be a game-changer when it comes to improving skin health. One recent randomized controlled study found that adding flaxseed oil to participants’ daily diets diminished skin sensitivity and improved skin barrier function after just twelve weeks. “Flaxseed oil led to significant decreases in sensitivity, roughness, and scaling, while smoothness and hydration were increased,” it reports.
But what about all those viral videos proclaiming the game-changing effects to skin and hair when flaxseed is applied topically? While there aren’t a ton of studies on the benefits of flaxseed or flaxseed oil applied directly to the face, there have been some promising results from studies done on the application of omega 3 fatty acids from fish oil, which has many of the same properties. “Clinical trials for skin application are still limited,” one recent study explains. But it found that “omega-3 fatty acids can improve skin barrier function, inhibit UV-induced inflammation and hyperpigmentation, attenuate dry skin and pruritus elicited by dermatitis, accelerate skin wound healing, and prevent skin cancer development” and that “all of those benefits can be achieved by different administration routes including topical application.”
As for hair, applying a mixture of freshly ground flaxseed and water to your hair definitely won’t hurt, and it just might add some moisture and even promote hair growth. One recent study found that the lignans in flaxseed oil could “potentially be used as a treatment for alopecia,” while another earlier study found that omega 3 fatty acids stimulated hair growth when applied to the hair follicles of rodents.
However, there is one thing to note: because the molecules in flaxseed oil are larger than those of other oils, it might be challenging for the skin or scalp to absorb them fully. So, you’re probably better off eating your flaxseed instead of relying on topical application alone.
“While flaxseeds can produce some pretty awesome effects on the body, it’s important to remember that there isn’t just one food that will cure all of your ailments,” says Panitz. “Eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats is still the best way to meet all of your nutrient needs and reduce disease risk.”
So, eat the rainbow and remember that flaxseeds are just one small part of the all-important whole. “Adding flaxseed can be the cherry on top of an already balanced diet,” Panitz explains.
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