Flax Seeds

Current obsession: flax seeds.

Flaxseeds help lower blood pressure - just a few table spoons a day has been shown to be very effective. In some studies they come out as 2-3 x more effective than medicines used to treat high blood pressure.

They are also shown to help control cholesterol, blood sugar levels, lower inflammation and are great for constipation.

They are known for being one of the richest vegan sources of essential omega 3 fatty acids (anti inflammatory is just one benefit - have written lots more about omega 3 before so scroll up).

Flax seeds have high levels of phytoestrogens (lignan precursors that our gut bacteria converts for us) which is why they are great for PMS linked breast pain, but also why they can generally lower a women’s breast cancer risk, especially true for post menopausal woman, and decrease existing breast cancer, reducing existing tumour size. Flaxseeds also cause a rise in endostatin (a protein that starves tumours of their blood supply).

This has been thought to be why woman who have frequent UTIs have a higher risk of breast cancer - the antibiotics used to treat them wipes out our good gut bacteria and so we can’t make use of the lignans we ingest from our food.

Lastly, I’ve already mentioned seed cycling for menstruating women - consume flax seeds daily for the 1st half of your cycle to help promote oestrogen production. Eat flat seeds freshly ground (and don’t heat them) as they oxidise quickly. Store them in a dark, sealed container