Is there a benefit to consuming whole-milled flax seed vs. flax seed oil?
Yes, flax seed contains many other nutrients that flax seed oil does not contain. Although flax seed oil is high in Omega 3 fatty acids, whole-milled flaxseed contains other nutrients including Dietary Fiber, Antioxidants, Lignans, and Protein. Q: What are lignans? A: Lignans are phytonutrients found in flax seed. Flax seed contains 75 – 800 times more lignans than other plant sources. Because flax seed lignans weakly mimic the action of estrogenic hormones in the body (e.g. estrogen, testosterone) they have generated considerable interest for their potential in minimizing the negative effects of estrogenic hormones in humans. Therefore, Lignans are credited with having anti-cancer properties. Lignans also seem to have anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral properties as well.
