Flax seed has come a long way since the days of making linen out of the dark seed. Now the golden flax seed, grown primarily for human consumption, has made eating flax seed more than just bearable, it has become tasty. And it gets even better. Milling the flax seed under the right conditions has made it even easier to use. Cold milled flax seed is hot in today’s market.
There is no nutritional value in eating flax seed whole; it must be ground up so our bodies can extract the omega-3, fiber, lignans, and all the other nutritional values from the seed. The only problem with one of the most valuable nutrients in the seed, omega-3, is that it’s heat sensitive; it breaks down easily when exposed to heat or friction. If you grind it in a coffee grinder, which is the most common form of grinding it at home, the omega-3 starts to break down from the friction in the grinder. The omega-3 will only be good for about one or two days after being ground that way. That works well for those individuals who have the time to grind their flax seed on a daily basis, but for the rest of us who have planes to catch, business meetings to attend, kids to take care of, and a house to clean, all before the six o’clock news, it could just be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
Cold milled flax seed is the answer to the I-don’t-have-time problem of grinding one’s own flax seed. If milled under the right conditions there is little to no friction in the process, hence preserving the valuable omega-3 in the flax seed. In fact, cold milled flax seed sustains its nutritional value somewhere between 12 to18 months if stored in a dry, cool place. Just open the cold milled container, scoop out the desired amount, and sprinkle it in your food. MMM! Just like that you have your omega-3, fiber, and lignans you need for the day and it only took the same amount of time as it would to add sugar or salt to your meal.
So don’t let your busy lifestyle get in the way of your health. Enjoy cold milled flax seed on a regular basis - your body will thank you for it!
3 Comments
whats the difference between vacuum packed cold-milled flax seed and regular flax seeds that are in a plastic?
wrap
which ones worth the expense coz the cold-milled ones cost on average 8-10 pounds and the regular ones cost 3-4 pounds
vacuum packed foods last wayyyyy longer…thats the only difference
References :
Are you referring to ground flax seeds for the ones contained in plastic?
Ground flax seed can have a shelf life of as much as 2 years, though when grinded into sprinkles to release the oil and its Omega 3 benefits, the granules easily submit to rancidity once exposed to air elements. Meanwhile, vacuum packed flax seed granules are subjected to a proprietary process (called the cold-mill process) to preserve the oil and its nutrients.
They say though that nothing beats the nutrition provided by freshly-grinded flax kernels. So it would be advisable (and by far cheaper) to purchase the ground kernels and consequently grinding the kernels during meal time to directly sprinkle them over food such as oatmeal, pastries and smoothies.
References :
http://www.goldflaxseed.com
http://ezinearticles.com/?Flax-Seed—The-Typical-Questions&id=930534