Diet is a key contributing factor when it comes to our overall health and wellbeing. Many of us are aware of the fact we should be eating a healthy, balanced diet packed with plenty of fruits and vegetables for this reason.
However, even with the best intentions it can be hard to ensure we get all the nutrients we need from our meals.
One expert therefore recommended adding just a small amount of a food he branded a “nutritional powerhouse” to help slash the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure, and even improve your skin.
Speaking on his BBC podcast Just One Thing, diet guru Dr Michael Mosley referred to a seed with remarkable health benefits.
The seed in question is flaxseed – also known as linseed.
Dr Mosley called them a “nutritional powerhouse packed with fibre, protein, and healthy fatty acids”.
They are known for their mild, nutty taste and can be easily added to people’s diets sprinkled on porridge, added to a salad, or even baked into bread and muffins.
According to Dr Mosley, flaxseeds are better absorbed when ground into a powder.
Researchers think some of the benefits could be the results of a fatty acid called alpha linolenic acid (ALA) which it found in high quantities in flaxseed. It is an anti-inflammatory and excellent protection against heart disease.
Other benefits include fibre – which also reduces heart disease and cholesterol – and lignans, which are also antioxidants.
The fact that flaxseeds have all three of these compounds – ALA, fibre and lignans – makes them hugely beneficial, Dr Mosley said.
He explained: “Studies show that eating flaxseeds can lower blood pressure and also improve your skin, which could be down to the fatty acids and antioxidants which are much more readily available when you grind them up.
“A small German study on women with sensitive skin showed that two weeks of taking a two gram flaxseed oil supplement improved their skin quality.
“Not only did their sensitivity decrease, but they also received a boost in both hydration and smoothness.”
He continued: “Flaxseeds are also rich in fibre, which is not only good for relieving constipation but can also help control our blood sugar levels.
“A small study published in 2020 found that feeding volunteers 30g of ground flaxseed was enough to lower blood sugar levels across a day.”
This study, which was published in the European Journal of Nutrition, saw participants consume either three flaxseed muffins once in the morning, three flaxseed muffins three times a day or three non-flaxseed muffins three times a day.
Consuming flaxseed muffins three times a day was found to be most effective for lowering blood sugar levels.
“The results of this study demonstrated that flaxseed muffins given three times a day were effective at lowering and maintaining blood glucose levels over 24 hours, compared to the control muffins and that both flaxseed treatments resulting in a lower blood glucose iAUC during the night,” the study said.
“The results of this study indicated that adding flaxseed to a daily diet produced a lower glucose profile over 24 hours in a free-living context compared to the control muffins.”
You can buy 120g of flaxseeds from Tesco for £1.20, 150g from Asda for 80p or 150g from Morrisons for £1.19.