We’ve read about them, read about them, and perhaps even talked about them with our friends. Antioxidants, it seems, have created quite a huge wave in the scientific community that is devoting countless journals and magazine articles about their many benefits.
Antioxidants are substances that work on free radicals, or more particularly work to counteract the damaging effects of these harmful oxygen byproducts. Scientists have linked free radicals to the development of degenerative diseases, causing massive cell damage that ultimately results in various disorders, such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, heart disease, and much, much more. By neutralizing free radicals, antioxidants actually prevent the onset of these diseases and at the same time keep the body healthy and strong.
Being natural substances, antioxidants are derived from various plants, including vegetables and fruits. Blueberries and cranberries are usually the fruits that are often touted by nutrition scientists as the top antioxidant rich foods. In the vegetable variety, russet potatoes, red beans, and red cabbage are topping the list as well. However, there are also other fruits and vegetables that may contain more essential benefits to our health. One such food product is flax seed where we get the beneficial flax oil.
What is Flax Oil?
Flax oil is the essential oil that is derived from flax seeds, which are a great source of fiber. Flax seed have been used long before as an herbal remedy that is good for digestion. But flax has certainly more benefits in store for us. Flax oil is said to contain a high amount of lignans, protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Lignans especially is that substance in flax oil that has antioxidant properties.
The Benefits of Flax Oil Lignans
A natural plant chemical, lignans are antioxidant molecules with anti-cancer, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial properties. Flax oil is the richest source of lignans. Diets high in lignans can lead to a lower chance of getting colon, prostate, and breast cancer.
As an antioxidant, the flax oil lignans can help boost the body’s immune system, keeping harmful, disease-causing germs from damaging the cells. These plant hormones are also believed to block the formation of hormone-based tumors. Lignans also boost the productions of a substance attached to estrogen and carries it out of the body.
Researchers have found that flax oil has 75 to 800 percent more lignans than other vegetables and grains. This makes flax oil the best source of antioxidant-acting lignans.
