3 Reasons to Buy Ground Flaxseed
It is a common misconception that buying whole flaxseed and milling it at home provides more nutritional benefits than buying pre-ground flaxseed. While this makes sense in theory, it is not always the case. 1. A quality milled flaxseed will provide the exact same benefits as fresh ground whole flaxseed—while being far more convenient!
This myth originates from the fact that omega 3 oils break down when exposed to oxygen causing the oil to go rancid. However, after 30 years in the flaxseed industry, we’ve learned a thing or two about flaxseed and have created a proprietary milling process to overcome this challenge.
What makes our process work is the presence of antioxidants in flaxseed which keep the omega 3 oil from breaking down. 2. Our proprietary milling technology ensures that the oil remains encapsulated within a protective layer of antioxidants. This results in a product that contains all the beneficial omega 3 oil present in whole flaxseed while having a 2-year shelf life.
After milling the seed, we use a heat treatment that is gentle enough to not damage the oil while making our milled flaxseed safe for your smoothie or other raw foods. This heat treatment also gives the finished product a pleasant, nutty flavor.
You may be wondering why you wouldn’t just eat the whole flaxseed. Aside from the fact that they tend to get stuck in your teeth, 3. whole flaxseeds have extraordinarily little bioavailability. This means that your body cannot use the omega 3 fatty acids and other nutrients contained in the seed. All you will get from consuming whole flaxseed is a little bit of fiber from the seed coat.
How do we know that ground flaxseed retains the nutritional value found in the whole seed? The best confirmation we have of this are the numerous clinical trials where ground flaxseed demonstrated significant benefit to human health ([1], [2], [3]).
While you can mill whole flaxseeds at home, it is time consuming and messy. If that will keep you from consuming more flaxseed—and, let’s be honest, it probably will—it may be worth it to buy pre-ground flaxseed. Furthermore, we are confident that you won’t be able to replicate the smooth texture of Manitoba Milling Company’s milled flaxseed.
See for yourself why Manitoba Milling Company’s Smooth Milled Flaxseed is the best:
References
[1] D. Rodriguez-Leyva, et al. “Potent antihypertensive action of dietary flaxseed in hypertensive patients,” Hypertension, vol. 62, no. 6, pp.1081-9, Dec 2013, doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.113.02094.
[2] H. Ahmadniay Motlagh, E. Aalipanah, M. Mazidi, S. Faghih. “Effect of flaxseed consumption on central obesity, serum lipids, and adiponectin level in overweight or obese women: A randomised controlled clinical trial,” Int J Clin Pract., vol. 75, no. 10, Oct 2021, doi: 10.1111/ijcp.14592.
[3] V.C. Chang, et al. “Effect of Dietary Flaxseed Intake on Circulating Sex Hormone Levels among Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Intervention Trial,” Nutr Cancer, vol. 71, no. 3, pp 385-398, 2019, doi: 10.1080/01635581.2018.1516789.
