You heard flax seeds and flax seed-laden foods were the bee’s knees when it comes to trendy, healthy foods – but you may not be getting the health benefits you thought you were.
And while they’re a premium source of omega-3 fatty acids and a part of many nutritious, delicious recipes, they all call for ground flax seeds.
And therein lies the problem: Most people don’t grind flax seeds before eating or cooking them. Without that crucial step, you’re not getting the full value of the flax seeds and the benefits they provide as the body doesn’t fully digest whole flax seeds. Therefore, the only way to get those heart-healthy benefits is to chop or grind them up first.
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There’s a few ways you can prepare your flax seeds for the greatest health boon: Use a handheld mill, a traditional spice grinder, or even the mortar and pestle you might have lying around.
But what if you don’t have a mortar and pestle, or one of the other seed-crushing technologies? Then just buy them pre-ground! There’s a benefit from grinding fresh, too: Pre-ground flax seed isn’t as potent as freshly ground seeds. The healthy compounds found in flax seeds begin to oxidize after they’re crushed, so it’s ideal to eat them within 24 hours of grinding.
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