Tag: Cooking with flax

According to the World Health Organization, better nutrition is linked to improved health and reduced risk of non-communicable diseases. A common point of confusion for consumers looking to boost their nutritional intake is figuring out the difference between flax seeds and linseeds, and deciding which is better.

A single tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains 2.8 grams of dietary fiber, and yes, you can add flaxseed to your cooking to effortlessly enhance the nutritional profile of your favorite dishes. Incorporating this tiny but mighty seed is an easy way to boost your daily intake of fiber, omega-3s, and lignans.

According to the Mayo Clinic, cooking ground flaxseed is not only safe but can help neutralize potentially harmful cyanogenic compounds found in large quantities of raw seeds. This makes incorporating ground flaxseed into cooked recipes a perfectly acceptable and healthy practice.

Over time, exposure to air, light, and heat causes the delicate omega-3 oils in flaxseed to oxidize, leading to rancidity and an unpleasant bitter flavor. However, in its fresh, non-rancid state, does flax seed taste bad? The answer lies in proper preparation and storage.

Despite some rumors, numerous studies confirm that heating whole or ground flaxseed is safe and can even reduce the levels of naturally occurring cyanogenic compounds. This debunks the myth that flaxseed is toxic when heated, but the devil is in the details regarding its different forms.

According to the National Institutes of Health, flaxseed is a celebrated “superfood” due to its rich content of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and lignans. For many, the question is: **Can you put flaxseed in hot food?** The answer is yes, though the method is key to preserving its nutritional integrity.