Flaxseed can be bought whole or ground. According to Mayo Clinic dietitian Katherine Zeratsky, If you buy whole seeds you should grind them before eating; due to their size and tough shell, whole seeds may pass through the system without being fully digested. This deprives the body of some of the many health benefits.
Calories
Half a cup is equivalent to around eight tablespoons. A tablespoon of flaxseed meal has around 35 calories; therefore half a cup of ground flaxseed meal contains approximately 280 calories. This may vary slightly depending on the brand of flaxseed you buy.
Nutrients
Ground flaxseed is a rich source of fiber. Half a cup of ground flaxseed provides around 16 g of dietary fiber. An adult should eat between 25 and 35 g of per day. High-fiber foods such as flaxseed can help promote weight loss by keeping you feeling satiated and less inclined to snack.
Weight Loss
Ground flaxseed contains fatty acids that are essential to the body. These fats help boost the metabolism and burn excess fat cells. Eating the right kind of fats helps your body only store the amount of fat it needs, whereas eating "bad" trans fats will cause the body to store too much fat. According the Dr. Sears website, eating "goods" fats such as gamma-linolenic acid, which is found in flax, will activate thermogenesis, a process that burns fat already stored in the body.
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