The Fiber Content Of Ground Flax Seed

Flax seeds come from the flax plant, scientifically known as Linum usitatissimum, a blue-flowering plant that grows well in northern climates. Flax seeds can be consumed whole, ground -- also called milled flax seed -- or as an oil. Although flax seeds contain many nutrients, including fiber, protein, vitamins E and B and omega-3 fatty acids, eating them whole provides little of the nutrition as they will move through the digestive tract undigested, according to the Flax Council of Canada. Flax seed oil provides many nutritional benefits due to the healthy unsaturated fats and the omega-3 fatty acids, but consuming ground flax seed provides the added benefits of fiber and lignans.

Fiber Intake

Fiber is the portion of plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains, which the enzymes in your digestive system cannot break down. Although fiber passes through the digestive system intact, it offers many different health benefits. For this reason, the USDA 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that adults consume 14 g of fiber per every 1000 calories. Unfortunately, most people fail to meet this goal. Adding ground flax seeds to foods, such as on hot or cold cereal, in bread dough, or in casseroles, can help increase your daily intake of fiber. One tablespoon of ground flax seed adds 2.2 g of fiber to your diet.

Soluble Fiber

Ground flax seeds contain two types of fiber: soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber, as the name suggests, dissolves in water forming a gel-like substance. Soluble fiber binds to bile acid, a substance produced by the liver that carries cholesterol out of the body. Therefore, eating soluble fiber helps lower blood cholesterol levels, which decrease the risk of developing heart disease. Approximately one-fourth of the fiber in ground flax seeds is soluble fiber.

Insoluble Fiber

The remaining three-fourths of the fiber in ground flax seeds is insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber fails to dissolve in water and, therefore, adds bulk to stools. Insoluble fiber promotes a healthy digestive system by preventing constipation and helping stool to pass easier, reducing the risk for hemorrhoids. In addition, eating a diet rich in insoluble fiber decreases the risk of developing diverticulitis -- a condition in which small pouches that can become infected form in the large intestine.

Additional Health Benefits

Adding ground flax seeds to your diet can aid in maintaining a healthy weight. Because your body cannot digest fiber, it promotes a feeling of fullness for longer, which reduces the desire to eat additional calories. High fiber foods, such as ground flax seeds, are also nutrient and energy-dense foods, meaning they provide a large amount of nutrients and energy in a small number of calories. Eating nutrient-dense foods aid in weight loss. Additionally, fiber compounds in ground flax seed, known as lignans, act as antioxidants, which mean that they help protect the cells from damage caused by free radicals -- negatively charged cells produced in the body during normal chemical reactions involving oxygen.