Nutritional Content

• 1 tbsp. of ground flax seed (also known as milled flax) has approximately 37 calories and 3 grams of fat, while 1 tbsp. of whole flax seed has 50 calories and 4.5 grams of fat.
  
  

Types

• There are two types of flax seeds, brown or golden. These have similar nutritional properties.
  
  

Lignans

• According to the Flax Council of Canada (see References 1), flax seed is one of the richest plant sources for lignans, compounds that may help protect against certain kinds of cancer by blocking tumor formation.
  
  

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

• Flax is high in omega-3 fatty acids, a healthy fat, and low in saturated fat. The human body cannot produce these types of fatty acids. Omega-3s have been shown in numerous studies to benefit heart health.
  
  

Other Nutritional Benefits

• According to Prepared Food's special report on flax and heart health (see References 2), flax contains a variety of essential minerals and minor amounts of vitamins. One tablespoon of ground flax has as much magnesium as a banana.
  
  

Flax Seeds and Baking

• You can replace one egg in a recipe with one tbsp. ground flax seeds and three tbsp. water. Flax can also be added to bread, muffins, pancakes, smoothies, pizza crusts and oatmeal to give a nutritious boost.