This subject comes up a lot on health forums. Which is better for you – chia seeds or flaxseeds? Let’s talk about chia seeds versus flax seeds!
Flaxseeds are also known as a superfood. However, there are some drawbacks. First, in order to reap the full health benefits of flax and enjoy all the nutrients, you need to grind or mill the seeds. This can be time-consuming. Chia seeds are more convenient in that you can eat them as is, straight out of the bag, or mix them into whatever you’re making.
Flax has also been linked with estrogen dominance. This is what happens when your estrogen levels become unbalanced. Estrogen dominance can have some negative effects, such as girls hitting puberty too early, painful periods, problems with menopause, and believe it or not “man breasts”!
The jury is still out on whether flax is something you should avoid, but one thing is sure: chia seeds health benefits definitely don’t carry the risk of estrogen dominance.
Another benefit of chia versus flax that people often cite is that the Aztec grain does not go rancid like flax. You don’t need to refrigerate it, and it will keep for years.
Having said all that, you can see why my personal preference is for chia. However, if you like flax, by all means keep eating it! And even better – why not eat both? You don’t have to choose one or the other. They taste great mixed together and sprinkled over your breakfast cereal. They also are nice mixed into your home-baked bread dough.
However you choose to consume these two healthfoods, don’t get too caught up in the health food debates. Ultimately it’s your body and you make the final decision about what to put into it.
