Flax seeds are an emerging superfood. It contains many potential nutrients that can provide you better heart, skin, hair, and digestive health. You might wonder it is a newly found seed, but it has its existence for centuries in reality. People have found out the numerous health benefits of flaxseeds and included them gladly into their diet. But since the entire flaxseed research is recent and the results are contradictory, it has not yet made it to the medicine list. More so, you’ll notice that many people have experienced the flax seeds side effects that are adverse. Consequently, we will tell you what the possible flax seeds side effects can be right here in this blog!
What Are Flax Seeds?
Before we throw light on what the flax seeds side effects for male and female are, you must know what flaxseeds is.
Flax seeds are taken from the Linum usitaitssimum plant. You can even call them linseeds or just flax. It has its origin from the Middle East many years ago.
The flax seeds nutrition content is beneficial for some but might leave adverse side effects in a few people too.
You will find the seeds to contain vast amounts of oils and soluble and insoluble fibers. It has around 55% of ALA, 35% of fiber, phytoestrogens, and 28-30% of protein.
Flaxseed benefits for females and males are great as the content of fiber, and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is good for you. Are you thinking about what ALA is? Well, it is a polyunsaturated fatty acid that contains both antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory properties.
You can also provide your body with other plant compounds and minerals that are present in flax seeds. However, you are also providing your body with anti-nutrients if consumed in massive amounts. These are the ones that cause the flax seeds side effects.
Alongside, good nutrients your body gets a handsome supply of molecules that are known are anti-nutrients. These reduce the power of mineral absorption and increases toxicity in your body. You will find people usually replacing the flaxseed with numerous fish oils. These seeds have made their way to many food items such as bread, muffins, granola bars, muesli, meat extenders, and soups.
What Causes Flax Seeds Side effects?
Researches have shown that flaxseeds supply your body with a family of anti-nutrients. These are the nutrients that cause harm to your health and leave adverse effects. Phytic acid and cyanogenic glycosides are the seeds that are ant-nutrients which are abundantly present in flaxseeds.
The anti-nutrients are sensitive to heat. But you can break them down well when you cook or roast the flaxseeds. However, if you end up consuming the raw seeds, it will start showing the flax seeds side effects.
You know well enough that the anti-nutrients interfere with the absorption of minerals. It contains an intermediate called hydrogen cyanide, which doesn’t allow your body to absorb minerals like zinc, magnesium, copper, iron, and calcium. So, if you start consuming vast amounts of flax seeds, you’ll begin to experience its side effects.
The flax seeds side effects
You are well aware of all the health benefits of flaxseeds, but do you know that it can lead to huge side effects too? You can even come in for chronic stomach problems in this case. So, you need to choose the right amount of flaxseed to get the maximum of its benefits.
Here we have gone ahead and made a list of all the possible flaxseed side effects for male and female:
May Lead to Allergies
You know very well that nuts and other seeds may act as allergens. Studies have shown that you get skin rash or constipation if you are allergic to flaxseeds.
More so, a study indicated that children had a tingling feeling, skin rashes, and vomiting too after consuming flaxseeds. So, you must not leave any reaction you noticed unaddressed. That’s because it might lead to shortness of breath and even death in a few cases.
Another symptom you might see is anaphylaxis. This is a kind of allergy that makes your face swell up. All of these allergic reactions are serious, and you must show a doctor at the earliest if you see these symptoms.
Increases Bleeding
You know that flax seeds are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. And they act extremely beneficial to keep your heart, brain, and overall health in place. But it can even lead to bleeding problems in many. You may find a few people getting an extreme increase in bleeding and slowing down of the clotting of blood. These problems should be addressed at the earliest and not ignored at all.
More so, if you are on medications like herbal medicines or aspirin, do not consume flaxseeds. It will leave adverse side effects.
Increases Constipation
You are aware that flaxseeds contain a good amount of fiber in them. But if you supply an excessive amount of fiber suddenly to your body, you might end up clogging up your intestines and stomach. So, we recommend you to consume it in minimal amounts to enjoy the health benefits of flaxseeds.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
The flaxseed side effects- thyroid can be seen in women when they are pregnant, or they are lactating. That’s because the metabolism of the thyroid hormones increases at this. However, you must know that the research in this regard is limited. So, if you are breastfeeding or you are pregnant, consult your doctor before you add flaxseeds to your diet.
Final Thoughts
You know well enough about the flax seeds benefits for females and males. But you must focus well on the side effects as well. That’s because if you include them in your diet abruptly or consume it excessively, you might cause harm to your health.
It can make your body very toxic, cause constipation, and even lead to a mineral deficiency in your body. All of this happens because of the excessive intake of fiber and the continuous supply of anti-nutrients. So, remember to consult your dietician before including flaxseeds in your diet. You must know how to eat flax seeds in the right amounts to reflect the benefits on your health.
