An Underrated Seed Oil That Has More Omega-3s Than Walnuts Can Also Lower Blood Pressure

A balanced diet should include fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains for their vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that help keep your energy up and your body running smoothly. Healthy fats are important to keep your heart healthy and fight inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat, are found in foods like salmon, walnuts, and chia seeds.

You can also find these omega-3s in seed oils like flaxseed oil. In fact, flaxseed oil is one of the most abundant sources of omega-3s. To put it into perspective, an ounce of walnuts gives you about 2.5 grams of omega-3s, while a single tablespoon of flaxseed oil delivers around 7.25 grams, which is nearly three times as much.

Think olive oil is loaded with omega-3s? Not quite. While olive oil is a healthy monounsaturated fat, it only contains about 10 milligrams of omega-3s. Omega-3s support heart health by lowering triglycerides, improving circulation, and helping prevent blood clots. Flaxseed oil may even help lower blood pressure, making it a smart addition to a heart-healthy routine.

Read more: 7 Oils You Should Be Cooking With And 7 To Avoid

Flaxseed Oil Has ALAs That May Help Reduce Blood Pressure And Inflammation

While fish is one of the best-known sources of omega-3s, flaxseed is packed with a plant-based version called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). ALA helps reduce inflammation by competing with linoleic acid (an omega-6 fat found in many vegetable oils), which the body can turn into compounds that trigger inflammation. You might already sprinkle ground flaxseed into oatmeal or smoothies, but flaxseed oil delivers a much more concentrated dose of ALA. Just one tablespoon of flaxseed oil contains about three times more omega-3s than the same amount of ground flaxseed.

(Compare the difference between fish oil and flaxseed oil.)

In a 2018 study in the Journal of Clinical Lipidology, people with metabolic syndrome were given 25 milliliters (about 1.5 tablespoons) of either flaxseed oil or sunflower oil daily for seven weeks. Both groups saw improvements in their cholesterol and triglyceride levels. But the flaxseed oil group had significant drops in blood pressure. They also reduced their waist sizes, which is a key marker of unhealthy belly fat.

How To Include Flaxseed Oil Into Your Diet

You may want to pause before swapping out your favorite cooking oils for flaxseed oil, though. The smoke point of flaxseed oil is about 225 degrees Fahrenheit, which means it can produce toxic compounds as it smokes at this temperature. Using an oil past its smoke point can also taste bitter and lose some of its healthy compounds.

Instead, you can drizzle flaxseed oil over cooked vegetables or beans for added flavor and a kick of omega-3. Flaxseed oil also works well as a dressing for salad or a replacement for unhealthy oils in dips and sauces. Flaxseed can replace olive oil or butter to spread on fresh bread or grilled bruschetta. If you love a good smoothie, try adding a tablespoon of flaxseed for even more heart-healthy benefits (and to reduce your risk of early death).

Although flaxseed oil has plenty of benefits for your health, it’s also quite delicate. When you buy flaxseed oil, make sure that its container is opaque. Light can cause a degradation of the oil and cause it to become rancid. Olive oil decanted into a cruet may look elegant on a dinner table, but flaxseed oil can degrade when it’s exposed to too much oxygen. If you’d like to offer flaxseed oil as a dressing, pour just enough flaxseed oil into the cruet that you’ll need for that meal (per Stony Creek Oil).

Read the original article on Health Digest.