Flaxseed, Wheat Grass, Spirulina WHAT'S RATIONAL?

Sapient
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Flaxseed, Wheat Grass, Spirulina WHAT'S RATIONAL?

I'm curious if some of the geeks can help me out in my quest to be super healthy.   

Is wheat grass really good for you?  Is the pill alright or should I have the liquid?

Is flaxseed all it's cracked up to be? How bout flaxseed oil?

Is spirulina really good for my brain and heart?

Do you think I can take in too much omega-3?  If so, what would be too much?

 

Some links I've explored:

http://www.hippocratesinst.org/Wheatgrass/Benefits-of-Wheatgrass.aspx

http://www.spirulina.com/scientific_studies.html

http://www.healthcastle.com/flax.shtml

 

Some products I've considered:

http://www.tropicaltraditions.com//organic_whole_flaxseed.htm

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/now/wheatgrassjuicepowder.html or http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/now/wg.html

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/olabs/green.html

 

And if helps with your analysis of my particular situation... when reading the list of things that the above items typically help with, I find myself shaking my head that I could use all of it.


Ken G.
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Sapient wrote:Flaxseed etc.................

    Well,I don't know that much about Wheat Grass or Spirulina,but I do know a little about Flax seed (not the oil though) it was one of the first domesticated plants and it was in the diet of pre-historic man,a good source of fiber,it has been used as a laxative and it's good for overall health.That's all that I know about it.

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Eloise
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Spirulina is a microalgae,

Spirulina is a microalgae, so it grows rapidly and produces a lot of biomass in a short space of time, and it is known to contain a considerable percentage of our essential daily intake of nutrients (inc. remarkable amount of protein) in small quantities. For that reason it's been investigated and considered as primary food source for underdeveloped countries and long distance manned space missions* .

Wheatgrass being a green grass, has a lot of chlorophyll in it, and dietary chlorophyll is proven with wide agreement to have antioxidant properties, (n.b. spirulina also has considerable chlorophyll content) , there are some other investigations into the benefits of wheatgrass specifically that aren't so widely recognised, however it is nutrient rich and the bioavailability of essential elements in fresh wheatgrass juice is fairly high. (OTOH the accessibility of the nutrients in the pill is low so drink the ewwy icky juice or don't bother, really).

Flaxseed, essentially, is a source of Omega 3 for people who don't like fish. It is probable that virtually all humans in the developed world should increase their intake of Omega 3 to prevent the onset of its characteristic diseases (heart disease, artery hardening, chronic arthritic conditions etc). If you don't like fish, there'd be no harm in adding some flax seeds to your diet, and potentially a lot of good.

 

*warning: article may surprise some people sensitive to 'ick' factors

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fortitude
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Flax and other functional foods

Ground flax will do you more good than whole, since your body doesn't really break down the whole seed very well.  It is very good for you, for the reasons listed above.  Also, the brown flax is better than the golden flax.  Keep the ground flax in the freezer or it will go rancid.

I've been professionally associated with a number of crop producer associations, and each one puts forward the health benefits of their crop as best they can.

Some other alternatives you may not have considered (also generally quite inexpensive):

Beans, lentils, chickpeas - fibre, weight control, heart health, blood sugar regulation

Oats and barley - heart health, blood sugar regulation

Hemp seeds and hemp seed oil - healthy fats and protein 

 

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ProzacDeathWish
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fortitude wrote:Ground flax

fortitude wrote:

Ground flax will do you more good than whole, since your body doesn't really break down the whole seed very well.  It is very good for you, for the reasons listed above.  Also, the brown flax is better than the golden flax.  Keep the ground flax in the freezer or it will go rancid.

I've been professionally associated with a number of crop producer associations, and each one puts forward the health benefits of their crop as best they can.

Some other alternatives you may not have considered (also generally quite inexpensive):

Beans, lentils, chickpeas - fibre, weight control, heart health, blood sugar regulation

Oats and barley - heart health, blood sugar regulation

Hemp seeds and hemp seed oil - healthy fats and protein 

 

  I'm using copious amounts of extra-virgin olive oil in my diet in an attempt to facilitate cardiovascular health.

  I avoid soy products though as I've read that soy is a phytoestrogen and I'm not a fan of man-boobs.