I asked this before a long time back and got no answer. I have read that flax seeds are not absorbed if they are whole. So if I eat flax seeds (not the ground ones) do I count them as fiber or should I count the calories in them too?
[quote]sarah1 wrote:
I asked this before a long time back and got no answer. I have read that flax seeds are not absorbed if they are whole. So if I eat flax seeds (not the ground ones) do I count them as fiber or should I count the calories in them too?
[/quote]
I wouldn’t count either.
The real question is why are you eating whole flax seeds?
Eating whole flax seeds is not something that you should be doing, it can do some pretty bad things to your digestive system.
[quote]sarah1 wrote:
I asked this before a long time back and got no answer. I have read that flax seeds are not absorbed if they are whole. So if I eat flax seeds (not the ground ones) do I count them as fiber or should I count the calories in them too?[/quote]
You’ve gotta grind that seed to get the benefit of all the fiber AND the essential fatty acids hiding inside.
I bought a Krups coffee grinder that does a great job (I got it for less than $20 new):
http://www.krupsonlinestore.com/product_detail.asp?T1=KRU+203-70&MENU=grinders&SKW=krugrind
[quote]ec_fritz wrote:
Eating whole flax seeds is not something that you should be doing, it can do some pretty bad things to your digestive system.[/quote]
Why? They taste good. And when I mix the whole seeds into my oatmeal I don’t even taste them. They just make it a little crunchy.
If your going to have them then why not get the meal anmd or grind them and get the benefit of the actual fats and break loose the hull to where the fiber, (soluble) can actually be gotten to. Just seems like a huge waste to just shit out.
Phill
Salve! (Latin for Greetings!)
Flax seeds are a nutty snack!
And good for you too!
The Romans used to eat 'em by the handful (crazy Romans…no wonder no one speaks Latin anymore!)
As for their nutritional value -they contain fats, fiber, carbs and a wee bit of protein.
The fiber just about cancels out the carbs (about 4gr ea per tbsp)
-so we have about 4 grams of fat and 2.5 grams of protein per tbsp to contend with (about 46kcals per tbsp total).
Spero juvi!
(I hope I’ve helped)
peace
(or Pax, if you prefer)
[quote]Pauli D wrote:
Salve! (Latin for Greetings!)
Flax seeds are a nutty snack!
And good for you too!
The Romans used to eat 'em by the handful (crazy Romans…no wonder no one speaks Latin anymore!)
As for their nutritional value -they contain fats, fiber, carbs and a wee bit of protein.
The fiber just about cancels out the carbs (about 4gr ea per tbsp)
-so we have about 4 grams of fat and 2.5 grams of protein per tbsp to contend with (about 46kcals per tbsp total).
Spero juvi!
(I hope I’ve helped)
peace
(or Pax, if you prefer)[/quote]
None of this applies to whole ungrounded or non-milled flax seeds.
[quote]sarah1 wrote:
Why? They taste good. And when I mix the whole seeds into my oatmeal I don’t even taste them. They just make it a little crunchy.[/quote]
The seed coat prevents them from being digested; if it’s unbroken, they’ll just pass through you, and you’ll get no benefit from them. Not even as fiber, since all that good soluble fiber remains locked away in the seed.
However, there does exist one brand that is presplit (the two cotyledons of the seed are separated): Flora Golden Flax Seeds. These can be eaten without grinding or milling, and will still be properly digested.
Since we’re discussing flax here, my post(s) in the following thread may be relevant: http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1570204