“But flaxseed contains estrogen and if you want to get rid of man boobs, estrogen is the enemy!” I’m sure you’ve heard that flaxseed is one of the best ways to get rid of gynecomastia naturally, but you may be conflicted about its use because flaxseed contains estrogen, even though it’s a plant source, but it’s still estrogen. So how can this be a way to treat gynecomastia naturally? We will delve into this later.
Health benefits of flaxseed
Before cotton was affordable, linen (Linum usitatissimum) which is also known as linseed or linum, which has a fibrous stem that was often woven into cloth and is still worn this way even today despite the popularity of cotton clothing. But the oil that was produced from the seeds has been used for medicinal purposes for many thousands of years. It was not until about a thousand years ago that people began to eat the seeds of this plant for health and wellness. Flaxseed should be part of a healthy lifestyle for many reasons including but not limited to;
- Cancer prevention (particularly breast cancer and prostate cancer)
- diabetes management
- Lower cholesterol levels naturally
- Reduce the risk of heart attack
- Reduce the risk of kidney disease
- Reduce hot flashes in menopausal women
- Helping in weight control
- Etc
As you can see, flaxseed is an important nutrient, but since you are reading this article, you have also heard that flaxseed is one of the best ways to get rid of gynecomastia naturally.
Flaxseed and gynecomastia
1. Lignans
The benefits of flaxseed for health and well-being are linked in the first place to the lignans that contain. Flaxseed is the richest source of lignans found in nature. Lignans are antioxidants, meaning they help prevent free radical damage to healthy cells, which helps reduce your risk of developing many of the chronic diseases listed above.
Another aspect of lignans is that, in addition to antioxidant benefits, they also contain phytoestrogens (plants), which mimic the action of estrogen produced by the body but are less potent. Man boobs usually develop because you have excessive amounts of estrogen in your body. It is normal to have estrogen, which is the female hormone, in the male body, but what is abnormal is when estrogen levels are higher than normal levels.
This leads to the development of various feminine characteristics, such as breasts in men. So if you are dealing with gynecomastia, you most likely have excessive amounts of estrogen in your body. One way to combat this estrogen produced by the body is to combat it with estrogen produced by certain plants such as flax. It sounds crazy, but it makes sense once you think about it.
Estrogen produced by the body are powerful hormones, while estrogen produced by plants (phytoestrogen) is chemically weaker but can still bind to estrogen receptors in the body and this helps stop the body’s effects of estrogen much strongest produced. by the body, which also allows excessive amounts of this much stronger estrogen to be eliminated from the body as phytoestrogen replaces it. This is the reason why flaxseed is commonly recommended as an effective method to get rid of gynecomatia naturally.
You have excessive amounts of estrogen in your body at this time. But with the help of flaxseed, instead of having the chemically strong estrogen that is produced by the body wreaking havoc on your body, it replaces the strong estrogen with the much weaker estrogen that can certainly help in your fight against gynecomastia.
2.Fiber
How are excess amounts of estrogen removed from the body? Fiber is the most important way to remove waste, toxins, and excess estrogen from the body. Do you know what an incredible source of fiber is? Flax seed. This is also one of the reasons it is recommended for diabetes and weight loss management.
Flaxseed is a very rich source of a type of soluble fiber that is very beneficial for the body and is known as mucilage. This mucilage is also linked to the cholesterol-lowering properties of flaxseed. Mucilage helps move things around in the body, but it requires a lot of water, so if you increase your fiber intake, you should also increase your water intake to prevent fiber from “sticking” in your body.
3. Fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids have been found to be very beneficial for men with gynecomastia because they help in the production of testosterone. Many men with gynecomastia, in addition to having excessive amounts of estrogen, also have low levels of testosterone, so these fatty acids can help. Also, these essential fatty acids (EFAs) help reduce estrogen levels, which is one of the main reasons for the development of man boobs, as mentioned above.
Guess what? The lignans contained in flaxseed are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids that not only help fight gynecomastia but also reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, and many other chronic diseases.
Use of flaxseed for gynecomastia
1. Flax seed oil
While flaxseed oil (which is easily perishable and needs to be refrigerated once opened) is very popular, you may want to go straight to the source (the seeds) because when you use flaxseed oil, you lose the most important fiber and energy. The oil does not contain as many lignans, proteins, and minerals as you would find in real seeds.
2. Not whole seeds
Flaxseed is available in two varieties, brown flaxseed and golden flaxseed (also known as yellow flaxseed), but these two varieties generally contain similar nutritional compositions.
While many people sprinkle whole flaxseeds on freshly baked bread or salads, it is impossible for the body to break down whole seeds. If you eat whole flaxseeds, the seeds will pass through your body undigested, meaning you will lose the nutrient content of the seeds.
To reap the full benefits of eating flaxseed, the seeds must be ground, but remember that ground (or ground) flaxseed goes rancid very quickly, so be sure to refrigerate any unused portion and discard if still uneaten after 30 minutes. days approximately. .
Because it goes rancid so quickly, you may want to invest in a coffee grinder, spice grinder, or other seed-grinding tool so that you only grind as many seeds as you need for that particular day because whole seeds last. much more than ground flaxseed. .
Ground flaxseed (flaxseed meal) will not last more than 30 days if stored in the refrigerator, while whole flaxseed can last 6-12 months or 1-2 years if stored in the refrigerator.
Grind about two tablespoons of whole seeds daily and add them to hot or cold cereals, smoothies, oatmeal, salads, green juices, etc.
security concerns
Flaxseed is generally safe, making it highly recommended for a healthy lifestyle, but be aware that it contains a small amount of cyanide. This small amount of cyanide is not enough to cause harm to an adult, but it can possibly harm a fetus or infant, so avoid eating flaxseed if you are pregnant or nursing, and also avoid giving it to children under two years of age.
The trace amount of cyanide in flaxseed is not harmful to most people, as long as you consume the recommended daily amount of about two to three tablespoons of ground flaxseed. If this is scaring you away from flaxseed, you should be aware that human tissue generally contains very small amounts of cyanide that is constantly being metabolized, so cyanide-containing flaxseeds shouldn’t be a cause for concern unless you eat the whole thing. the bag of flaxseed at one time. session! Several other commonly eaten plants, such as cruciferous vegetables, also contain small amounts of this poison.
Also remember that a tablespoon of flaxseed contains between 5 to 6 milligrams of cyanide, but for cyanide to be harmful to an adult, you need to consume at least 1,000 milligrams of this poison.
Like everything in life, flaxseed can cause an allergic reaction in some people. If this occurs, reduce the amount eaten or stop eating flaxseed altogether.
Lastly, in some people, flaxseed can cause bloating and flatulence when they first start eating flaxseeds. If this occurs, start with ½ tablespoon or one tablespoon and gradually increase as the body builds up its tolerance.