For The Kids Vegan Pregnancy FREE Newsletter Subscribe to VegFamily's FREE newsletter for new features, site updates, and special offers from sponsors. Flaxseed oil provides approximately 2.5 g of this essential fatty acid per teaspoon. One tablespoon of flaxseeds contain about a teaspoon of oil. It is also the richest known source of lignans, phytoestrogens that are potent anticarcinogens.
Flaxseeds are also rich sources of potassium, magnesium and boron.
The oil from flaxseeds is highly unsaturated, thus will be easily damaged upon exposure to light, heat or oxygen. On the other hand, the whole seeds are protected by a hard outer coat and will last for many months in your pantry. Unfortunately, because the seeds are so small, they generally enter the gastro-intestinal system intact, and leave little worse for the wear. To enhance the digestibility of flax seeds simply grind them in a blender or a coffee grinder. Storage and Use of Ground Flax Seeds Flax seeds can be purchased in the bulk section of natural food stores and in most large grocery stores.