Soaked flax seeds, are they ready to be giving off their benefits?

[yooval]

hello,

I was wondering how many hours of soaking flax seeds are required in order to
make flax seeds ready to eat and to obtain the most nutrients out of them:
omega 3, lignans etc.. and is it possible to eat them whole after soaking or its required to process them and only then the nutrients become available?

thanks a lot

[Raw Angel Mom]

I haven't soaked them for a very long time because i rarely use them now, but i recall it doesn't take much time. Maybe over night. Once you see a little tale coming out, they are ready. I believe it is one part of flax with two par of water (Information from Alissa's book).

You can have your omega also from hemp seeds, chia seed and walnut. Do a search about omega 3 from plant food. Savi seed also are a very rich source.

All the best!

[yooval]

thank you, what I would like to understand please, if the soaking process help the body to absorb the nutrients from the flax seeds because I read that eating them raw does not enable the digestion of them,

also I would like to understand if the processing of the seeds in a blender or food processor is necessary for the same purpose of getting the nutrients out of them?

thanks

[DebB]

It's my understanding that all you have to do is grind the flax seed to be able to absorb. Soaking it is for use in recipes. If we eat flax seed whole though, it acts as fiber, but our body cannot break down the seeds and they pass through our systems whole. Again - this is my understanding.

You can grind flax seed in an inexpensive coffee or seed grinder. I believe ours cost around $10 when we bought it. You do not need a high speed blender.

Having said that - my husband and I take 2 tablespoons of flax oil per day. We press our own oil with our Samson juicer's cold press oil attachment -- but if you buy flax oil, be sure it's been refrigerated since pressing and look for its pressing date. You'd be surprised at how old some of it can be. We store ours in the freezer. Barlean's brand makes a "high lignan" which is what our holistic MD recommends. Hope this helps. *Ü*