Flax Seeds and High Blood Pressure

In the March 2014 issue of the Natural Medicine Journal, author Jacob Schor looks at a study involving flax seed and hypertension (high blood pressure). There were 110 participants in the study, 75% of whom had high blood pressure.  Approximately half of the group ate 30 g of ground flax seed per day for 1 year, while the other half of the group (placebo group) did not include flax seed in their daily diet.  The flax seed participants who started the study with high blood pressure had a 15 mm Hg decrease in their systolic blood pressure (the top number of the ratio) and a 7 mm Hg reduction in their diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number of the ratio).  The participants who did not consume flax seed had an increase of 3 mm Hg in their systolic blood pressure and their diastolic blood pressure remained the same.  
This study highlights an easy step we can take to support healthy blood pressure.  Flaxseed is best ground shortly before consuming.  Grinding it in a coffee grinder or a high powered blender will break it down most efficiently.