Flaxseeds

Aid digestion
Most of us don't eat nearly enough fiber—the average adult gets only about 16 g daily, a far cry from the recommended 25 g per day for women and 38 g daily for men. Flaxseeds to the rescue—two tablespoons of ground flaxseed provide 15% of daily fiber needs for women and about 10% for men. Their insoluble fiber aids digestion, helps keep you regular and prevents constipation. Bye-bye, bloating and poop problems!

Help with weight loss
Flaxseeds are also high in soluble fiber, which helps you feel full so you're less likely to overeat. A 2017 review of studies found that eating whole flaxseeds may help with weight loss, especially in very overweight people. In the studies, the people who lost the most were those who stayed on a flaxseed-supplemented diet for 12 weeks or longer and ate more than 30 g (not quite 4 tablespoons) of flaxseeds a day.

Boost heart health
One of flaxseeds' biggest benefits is their high ALA (plant-based omega-3) content. Your body doesn't produce omega-3s on its own, so you have to get them from foods like fish and—you guessed it—flaxseeds. In fact, flaxseeds are second only to chia seeds as the plant foods highest in ALA.

Reduce cholesterol
While eating flaxseeds can't replace cholesterol-lowering meds for folks who need them.

Lower blood pressure
Flaxseeds may also help lower blood pressure. That's good news since high blood pressure raises the risk of heart disease, stroke and other life-threatening problems.

Potentially help fight cancer
Remember lignans, those high-antioxidant compounds found in flaxseeds? They may be powerful cancer fighters, according to several studies—including one of more than 6,000 women in Canada that found that those who regularly ate flaxseeds were up to 18% less likely to develop breast cancer. Other studies suggest that flaxseed may also lower the risk of prostate cancer in men. Still, the use of flaxseeds for cancer prevention remains debatable as there are not enough clinical studies to prove their effectiveness.