Broken seeds and kernels, the pro’s and con’s 07-09-2020

Broken seeds and kernels, the pro’s and con’s 07-09-2020

Linseeds are rich in polyphenols which is a great anti-oxidant. In the past 5 years science has revealed that ground/broken seeds are better to digest.

Because most seeds and kernels have a hard shell, the absorption of the human body is minimal. Breaking the seeds and kernels makes absorption much easier as the intestines can digest the seeds and kernels easier. Some application examples of adding broken/ground seeds to your diet:

– add one teaspoon of ground seeds to your mayonnaise or ketchup for lunch or dinner

– linseed in particular is delicious to bake in bread, muffins or other baked products

– use broken seeds or kernels with your breakfast cereal or yoghurt.

Linseeds are high in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, also known as ‘lignans phytochemicals’. Two spoons of broken linseed contain 4 grams of omega 3 and around 70 calories USDA (2020). Linseed is advised to improve digestive health or help with constipation problems. It also lowers blood cholesterol and other LDL cholesterol levels, which helps decrease heart disease.

Summarizing the above we can state that linseed has proven health benefits and that broken or ground linseed helps absorbing these benefits even better.

You can also grind linseed or other seeds yourself. Some methods that we know are:

– using a blender to grind your seeds and kernels

– using a coffee grinder to grind your seeds and kernels

– using a stone and mortar. It will flatten the seeds and kernels, but does not have the same effect as a coffee grinder or blender.

Ground seeds and kernels are best to be stored in the fridge or freezer when you want to consume them up to 3 months or later. After 6 months the seeds should have been consumed as they will also deteriorate in a fridge or freezer.

The downside of broken linseed.

Broken linseed has a are higher moisture level than whole linseed. Broken linseed gets rancid up to 3 times faster than unbroken brown linseeds. Because of this the average expiry date of seeds and kernels that are grounded or broken is 3-5 months. Some supplier of seeds and kernels use B grade product to grind. It is therefore important to discuss this matter with your supplier.

At Dipasa we hope the above contributes in answering some questions you may have regarding grounded or broken seeds and kernels. If you would like additional information, do not hesitate to contact our sales department at: sales@dipasa.nl

References

USDA (2020). Usda.gov. Retrieved 28 August 2020, from https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/?query=brown%20linseed