December 04, 2020 4 min read
Who thought a liver cleansing diet would ever become world-famous? Well, that's what happened to LSA. LSA is a combination of linseeds (flaxseeds), sunflower seeds and almonds ground together to make a meal. It first emerged in the book "Liver Cleansing Diet" by Dr. Sandra Cabot and has grown in popularity from a liver cleanser to an everyday nutritional powerhouse. Here is all you need to know about LSA.
You can buy commercially made LSA in most food shops, and they're usually in the refrigerated section. This is because once they're crushed, the nuts and seeds can easily go rancid because they're very oily. This could negatively affect your health.
You can also make LSA at home. Simply put the mix of linseed, sunflower seeds, and almonds in a ratio of 3:2:1 into a blender and blend them all for 10-20 seconds till they look like bread crumbs. Keep it immediately in an airtight container and refrigerate it to keep it fresh.
This mixture of seeds and nuts is jam-packed with all sorts of healthy nutrients. Here are some of the major ones.
Not all fats are bad. In fact, your body makes some types of fats, while it gets others from the diet. Essential fats is the fats the body gets from the diet because it can't make them, such as omega 3 and omega 6 fats.
Omega 3 fatty acids lower pain and inflammation, help in weight management, improve the mood, support cell structure, and help with brain function. They also maintain cardiovascular health by preventing the buildup of plaque in the arteries and managing blood pressure.
Omega 6 fatty acids reduce harmful (LDL) cholesterol levels in the blood and increase levels of good (HDL) cholesterol.
LSA is rich in dietary fiber. This is a complex carbohydrate that passes through the digestive system without being broken down into simple sugars. It is beneficial for the body in a number of ways.
The liver performs major roles in the body, such as detoxifying it, regulating metabolism, breaking down hormones, producing bile for fat absorption, and many other indispensable functions. Needless to say, even the liver needs help. LSA was originally developed as a way of cleansing the liver to enable it to perform its supportive functions effectively.
Some types of cancer such as breast or prostate cancer are influenced by hormones. LSA is rich in phytoestrogens called lignans, which protect against these types of cancer.
Vegans always have to keep track of the kind of plant proteins they take. This is because unlike animal proteins, most plant proteins lack at least one essential amino acid. Vegans get around this problem by combining different proteins to make up for what either is lacking.
By themselves, linseed, sunflower seeds, and almonds are incomplete proteins. Combined together as LSA, however, they make a complete protein and can satisfy the amino acid needs of vegans.
The high protein content of LSA is useful for the development, growth, and repair of body tissues. The proteins improve the rate of metabolism as well.
Inflammation is a useful process in the body as it helps to fight infections and repair damaged body tissues. However, sometimes it continues even after the threat to the body has been eliminated, and can develop into low-grade chronic inflammation. This can eventually lead to heart disease, autoimmune diseases, and even cancer. Alpha linoleic acid (ALA) in linseed has strong anti-inflammatory properties and helps to lower inflammation.
LSA has abundant amounts of different vitamins. Some of them include:
In addition to vitamins, LSA is also an abundant source of minerals such as:
Unlike many healthy foods, LSA actually tastes good. It's easy to make and the ingredients are easily available. It's definitely worth having on your menu.