A: Must? No. Should? Probably.
[1] “Whole flaxseed may pass through your intestine undigested, which means you won’t get all the benefits.”
[2] “[…] the goodness in flax is wrapped up in a hard, shiny seed coat that’s hard to crack, even with careful chewing. Grinding or roasting flax breaks this seed coat making all the nutrients easy to digest. Flaxseeds are easy to grind at home using a coffee grinder, food processor or blender.”
[3] “Whole or ground flax seeds can be used in cooking, but grinding makes their nutrients easier to absorb by our bodies.”
[4] “You can eat whole flax seed but you need to chew them good to break them up. Your stomach will not dissolve whole flax seeds and many of them will come out in your stools.”
