The flax is healthy and chock full of fiber, and acts as a stabilizer for the almond milk since vegan milks don't thicken on their own plus it has more nutritional value than cornstarch. I use Sun Crystals to cut down on sugar but stay chemical-free (it is 50% sugar and 50% stevia extract, has 240 calories for 1/4 cup.) so it's sweet but not overpowering the other flavors in it.