Flax Facts:  

Linseed and Flax....are two names for the same plant: Linum Usitatissimum.

  

Bronze Linseeds
   

a little linseed can make you feel a lot healthier

Linseed or Flax: are two names for exactly the same thing!  In the UK we usually call the crop grown for seed and oil Linseed. The crop that has longer stems and is used to make linen we call Flax, but in North America they call it flax when it's grown for human consumption.

Bronze, brown or golden: the nutritional quality is independent of seed colour.   The original linseed has blue flowers and bronzy-brown seeds. many different varieties have been bred, some varieties even have white or purple flowers; others have pale, biscuit coloured seeds - these are usually called golden linseed.  There is no significant difference between these varieties.   More recently some varieties of  linseed have been developed in Canada that have almost no omega-3 this is to supply a vegetable oil called linola to the food industry.

Linseed is the fields of blue looking like shimmering lakLinseed flower.es; just occasionally linseed has white flowers. The fields of yellow are rapeseed - although far more prolific rapeseed contains only asmall fraction of the valuable omega-3 of linseed.

A traditional and Ancient Food. Although the primary reason for growing linseed has been to produce its fibre for linen and rope for thousands of years Linseed has had a reputation as an important staple food, a health food and a medicine. Linseed was cultivated and eaten in ancient Babylon.  Since then the use of it has spread round the world.

Worldwide Use.  In Africa it has been part of the diet since the time of the Pharaohs. Ethiopians  value linseed far too highly to feed to cattle and eat up to 150g per day in  stew (wat), as porridge (gufmo), as a drink (chilka) and as a savoury dip.  In China the oil is used extensively.  In Germany linseed is regularly added to bread - for flavour and health - and they consume over 60 thousand tonnes per year.  Linseed oil is a traditional ingredient in German foods, especially in dishes with quark cheese and potatoes. Recipes

Flax is the name usually given to the plant grown for its fibre. This is made into fine linen. rope, webbing and in times gone by sails and parachutes.

Metabolism Boosting. In the Punjab linseed is still regularly eaten in winter because of its metabolism boosting properties which makepeople feel warmer.  This is a characteristic of the omega-3 in linseed and is why many modern weight loss diets include high levels of linseed oil. (See weight loss)

An Aphrodisiac. In the West Indies linseed has a great reputation as an aphrodisiac.  Two forms of linseed are used to get the desired effects: linseed oil, and the whole seed boiled into a sexy drink called Irish Moss or Sea Moss. (see recipes) Although often  the efficacy  of an aphrodisiac is usually put down to folklore There is real  science in why linseed should produce these effects.   Linseed Oil contains omega-3 which makes blood less sticky, which enables it to flow better to the parts it needs to reach! Omega-3 also helps by reducing stress and improving mood. The famous Caribbean drink, Irish/Sea moss with its luxurious sweetly spiced flavour, silken consistencyand good slug of West Indian rum even tastes like it's going to work; though its reputation may be more due to its appearance! Recipes

Linsseed seedheads ripe and ready to harvest
For Beauty: Skin, Hair  For thousands of years, all round the world In the UK linseed has always been held in high esteem for making hair shine and the skin clear and glowing. A lot of people using linseed oil in their diet report  linseed seems to make the hair and nails grow stronger and healthier. 

Anti-Aging: In 2007 linseed's anti-wrinkle properties arerecommended by leading anti-aging specialists and it is used as an active ingredient in cosmetics.   

Animal Use: horse owners are really switched on to linseed's beauty secrets.  Owners who want their horses to look their best have been feeding linseed long before they realised why it worked: they just knew it did.  Linseed also helps hooves grow stronger. Dog  and rabbit  exhibitors feed linseed oil to put a shine on the coats of their charges. Linseed also helps keep animals joints supple. Linseed for animals

Birds: Pigeon fanciers feed linseed to waterproof the plumage for racing, Chicken fanciers feed linseed to show birds for glossier plumage.  Feed linseed oil to hens and their eggs will be high in a healthy range of omega-3's.  DIY omega-3 eggs

Cage birds. The common seeds andBirds just like people benefit from eating linseed.nuts in the diet of parrots, canaries, finches and budgies frequently results in too little omega-3 and too much omega-6 which results in health problems similar to those experienced by twenty first century humans. Arthritis, skin problems, eczema, asthma/wheezing, dull plumage, depression or aggression, clogged arteries and heart disease can be prevented and even reversed if linseed is introduced to the diet..

Natural Wood Treatment.   The ability of the omega-3 in linseed to react to light and air has made linseed oil a favourite forhundreds of years in paints and wood treatment - including cricket bats!

High Nutrient levels. Linseed contains high levels of Omega 3, soluble fibre, dietary fibre, lignans and antioxidants. A 20 - 50g serving of linseed provides wonderful boost to the British diet. Linseed also contains significant levels of vitamin E, lecithin and phospholipids which enables the nutrients in linseed to be easily digested and assimilated. Building Block of Life. The Omega-3 oil in linseed is called ALA, which is the omega-3  contained in Mothers' breast milk. It is an essential fatty acid, which means it is essential for life (and without it we would be unable to live!) and as the body is unable to make it  we must  get it from our food .Our bodies are able to use it in so many body processes from making cell membranes to hormones and prostaglandins.

Healthy Digestion. Linseed meal is a worldwide favourite for normalising the gut, its  high levels of fibre  fighting healthy microbes and Candida yeasts, the mucilage protects  inflamed gut, fibre grows healthy bacteria and is helpful especially after antibiotics, and the bulk produced creates healthy regular bowel moment, lignans in the fibre protect against bowel/colon cancer. Whole linseeds in water a good store-cupboard remedy for constipation.

Lino/linoleum is made from linseed oil. It was first made in the Middlesex town ofStaines in 1863.Linseed is used to make lino, a beautiful hygenic, environemntally friendly flooring.

  

Also known as:  

  • Alsi,

  • Ama,

  • Annual Flax, 

  • Chih Ma,

  • Common Flax,

  • Cultivated Flax, 

  • Hu Ma, 

  • Kahtan, 

  • Keten,

  • Kettan, 

  •  Kittan, 

  • Lin,

  •  Linaza, 

  • Lino, 

  •  Linseed Flax