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One of our main reasons for producing this new website was because linseed is such a wonderful food for health (and it tastes nice!) but so many people seem unsure about the best sort of linseed to use for health reasons and what to do with it when they’ve got it. We have based this page on the questions we are most often asked.
What is the difference bewteen Linseed and Flax? l Cold-Pressed Linseed Oil l Linseed Capsules l Freshly Ground Linseed Meal l Whole Linseed l Varieties l Which Sort of Linseed to Use l Digestion l System l Hormone Balance i HRT l Linseed v Olive Oil l Linseed Oil v Rapeseed Oil l How Much? l How to Use l High Lignan Flax Linseed Oil l Why Organic isn't always best l Cooking Linseed or Raw l Safety
Q: What is the difference between Linseed and Flax?
A, Flax and Linseed are two names for exactly the same thing! When produced as food there is no difference. Flax is the more common name in North America and Linseed is more common in Europe, where Flax refers to the taller varieties of the same plant we grow for linen. The seeds from the “flax” grown for linen are still called linseed (in Europe) when used for making oil or even cattle cake (it is extremely good for cattle and gives them a wonderfully shiny gloss to their coats). In North America, where there is a big tradition of using linseed oil as a wood preservative there was resistance to buying cold-pressed linseed oil because people didn’t understand the significance of cold-pressing, so the manufacturers changed the name to flax and marketed it as new super food! It works the same whatever you call it.
Click here for a more detailed explanation.
What is the difference between gold and bronze?
A. The original variety was a bronze seed variety. Since then many other varies have been developed including gold. Just like you can get green apples and red apples, both are good for you; they have absolutely identical nutritional properties. Neither has been de-hulled or toasted or in anyway processed to cause the different colour. Neither is more digestible than the other. The bronze does have a slightly nuttier flavour and is great in porridge or muesli; the gold is a little more delicately flavoured and finer ground so more versatile for adding into soup, fruit and drinks.
Q. Isn’t Organic Linseed/Flax better?
A. Not Necessarily. More important is that it has a light, mild nutty flavour which indicates that it is really fresh and unpurified.
The Flavour can you tell if it is good Linseed Oil The most important way to judge the quality of linseed oil is to taste it; good, carefully produced fresh linseed oil tastes mild and delicate which is good. Unfortunately if flaxseed oil - even organic - is processed with a bit too much pressure and temperature and isn’t fresh it can easily become bitter which means it has started to go rancid and generated oxides within itself, these are just as bad for you (the bitter compounds in flax oil are especially bad for the liver) as any other chemical. So the best oil for you is the one which has the delicate nutty flavour of linseed and and is mild, amd creamy with no hint of bitterness.which shows it has been well produced.
Q: Why are Dark Glass Bottles Used?
A: Dark Glass Bottles are important too. Dark bottles keeps the light out and prevent damage to the omega-3. Plastic bottles contain plasticisers which can leach out into the oil. Glass is important because it doesnt contain chemicals.
Q. I take Olive Oil isn’t that as good?
A. No it’s different. Extra virgin olive oil is a good nutritionally neutral oil with lots of the good antioxidants squeezed from the olives, but most of us don't need any extra oil in our diet. Most of us do need more Omega-3. in our diet to keep us healthy. Linseed Oil is 60% omega-3 so can make a noticable difference.
Q. I take a balanced Omega-3, 6 & 9 oil – why would I want linseed oil ?
A. You never need to pay anyone for omega-9. It is not an essential fat as we can make it in our bodies if we need it but most of us we get plenty from our diets anyway; olive oil is 70% omega-9 and there’s lots in every other oil we eat and most meat – so you don’t need to pay to buy it as a supplement! The main reason most of us need to take omega-3 is because we have way too much omega-6 which is causing us health problems. Adding a 3,6, & 9 oil simply adds more of 6 and means we don’t get much of the 3 we need. Cold-pressed linseed oil is approximately 60% omega-3 so a small amount of it really does a lot to rebalance the fats in your diet and body.
Q. I eat fish do I need linseed oil as well? Isnt fish oil better.
A. Fish doesn’t contain all that much omega-3 and we are told by the government and nutritionists that we shouldn’t eat fish often because of mercury and dioxins. . Most nutritionists say have a maximum of a couple pieces of fresh fish a week and a teaspoon or so linseed oil every day.
Q. I have heard people say you can’t convert linseed oil to EPA and DHA is this true?
A. We need the ALA in linseed anyway. It is the essential fat. We don’t use DHA and EPA all that efficiently anyway and actually convert ALA quite well – and as we use it in food quite freely it is an easy and effective way of getting the omega-3 we need. And as a bonus the more you take (up to approx 15ml/day) the better we metabolise omega-3 and as time goes on the balance of fats in the body improves, our metabolism improves too and we need less omega-3. It is extremely rare for people not to be able to make good use of the omega-3 in linseed oil.
Q. I use Rapeseed Oil isn’t that high in Omega-3.
A, Cold-pressed Rapeseed oil is only a cooking oil not a healthfood. Rapeseed oil is typically only 7-9% omega-3, so it is 91% other fats, so to get the omega-3 you need you need 7 times more oil which is fattening and unhealthy and means you would have to consume almost 3.5 tablespoons of rapeseed oil to get the same amount of omega-3 as there is in just 1 teaspoon of linseed oil. Linseed oil is at least seven times richer in omega-3; Linseed Oil is 270% more unsaturated than rapeseed oil.
Q'. Isn’t a high lignan oil better.
A. If you need lignans you can’t get enough in the oil. Lignans are in the husk, the fibre, and you need to eat about 1-4 tablespoons of the ground seed to get the effect you need and if that was in oil you would have to eat too much oil to get the lignans you need. Especially if you are going through the menopuase you are better off having a helping of linseed meal and if you want a little more omega-3 adding a teaspoon or two of oil. Some companies put some of the remains of the husk back into the oil after pressing, the produces a dark sludge at the bottom of the bottle which is hard to shake back into the oil to use it. Both the oil and meal taste far nicer if you add them to food separately - and that way you can ensure you get just the right amount for your needs.
Q. Does linseed meal need cooking
A. Eat it raw or cooked, it is even more digestible than the oats muesli.
Q. Doesn't cooking the linseed meal destroy its properties?
A. Omega-3 is the sensitive nutrient but it is OK to cook it gently - just like it is to cook fish - just don't cook at really hot temperatures, it is fine in baking.
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Q. Can Linseed oil be used in cooking?
A. Linseed oil – like all unsaturated oils – shouldn’t be used at high temperature. So treat it like extra-virgin olive oil or butter. It is fine to heat it gently. Use it for baking bread and cakes, drizzling over hot veg or in porridge or soup. But don’t fry your chips in it.
Q. I used to use linseed oil for horses and we had to boil it, how come people can eat it raw?
A. We have researched widely this toxicity issue and can find nothing significant. Apple pips contain cyanide compounds but never hurt anyone, in fact a little of these compounds are beneficial to the digestion. There are none of these compounds in the linseed oil and it is the safest most benefical way to feed horses as it contains the goodness of linseed. If you have horses the choice is keep boiling the seeds or
buy linseed oil which is so much easier..
Q. Is the raw uncooked cold-pressed linseed oil safe for horses
A. Absolutely YES. And it's much easier: no more messing boiling! The husk was the bit that was the problem, the oil contains none of the cynaide compounds.
Q. Should I drink extra water with linseed?
A. As most of us don't drink enough it is a good idea to have an extra glass of water with every helping of linseed. If you don’t drink a lot, are elderly or are constipated it is essential to have an extra glass or two of water.
Q. Which is better for you whole seed or ground seed?
Q. Which is best oil or meal?
Q. Should I use seeds or oil?
Q. What for of linseed should I be using and how much?
A. Most people start with linseed because they feel improving their diet could improve a particular area of health. Most of us don't have enough omega-3 or fibre in our diet so most of us benefit from the linseed oil and the ground linseed meal too.
Q. Should I use oil or capsules?
A. The capsules just contain the oil so are a convenient source of omega-3.
Q. Which type of linseed do you use for what and how much?
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Linseed Product |
Cold-Pressed Linseed Oil |
Cold-pressed Linseed Oil Capsules |
Freshly Ground Linseed Meal |
Whole Linseeds |
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100% pure linseed oil
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Capsules of 100% linseed Oil
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Whole linseeds finely ground
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Whole Linseeds/Flaxseeds
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What it's good for: |
Omega-3 for every cell in the body. Important for the body's structures and systemsespecially skin, cardio-vasular health, immune system, musclesm joints and brain.
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Omega-3 for every cell in the body. Important for the body's structures and systemsespecially skin, cardio-vasular health, immune system, musclesm joints and brain. |
Fibre, Lignans and some Omega-3. Can help the whole body and all systems. Especially digestion and hormone balance. Very low GI
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Constipation |
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How much |
1-3 teaspoons day |
2-6 capsules/day (if more needed use the oil) |
2 haped dessertspoons 1-2 times per day |
2 tablespoons 1-2/day |
The reason you want to use linseed dictates the type of linseed you should be using
T
he body’s systems: inflammatory metabolic conditions and auto-immune diseases like high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, asthma eczema, psoriasis, arthritis, rheumatism, or for pregnancy or children (and that includes teenagers), mental wellbeing, concentration and energy levels. Or beauty for stronger nails, shinier hair, to keep the skin clear, glowing and supple, and help protect the skin from aging, to help boost the metabolism for weight loss You need omega-3. This comes as oil, capsules or is found in the meal. The seeds are not a good source of omega-3 (unless you grind them yourself) because they are not digestible
Digestion: either too fast (IBS, irritable bowel syndrome/disease, colitis, Crohn’s,) or too slow (constipation, piles) or just plain problematical (bloating, diverticulitis, diverticular disease, yeast, Candida). You need the meal. Though as a quick remedy for constipation whole seeds work well. Some people use both oil and meal.
Hormone balance: menopause, perimenopause or premenstrual tension/syndrome PMT/PMS for tension, hot flushes, night sweats, anxiety, depression, mood swings, aggression, muscle and joint pain, you need the ground linseed meal it is finer ground so the all important lignans are more digestible and you also get omega-3 which is also very beneficial at this stage.
Q. How do you use Linseed?
A. It can taste really nice so the most important thing is to use it in food in a way you enjoy it. It is there to be enjoyed. Use linseed as a food not a medicne (even if it can work as well as one!). Use the oil like a salad oil, or instead of butter or cream. Use the meal like you would ground almonds or oats. Use the whole seeds sprinkled into any food.
See our recipe page for more ideas. Use the oil regularly (daily isn't usually essential). For the digestion use the meal regulary. For hormone balance you need to eat it every day as the HRT effect wears of quickly.
- and can be sugar-free and use minimal or no added fat - or use linseed oil with is a good fat as it can be used to replace "naughty" fats and adds lots of omega-3 which helps the body metabolise other fats correctly.
