How to use Flax (aka Linseed) to improve your digestion

Podcast: Flax for a Tiptop Digestion

We love telling people how good Flax/Linseed is. Do listen to our podcast about using flax for your digestion.

Richard, Leigh and Clare discuss how linseed works,

I started using ground Flaxseed twenty years ago to help me lose weight but the first thing I noticed was how good my digestion felt and realised that was how one’s digestion is meant to work! I have included ground linseed in my diet ever since.

It’s not new that Flax is good for the digestion. It’s known to have been prescribed for almost four thousand years. Records show in 1800 BC it was used in ancient Babylon, 400 BC in Ancient Greece Hippocrates the father of modern medicine prescribed it for digestive ailments, 800A Emperor Charlemagne decreed the people of France were to grow and eat flax for their health and today it’s commonly prescribed by herbalists, naturopaths and medical doctors. The important thing is to use the right sort of flax in the right quantity.

Digestion as nature intended for old and young

Modern lifestyles with too much sitting and diets that contain too much refined carbohydrate are a bad combination for our digestions. Our diets are also short of omega-3 and we have too much omega-6 which causes an inflammatory imbalance. This imbalance can work in different ways on different people. For some it causes an over-sensitive digestion but for others it contributes to a chronically slow digestion. The good news is that a more correct diet with the right sort of fibre and healthy omega-3 levels are a good start to help you normalise your digestion which ever end of the digestive spectrum your digestion is currently at.

Flax Farm’s Digestion-Friendly Foods

Flax is gentle and works with the body, it is just a food that happens to be very good for digestive health. Ideal for young and old as well as those in between. Enjoy as part of your everyday diet. Lots of products to help you have perfect poo and a comfortable tummy. A good diet for the digestion tends to be the same whether you have a slow or sensitive digestion. If you have a sensitive digestion introduce flax to your diet slowly. Then increase over a couple of weeks as it gets used to it.

Ground flaxseed/linseed
Flax/linseed porridge and mueslis
Flaxjacks
Cold/pressed flaxseed/linseed oil
Shop for our selection of digestion-friendly foods

Ground Flaxseed/Linseed

Simply the best quality whole flaxseeds in an easy to digest, tummy-friendly form. It is naturally gluten-free. Add to and meal, great in porridge, muesli yoghurt, fruit, smoothies and juices. Add to baking, soups, baked beans etc. See recipes. Aim for 1-2 ounces per day, 2 heaped dessertspoons i.e. a little helping not just a sprinkle, once or even twice per day. Gold and bronze flaxseed are equally good. Ground flaxseed can be used to replace wheat in many recipes. Flax Farm Ground Bronze and Gold Flaxseed (Linseed) available in 225 and 450g

Ground linseed for breakfast with fruit and yoghurt

Flax/Linseed Porridge & Muesli

A helping of Flax Farm porridge or muesli is a declivous high-fibre start to the day and for many people quickly transforms their digestion. Depending on variety 25% to 33% of the oats are replaced with ground bronze and gold flaxseed. No added sugar or salt, just natural whole grains (wheat-free and gluten-free) a range of varieties which include extra ingredients including seeds and natural fruit. The Special Buckwheat and Flax/Linseed Porridge contains no oats which is kinder for some people’s digestion. Flax Farm Flax/Linseed Porridge makes a useful gluten-free alternative to flour for many baking recipes. 8 varieties of gluten-free Flax/Linseed Porridge and Muesli

Flaxjacks

These are scrummy and made with approximately half the oats replaced with ground flax so are very high fibre and a rich source of omega-3. Definitely the most delicious easy way to improve fibre in your diet. Can be a great solution for children’s digestive health. Flaxjacks are great for any time of day. The range is wheat-free and gluten-free with dairy-free, no added sugar and no saturated fat options. Flax Farm Flaxjacks more than twenty varieties including plain, fruity and chocolate.

Whole Flaxseed/Linseed

Whole Flaxseed/Linseeds can be added to baking, savoury and sweet dishes but for supporting your digestion either grind it yourself or use Ground Flax/Linseed as better options. Whole Flax/Linseeds are particularly useful for making flax/linseed tea which can be helpful for very sensitive digestions. Start with the tea a few times per day to get your gut flora used to flax which can help you tolerate ground flax better. We recommend that most people should use ground flax/linseed, especially the elderly or those who have had a slow digestion for a long time. Whole bronze and gold Flaxseed/Linseed.

Cold pressed Flaxseed/linseed Oil – Omega-3

Depending on age and condition 1tsp (or even less for small children) – 3 or more TBS in food daily (see recipes). It tends to be very well tolerated by even the most sensitive digestions and is a good introduction to flax if you don’t want to try ground flax/linseed products yet. Can be useful for slow or over-reactive digestions. Flaxseed/Linseed, several varieties and sizes including sample sizes

Budwig Diet

Dr Johanna Budwig created the Budwig Diet in the mid-twentieth century and it is still popular today. The diet was designed to support a healthy, comfortable, regular digestion. It is well planned and can be a useful to give your digestion a reset. Budwig Diet

Other tips for a healthy digestion

eat green leafy vegetables especially spinach and chard. Fruits such as rhubarb, figs, pears, apples, peaches and apricots. Fermented foods and drinks such as kombucha, kefir and live yoghurt. Flax Recipes All gluten-free and tummy-friendly Flax Recipes All gluten-free and tummy-friendly Flax Farm digestion tips

Check your Poo Poo is a good indication that your digestion is working as it should. The Bristol Poo Chart shows what your poo should look like. What your poo should look like.

Bristol poo chart shows what healthy poo should look like. You should aim for 3 or 4.

How Flax works with your digestion

There’s nothing harsh in ground Flax, it works with your body by giving your digestive tract what it needs to function as nature intended. The three main components

Insoluble fibre. This provides bulk which helps your gut work. Flax fibre absorbs up to thirty times its own weight in water, which helps make it even more bulk and make more comfortable, normal stools.

Soluble fibre. This is the slippery fibre, like porridge oat fibre, which is famed for helping regulate cholesterol but flax is almost four times richer in . which is soothing for sensitive digestions. Flax’s soluble fibre develop good gut flora to four times the volume of the original ground flax. Good gut flora is one of the keys to a healthy digestion and text-book poo.

Omega-3 Flax is one of nature’s richest sources of omega-3. Most of us don’t get anywhere near enough to be in balance with the rest of the diet. Omega-3 is essential for the correct function in every cell and every process in the body; this includes the gut with its complex action of peristalsis and production of enzymes and other digestive juices. It is also important for the diversity of gut flora.

Fibre Ground Flax helps make your tummy happy

Doesn’t add carbs to the diet – the carbs in flax are fibre which means ground flax isn’t a fattening food.

Not all fibre is equal – why is flax fibre better?

Some fibre like the stringy bits of celery, tomato skins, husk of apple pips etc are what we used to call roughage. They are indigestible and make some bulk in the digestive tract but don’t add much to the digestive process. They often noticeably come out looking like they did when they went in.

Flax works harder for you. It holds lots of liquid which helps keep things mobile and comfortable. In addition flax linseed is one of the highest food sources of soluble fibre, that’s the stuff that makes porridge a bit slimy and helps improve cholesterol levels. Ground flaxseed is a whopping ten per cent soluble fibre and is one of te reasons for flax’s magic. Soluble fibre in Flaxseed seems to be very special and is probably why flax works better than similar seeds.

Soluble fibre is soothing, lubricating and feeds good gut flora which helps increase bulk, in a soft, gentle way.

Flax works with the body and Flax Farm has loads of great tasting foods to support your digestion.

Digestion Podcast.