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The flax plant, an ancient crop, yields the fiber from which linen is woven, as well as seeds and oil. The oil, also called linseed oil, has many industrial uses—it is an important ingredient in paints, varnishes, and linoleum, for example. Flaxseed oil also comes in an edible form, sold mostly at health-food stores. Like olive, canola, and most other plant oils, it is highly unsaturated and heart-healthy. And flaxseeds have yet another very interesting component—lignans—which may have anti-cancer properties.
Flax has been grown since the beginnings of civilization, and people all over the world have celebrated its usefulness throughout the ages. Cultivated flax, L. usitatissimum, is of two types: one is grown for the seed and the other for fibre production. In North America, it is primarily the oilseed varieties which are produced commercially.
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Flax seed has a long history of medicinal use, its main effects being as a laxative and expectorant that soothes irritated tissues, controls coughing and relieves pain. The seed, or the oil from the seed are normally used.
The seed is analgesic, demulcent, emollient, laxative, pectoral and resolvent. The crushed seed makes a very useful poultice in the treatment of ulceration, abcesses and deep-seated inflammations. An infusion of the seed contains a good deal of mucilage and is a valuable domestic remedy for coughs, colds and inflammation of the urinary organs. If the seed is bruised and then eaten straight away, it will swell considerably in the digestive tract and stimulate peristalsis and so is used in the treatment of chronic constipation.
Flaxseed is by far the richest source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the parent compound of the omega-3 fatty acids. In comparison, fish contain only trace amounts of ALA and fish oil can adversely affect the taste and odor of food products. Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid because it cannot be synthesized by the body. Research indicates that ALA improves immunity, the body's ability to defend itself against foreign substances. Studies have also shown that alpha-linolenic acid may lower the risk of stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. Both the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization recommend an increased daily intake of omega-3 fatty acids.
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