- Flaxseed, or linseed, is the seed of the common flax plant. Flax is an annual plant indigenous to parts of India and the Mediterranean. It bears the scientific name Linum usitatissimum and belongs to the Linaceae plant family.
- The flax plant is characterized by tiny leaves and thin, flexible stems. The plant can grow up to 36 inches high. Flaxseeds have a glossy brown color, except for the Omega variety, which has a golden hue. By weight, flax is about 40-percent oil, over half of which is alpha-linolenic acid, an essential fatty acid. Flaxseed can be ground and eaten as a dietary supplement.
- For thousands of years, humans have cultivated flax for the sake of its fiber, which is used to make linen. Evidence of flax cultivation goes all the way back to ancient Egypt and prehistoric Europe, and linen production was widespread throughout the Roman empire. In the United States, up to the middle of the20th century, Americans raised flax not just for the fiber but for the linseed oil, which was used as finish for wooden furniture. In the 1950s, a biochemist in Germany, Johanna Budwig, used flaxseed oil in conjunction with a special diet to treat cancer patients.
- Flaxseed and flaxseed oil are rich in ALA or alpha-linolenic acid, a type of omega-3 fatty acid similar to what is found in DHA and fish oil. Some studies suggest that alpha-linolenic acid and other omega-3 fatty acids may help treat or prevent hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular disease. Flaxseed is also a good source of lignans, which may possibly have anti-estrogen properties that can fight against breast cancer and other types of cancer that rely on estrogen. Most of the studies that support the latter claim were performed on animals, although recent evidence suggest flaxseed supplements combined with a low-fat diet can aid against prostate cancer at its early development. Herbalists also recommend flaxseed for constipation, menstrual problems and other health issues.
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