Flax is a herbaceous plant belonging to the Linaceae family and the Linum genus . The noun " usitatissimum ", used for the binomial nomenclature of the plant (known precisely with the scientific name Linum usitatissimum ), underlines its numerous applications, which range from the alimentary use of seeds to the ornamental use of the living shrub, from its use as an ingredient for wood paint thinner products, from printing ink to fiber textiles.
Linen improves health. Why?
In the food industry, the flax plant is notoriously cultivated as a substrate for extracting a particularly nourishing oil, as it is rich in essential fatty acids.
In flax seeds are also contained various molecules other than lipids, BUT however worthy of note; in addition to other energy macronutrients (carbohydrates and proteins), generous amounts of minerals and vitamins stand out (especially folate, vitamin E, carotenoids, vitamins B6 and B1, calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper and selenium). Moreover, there are some nutritional elements that, although not essential, are of undoubted health benefit; among these, dietary fiber and some phenolic antioxidants (lignans) stand out.
The only edible portion of the flax plant is made up of the seeds and the relative oil. Obviously, since they are nutraceutical foods, oil and flax seeds are especially beneficial in case of nutritional deficiencies. Let me be clear, we are NOT talking about miraculous products, but "potentially" beneficial foods, as they are capable of filling some of the most widespread nutritional deficiencies in the West; among these we recall the deficit of polyunsaturated essential fatty acids of the omega 3 group, of antioxidants and of dietary fiber.
NB . Linseed oil is so rich in omega 3 that it has earned the nickname (or improper name) of "dietary supplement of essential fatty acids".
Types of Flax Seeds: Are There Differences?
Flax seeds are basically of two types or varieties: brown and golden yellow. The color difference does not seem to affect the chemical content of the food, which is why both have the same percentage of omega 3 essential polyunsaturated fatty acids in the chemical analysis.
The only exception is Solin yellow linen, which is also called Linola, which has a totally different lipid profile since it is omega-3-FREE.
Nutritional aspects
One hundred grams of flaxseed provide about 550kcal, respectively provided by 40g of lipids (basically omega 3 fatty acids), 20g of medium biological value protein and 30g of carbohydrates.
The fibers, useful nutritional components, do not modify the energy supply but positively affect the metabolic impact of the food, as they modulate the intestinal absorption of the meal; they are quite abundant and even reach 28% in weight.
In addition to vitamins and minerals, the other beneficial nutritional compounds of linseed are phenolic antioxidants (lignans); among these we mention: secoisolariciresinol di-glucoside, p-coumaric acid glucoside and ferulic acid .
Product and culinary aspects
Flax seeds can be eaten fresh, toasted, dried, in the form of flour or sprouted.
Obviously, the fresh ones have a reduced shelf life and a higher nutritional content; those toasted are maintained more, despite suffering thermal damage due to heat which, on the other hand, reduces the internal concentration of water; the dried ones seem to be a good compromise, even if the oxidation of the omega-3 remains a difficult aspect to resist.
Fresh flaxseed flour is to be considered a product "for immediate consumption", since the potential rancidity of fatty acids makes it difficult to preserve. The possible maintenance is therefore to be carried out under vacuum or in darkened airtight containers; in this way, at room temperature, it can stay up to 9 months. Refrigeration is also not to be excluded, which allows for an additional 11-month extension. If the fresh flax flour is stored at room temperature and in contact with the air, its integrity is maintained only for 7 days.
Sprouted flax seeds are rather a curious food. Compared to the forms already described, they are certainly less widespread; however, germination combines the benefits of the omega 3 content with the enzymatic nutritional implementation of live seed (especially vitamins); compared to normal ones, sprouted flax seeds are characterized by a slightly spicy taste.
Referring all the chemical, nutritional, culinary and product information of linseed oil to the dedicated article that you can find here, we continue to take care of the seeds and flour. The sprouted ones are often consumed in salads, similar to soy sprouts and alpha-alpha shoots etc. Even dried or fresh flax seeds are used in different savory recipes (especially in vegan food); moreover, they are often used in sweet recipes, for example in homemade cereal and dried fruit mixes for breakfast or in cakes. The resulting flour, on the other hand, is fresh or from roasted or dried seeds, lends itself to bread making. Obviously, NOT containing gluten, its fraction in the base mixture is limited to a small percentage; on the other hand, this seems sufficient to enrich the nutritional profile of the food. Alternatively, flax seeds can be used directly for covering bread.
Among the various useful information on the consumption of flax seeds, from the food point of view, it should be remembered that these are not completely digestible products ; this is especially true in the presence of a SCORRECT mastication, hypothetically due to anatomical defects (incomplete dentition) or frugality of the meal. Also for this reason, many regular consumers prefer to take their extraction oil rather than whole seeds. In fact, in recent years there have been several cases of intestinal "flaw" obstruction due to flax seeds, since they are taken without the right amount of water; this is due to the fact that the botanical structure of the seed is supported by a practically insoluble fibrous "scaffolding", inside which it houses a considerable (and prevalent) hydrophobic lipid component. This characteristic makes the mixing of the alimentary bolus with saliva and the subsequent emulsion by other digestive juices ineffective. Ultimately, eating flaxseed, it is good to remember to consume large portions of liquid foods such as water, tea, herbal teas, juices, juices or milk. NB . Let us remember that flax seeds are NOT suitable for those suffering from diverticulosis because they increase the risk of diverticulitis.
Another method of consuming flax seeds is to add toasted seed flour as a condiment; it is an ancient Indian system, used in the West especially in the vegan and naturist diet; in the east it has been used since ancient times, especially in association with boiled rice and salt water.
Linseed and Linseed Oil in Medicine and Therapy
Flax seeds were often used in Austrian TRADITIONAL medicine, both orally and topically. The alleged therapeutic effect was directed towards the following diseases and related symptoms: respiratory and ocular diseases, colds, flu, fever, rheumatism and gout. According to this discipline, flax seeds should be taken in the form of herbal tea or soaked and eaten; on the contrary, for topical use, the oil or a paste obtained from milling with water is preferred.
Concerning contemporary medicine, on the other hand, flax seeds have shown an excellent therapeutic effect towards the forms of constipation caused by the lack of dietary fiber, as long as we keep in mind that any shortage of water in the meal and in the diet can have the opposite effect.
Moreover, various scientific trials seem to agree (albeit in a different way) on their remarkable IPOcholesterolemizing power ; in some trials, the most significant results were highlighted on the female sample compared to the male one, while in others the opposite occurred.
Always of metabolic interest, is the effect of flax seeds on blood sugar . In subjects suffering from impaired glucose tolerance or type 2 diabetes mellitus, consumption of this food appears to reduce blood sugar levels and reduce their severity.
There is no lack of research on the hypothetical beneficial effects of flaxseed on neoplastic diseases . A fairly recent work has highlighted a good result on the treatment of certain breast and prostate cancers, although it is important to stress that it is NOT a CURE properly so called. "Duke University" said that, based on the data obtained, flax seeds could prove to be effective even in an attempt to block prostate tumor growth, it should be noted that these conclusions have not been confirmed by other insights.
As anticipated, flax seeds also bring significant amounts of lignans (up to 800 times more than other plants); these are chemical compounds of a phenolic nature that play a very important estrogenic and antioxidant-like role. These compounds, in addition to positively affecting certain metabolic parameters, can fight oxidative stress and play a very important synergistic function in the prevention of estrogen-dependent tumors in women (eg breast) and androgen-dependent in humans (eg prostate).
Contraindications to the Consumption of Linseed
It is also necessary to specify that excessive consumption of flax seeds can compromise the intestinal absorption potential. For example, due to its very high dietary fiber content, it has been shown that the abuse of flaxseed can negatively affect the intestinal uptake of orally taken drugs . Among other things, it cannot be excluded that the presence of cyanogen-neurotoxic glycosides and cyclic immunosuppressive peptides may, again in the case of food abuse, negatively affect the health status of the consumer.
It seems that almost pharmacological doses of these unwanted components can cause: irritation (for topical use), respiratory problems, convulsions and even paralysis. It is unlikely, however, that similar effects may be found through the intake of flaxseed or linseed oil, even if intentionally.
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Reference Sites:
- //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flax
- //www.webexhibits.org/pigments/intro/renaissance.html
- Webmd.com.
