ORGANIC FLAX SEED Aka: LinseedFlax is a bright plant with small blue flowers topping slender but tough stems, a soothing sight to see. And when the seeds are encased in a small silk eye pillow, they soothe tired eyes. The fibrous flax stems are spun into linen and used in paper making. Linen and linseed oil have culinary and industrial uses. But in terms of health, the tiny, flat, brown seeds are most outstanding, for flax is the richest source there is of Omega-3 fatty acids. Flax was used by the late Stone Age lake dwellers in what is now Switzerland and cultivated in Babylon around 5000 BC, making it one of mankind's earliest food supplies. In the eighth century, Charlemagne considered flax so essential for health that he passed laws requiring its use.
Health Benefits: Flax seeds are a sweet thermally neutral food that tones the stomach and colon meridians. Flax seeds contain up to 40 percent oil, primarily linoleic and linoleic acids, which are vitally important for strengthening immunity, helping prevent cancer, clearing the heart and arteries, and alleviating rheumatoid arthritis. Flax is a superior source of lignan, a mildly estrogenic compound that helps normalize a woman's menstrual cycle and that has anticancer, antibacterial, and antiviral properties. Flax seeds are highly mucilaginous, and when they come in contact with liquid, they become soft and jellylike. This soothing property makes them highly useful as an intestinal cleanser and bowel regulator for diverculitis and to soothe coughing, sore throats, and chronic bronchial complaints. Flax seed contains prussic acid, which in small amounts stimulates the respiration and improves digestion but in excess causes respiratory failure and death.
Use: Historically, flax seeds were cooked or pressed for oil, processes that inactivate their toxins. Use flax seed as a seasoning in baked goods as the Scandinavians do, or as an egg substitute. Some contemporary health advocates recommend grinding flax for use as a raw condiment or supplement. Please use in moderation.
