flaxseed

flaxseed, edible seeds harvested from flax (Linum usitatissimum) plants, used as a health food and as a source of linseed, or flaxseed, oil. Consumed as food by the ancient Greeks and Romans, flaxseed has reemerged as a possible “superfood” because of its high dietary fibre and omega-3 fatty acid content. Previously, its main food use was as livestock feed. Linseed oil is also consumed for its health benefits and has a number of industrial applications.

Flax plants grown for their seeds are generally shorter, have more branches, and produce more seeds than those that are grown primarily for linen fibre. Flaxseed is borne in dry globular capsules, each with 10 long flat elliptical seeds with slight projections at one end. The seeds are typically about 3 to 4 mm (0.1 to 0.15 inch) long. They are usually brown and are smooth and shiny, with a mucilaginous substance in their outer layer that makes them sticky when wet. A whole air-dried seed usually contains from 33 to 43 percent oil by weight.

Flaxseed is a rich source of the omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). The seeds are also high in a class of phytoestrogens known as lignans. Additionally, flaxseeds are high in dietary fibre, protein, iron, calcium, manganese, thiamin, magnesium, phosphorus, and copper. The seeds can be eaten raw or toasted and can be ground or added whole to salads, morning cereals, and smoothies or incorporated into baked goods.

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flax: Flaxseed

Linseed oil is golden yellow, brown, or amber in colour and has the highest level of ALA of any vegetable oil. Food-grade linseed oil is sometimes taken as a nutritional supplement and can be used in cooking, though it is somewhat unstable and goes rancid quickly. Industrially, it is classified as a drying oil because it thickens and becomes hard on exposure to air. It is slightly more viscous than most vegetable oils and is used in the production of paints, printing inks, linoleum, varnish, and oilcloth. Linseed oil was formerly a common vehicle in exterior house paints, but its chief remaining use in this field is in artists’ oil paints, which are made by grinding raw pigment into the oil.

The chief commercial grades of linseed oil are raw, refined, boiled, and blown. Raw oil is the slowest-drying. Refined oil is raw oil with the free fatty acids, gums, and other extraneous materials removed. The boiled and blown grades dry most quickly and form the hardest films. After the oil has been removed from flaxseed by compression, the remaining meal, high in protein and minerals, is heated and pressed into cakes for livestock.