Just what is flax seed and flax seed oil?!


Question: Just what is flax seed and flax seed oil!?
Answers:
Flax is a blue-flowered plant that has been cultivated for use as food, as a constituent of paint, and as clothing fiber since around 3,000 B!.C!. More recently, flaxseed has become an "it" food, because it contains lots of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid that studies link to a reduced risk of heart disease!. It's also rich in fiber and lignans—plant "hormones" that may help prevent breast and other cancers!.

Flaxseed is the whole seed of the flax plant, while flaxseed powder and ground flaxseed is simply the seed after it's been pulverized!. Whole flaxseeds tend to pass through your digestive system pretty much intact, so to reap their health benefits, choose ground or powdered versions!. You can also crush them yourself in a coffee grinder—just make sure you haven't left a bean behind!

Flaxseed oil is extracted from flaxseeds, and while it's a rich source of ALA, it lacks the fiber and lignans found in the whole seeds!. It also goes rancid very quickly, so make sure to refrigerate it after opening, and never use it for cooking!. Although they're not as prone to rancidity, you should refrigerate ground and powdered flaxseeds for the same reason!.

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Flax (also known as common flax or linseed) (binomial name: Linum usitatissimum) is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae!. It is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent!.[1] It was extensively cultivated in ancient Egypt!. (New Zealand flax is not related to flax, but was named after it as both plants are used to produce fibres!.)

Flax is an erect annual plant growing to 1!.2 m tall, with slender stems!. The leaves are glaucous green, slender lanceolate, 20-40 mm long and 3 mm broad!. The flowers are pure pale blue, 15-25 mm diameter, with five petals!. The fruit is a round, dry capsule 5-9 mm diameter, containing several glossy brown seeds shaped like an apple pip, 4-7 mm long!.

In addition to referring to the plant itself, "flax" may refer to the unspun fibres of the flax plant!.

Flax seed oil is known to be very beneficial for fibromyalgia!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

Flax is the seed that linen is grown from!. Flax seed is also called linseed, and flax oil is linseed oilWww@FoodAQ@Com





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