FLAX YOUR WAY TO HEALTH

Flax is once again making itself known for its wonderful healing benefits. Flax produces the optimum oil-to-fiber ratio and the highest omega-3 content when grown under cool, moist conditions. The combination of long daylight hours and cool nights typically found on the Canadian prairies produce the finest grade seed available. Once the plant matures, the seeds from the flower can then be harvested (“What is Flax seed?”). Viewing a field of flaxseed when in full bloom is quite a sight to see. A tiny little seed derived from a delicate flower, has survived since the beginnings of civilization.
Through my studies I have found records from historians that show we have eaten this seed throughout the ages. Around 3,000 B.C. the Babylonians cultivated flax for ingesting and making their clothing. About 650 B.C. Hippocrates writes about using flax for the relief of abdominal pains. Also in 650 B.C. Theophrastus recommends the use of flax mucilage as a cough remedy (“Flax Is an Ancient Crop”). Ancient Egyptians used flaxseed for nutritional and medicinal purposes as well as the fiber contained in the flax plant to make clothes, fishnets, and other products. Throughout history, flaxseed has been primarily used as a mild laxative (“Flaxseed”). About 1st Century A.D. Tacitus praises the virtues of flax. About 8th Century A.D. Charlemagne considered flax so important for the health of his subjects that he passed laws and regulations requiring its consumption. About 15th Century A.D. Hildegard von Bingen used flax meal in hot compresses for the treatment of both external and internal ailments (“Flax Is an Ancient Crop”).
Its first reappearance was with the natural medicine and certain health conscious groups such as vegetarians, vegans and raw fooders. Whose source of living is through natural and organic foods, vitamins and minerals? I like to call them the guinea pigs of our new frontier. Not to say this in a bad way, it is to view them as heroes. Their unique life styles and eating habits seem to eventually filter into the main stream and take hold as the latest fad. There are successful benefits found in so many herbs, vitamins and minerals, which Mother Earth has chosen to supply us with naturally.
Flax is one of these little health benefits that has been around since ancient times and has found it self a nice niche in a lot of our food products. Next time you are in a health market see just how many items you can locate with flaxseed or flax oil, you will be in for a surprise. While you are there purchase yourself some flax seed or oil and see for yourself how it can benefit you by incorporating it into your diet. You will get maximum benefits from a seed that is milled or ground before eating. Whole seeds that are not chewed will tend to pass through the body with less nutritional benefit.
The nutritional values of golden flax seed vs. brown flax seed are very similar if the samples are of the same quality. I mention quality because it is very important in determining the omega 3 content and overall nutritional values. A high quality flaxseed whether golden or brown will accomplish the same, although we have found most people prefer the nutty-buttery flavor of our golden flax seed over the brown flax seed. The advantage of eating flax seed over flax oil is that flaxseed is a complete food providing you with the benefits of Omega3, 6 & 9 EFA's, fiber, protein, plant lignums (an anti-cancer agent), vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Flax oil, expelled from the flax seed, contains the EFA's but not the fiber, protein and plant lignums. Flaxseed contains approximately 40% oil (“What is Flax seed?”). Keep in mind the ADA/FDA have genetically altered the oil content to produce more omega 3 out of one little seed. So if you don’t like your flax tampered with make certain where and whom you buy from.
Why is flax so great you ask? There is so many healing agents derived from this little seed, I would need at least a hundred pages to describe how well it is known to even help prevent some long-term illnesses. The seeds and oil of the flax plant also contain substances that promote good health. Flaxseed and flaxseed oil are rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an essential fatty acid that appears to be beneficial for heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis, and a variety of other health problems. In Diabetes the flaxseed tends to even out the blood glucose response after a meal. Flax seeds contain lignans that are anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-cancer. Only 2% of the lignans found in flaxseeds ends up in flax oil. Flax seed contains phytoestrogens and lignans, which are essential plant estrogens. Phytoestrogens are different than estrogens because phytoestrogens do not stimulate the growth of cancerous cells and they help prevent breast cancer. Phytoestrogens also relieve some of the minor symptoms such as hot flashes, anxiety and irritability (“Flaxseed”).
Often it is said, flax seed is God’s gift for a toxic colon! It lubricates and absorbs toxins perfectly. The fiber in flax acts as a broom sweeping the colon of toxic material, metabolic waste and dried mucus. Flax fiber is an excellent food for friendly bacteria in
the intestine, which keeps disease-causing organisms in check. Twelve percent of flax seeds are mucilage, which makes it a gentle, non-irritating, natural laxative (“Flax Seed: Excerpts From GOD'S BANQUET TABLE”).
Flax today has become a versatile product and should be considered as a golden seed of life. This little seed has made its way into everything. There is now velour or cotton body warming pillows, filled with 100% of flax seed. When heated they relieve muscle tension and pain. The Flax oil in the seed retains half their heat after an hour. If kept under your covers, the pillow will still be warm the next morning. These pillows may also be chilled for a soft and soothing cold pack. They Cool sunburn, fever, hot flashes or inflammation. Flaxseed has been very successfully incorporated into the rations of laying hens, resulting in the production of omega-3 enriched eggs. Researchers are even looking into feeding flaxseed in dairy cattle diets in an attempt to influence milk-fat composition (Flaxseed in Animal or Poultry Feed).
Chemically treated flaxseed oil, called linseed oil, is a common ingredient in paints, inks and flax fibers that are woven into fabric. In manufacturing, the new linseed oil products that are environmentally friendly will carry less pollution. Substituting for petroleum-based solvents in a wide range of paints, stains and other coatings. Flax in particleboard manufacturing it replaces some petro-chemicals in these wood products, thereby reducing the discharge of pollution-causing compounds during the manufacturing process. Linoleum, flooring made of all-natural ingredients also helps reduce pollution. Biodegradable linoleum decomposes completely when discarded, unlike
petroleum-based vinyl floorings, which remain solid much longer (Flax for a New Century). Flax has found many uses today, not only our health internally but as well as our environmental health externally.
“Wherever flax seed becomes a regular food item among the people, there will be better health”. Wrote Mahatma Gandhi, who also used flax in his diet (“Flax Seed: Excerpts From GOD'S BANQUET TABLE”). There are many recipes for health and flax seems to be the key element for balancing a good healthy diet. So are you benefiting from this wonderful little seed? If you are not, why not try it; you have nothing to lose and only your health to gain.