Botanical Name(s): Linum usitatissimum. Family: Linaceae

Flax has a long and rather distinguished history. The flaxseed plant (called linseed in Europe) is an ancient crop. Recorded history on flaxseed goes back over 5,000 years. Known as “Alsi “ in Hindi, Marathi and Gujarati flax seed is used since long in India in Ayurvedic preparations and as home remedies.

The flaxseed plant has many uses, from the fiber in the straw to the oil in the seed. The meal, or residue from the crushing process, is used as livestock feed. A significant amount of the straw is collected to extract the fiber used to make cigarette paper. Paper made from flax fiber is also the paper of choice used in making Bibles. In Europe, flax has long been grown for its long fiber used to make linen for the textile trade.

General Description:
Flaxseed is an annual grown in temperate and tropical regions. Flaxseed has a nutty flavor and is used in bread and bakery products. The seeds from the flaxseed plant are also used to make linseed cakes and in liniments. The stem of the plant is used to make linen thread. Flaxseed is crushed to extract oil from it Oil extracted from the seeds is used as an alternative to fish oil.

Oil extracted from flaxseed is unique because it contains both essential fatty acids : alpha linolenic acid (ALA) an omega –3 fatty acid and linoleic acid, an Omega –6 fatty acid in appreciable amounts. Flaxseed oil is the world’s richest source of vegetarian Omega –3 Fatty acid (ALA) over 57%.

The American Heart Association (AHA) has released a scientific statement and dietary guidelines for healthcare professionals in which it notes the beneficial effects of adding flaxseed and flaxseed oil to an individual's diet. The AHA publication states,a growing body of evidence indicates that foods rich in the omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid reduce the risk of myocardial infarction and fatal ischemic heart disease in women.

In addition, the statement notes that several recent studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of alpha-linolenic acid on both coronary disease and mortality in patients with the disease. "Because of the beneficial effects of omega-3 fatty acids on risk of coronary artery disease as well as other diseases such as inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, the current intake, which is generally low, should be increased."

There are about 20 fatty acids used by our bodies to maintain normal function. Of these EFAs, omega-3 and omega-6 cannot be synthesized; we must obtain them from our diets. It is also important to have a proper balance of omega-3 and omega-6 in one's diet since these EFAs are required for cell membrane formation and function, normal brain development during infancy and prostaglandin production.

	Essential fatty acids (EFA) are not synthesized by our body but are necessary for its normal functioning and hence should be supplied by our diet. Essential fatty acids are of two types:     1)  Linoleic Acid (w-6, omega 6)     2)  Linolenic Acid (w-3, omega3) They are widely present in plant oils such as sunflower, rapeseed and soyabean oils. Omega-3 fatty acid are of three types:     1) ALA (Alpha Lenolenic acid)     2) EPA (Ecosa petaenoic acid)     3) DHA (Docosa Hexaionic acid) EPA & DHA are found in fish, fish oils and other marine organism; ALA is obtained from Flaxseed Oil, Walnut Oil, Mustard Oil etc. The ratio of w-6 to w-3 in the diet is very important and the recommended ratio as per FAO/WHO joint committee is 5:1 to 10:1. Incidentally no single oil provides the same and one has to resort to a combination of SAFA, MUFA and PUFA oils in their diets. Of the total calories required, 7-10% should be derived from SAFA, 10-15% from MUFA and about 10% from PUFA oils. Since 50% of the these is provided as invisible oil through our diets only 50% should be ingested as visible fat i.e., 25-30gms per day comprising of about 8gms of saturated fats, 12 gms of MUFA oils and about 10gms of PUFA oils.