Flaxseed

            Flax has been cultivated since Stone Age times for the sake of its fibrous stems, which have long been used to make ropes and cloth. Until the eighteenth century, when cotton came to the forefront, flax was the most important vegetable fiber in the Western world. It is now grown primarily for use in the manufacture of luxury linen materials – and for its seeds and their oil.

            The seeds of the flax plant are also known as linseed, and their oil is always called linseed oil. The brown shiny seeds were once used as a food item in the Middle East (where they were often eaten roasted). High in unsaturated fatty acids, protein, phosphorus, niacin, and iron, flaxseeds are said to be particularly good for dry, brittle hair. Sprinkle the ground seeds on cereal, yogurt, or cottage cheese (they have a pleasant nutty flavor), and you may see your hair become thick and glossy in a matter of a few weeks. Flaxseeds are also good for constipation, as they swell and provide bulk for the intestines.

            Flaxseeds can be bought whole and ground into meal in a blender, or purchased preground; the meal should always be refrigerated. Flaxseed oil, which abounds in omega-3 fatty acids, is the most potent way to reap the nutritional benefit of flax, and is said to be helpful for menopausal women, as well as providing all of the benefits mentioned for the flaxseed. As with the seed, just be sure to refrigerate, as flaxseed oil will quickly turn rancid.

           

            Tea made from the seeds is said to be good for bronchial conditions and to have a laxative and soothing effect on the intestinal tract: Steep a tablespoon of flaxseeds in 2 cups boiling water for 15 minutes. Flaxseeds are very mucilaginous; a warm poultice made from the boiled seed or meal soothes sores, boils, and inflammations.