Flax is one of the oldest crops people ever planted. The plant gives linen from its stem and bazrak from its seed, and Iranian attari shops have sold the seed for generations for constipation, for a dry cough, and for the poultice (a soft paste held against the skin) a grandmother makes for a boil. Ground, it's a strong source of lignans, plant omega-3 and soluble fibre.
Known to botanists as Linum usitatissimum.
Chapter 2 of 15
Why It Matters
Two of the most common complaints of later life are a sluggish bowel and a cholesterol number that won't move. Flax speaks to both with one spoonful, costs almost nothing, and asks for no prescription.
Constipation becomes more common with every decade, and the usual answers either stop working or cause cramping. Flax is gentle enough to take for years. The cholesterol and blood-pressure effects are small on their own but they run in the same direction as everything else you're already doing.
Chapter 3 of 15
Why It Matters: What That Means Day to Day
Soluble fibre pulls water into the stool and softens it, which is the effect people notice first.
The same fibre lowers LDL (the harmful type of cholesterol) cholesterol modestly and steadily when taken daily.
Lignans (fibre-linked plant compounds found in seeds) have the best evidence of any food for easing hot flushes, though the effect is mild.
ALA, the plant omega-3, contributes to the fat balance of the diet in a way the body converts only partly.
Trials in people with high blood pressure show a small drop over months of daily ground flax.
Chapter 4 of 15
Traditional Persian Perspective
Persian temperament: Warm & Moist (1st degree). Softening and lubricating. Warming, so pair it with cooling foods in a hot constitution.
Persian and Ayurvedic traditions regard flax as warming and moistening — used to lubricate the bowels, soothe dryness, and support hormonal and inflammatory balance.
It was used: ground flax stirred into water at night for morning regularity. Flax-seed gel applied to the skin for inflammation and dryness. Whole flax baked into Persian and Middle Eastern breads.
Flax has served humanity as both linen fiber and food seed across Persia, India, Egypt, and Europe for thousands of years.
Chapter 5 of 15
What It Contains
Primary compounds
Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside, the lignan gut bacteria turn into enterolignans.
Alpha-linolenic acid, the plant omega-3, at roughly 2 to 3 g in two tablespoons.
Mucilage (a soft, slippery plant gel), the soluble fibre that makes soaked flax go slippery.
Vitamins
Thiamin, Folate, Vitamin B6
Chapter 6 of 15
What It Contains: Other notable constituents
Other notable constituents
Minerals: Magnesium, Phosphorus, Copper, Manganese · Antioxidants: Phenolic acids · Protein: ~5 g per 2 Tbsp. Notable: Phytoestrogens (plant compounds that act a little like the hormone oestrogen).
Chapter 7 of 15
What Studies in People Show
Strong evidence
Daily ground flaxseed lowered LDL cholesterol in pooled randomised trials.Strong evidence
Moderate evidence
Flaxseed lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure over six months in hypertensive patients.Moderate evidence
Early research
Flax lignans reduced hot-flush frequency modestly in menopausal women.Emerging evidence
Chapter 8 of 15
Preparation and Kitchen Use
A tablespoon of freshly ground flax stirred into yogurt at breakfast, with a full glass of water after it.
Grind in a coffee mill, a few seconds only, and use within the week.
Keep ground flax cold and dark; the oil turns rancid fast at room temperature.
For the drink: a teaspoon of seed in a cup of just-boiled water, covered, 10 minutes.
For a poultice: mix ground seed with hot water to a thick paste, cool to bearable, wrap in cloth.
Chapter 9 of 15
Preparation and Kitchen Use: Other Ways to Use It
One to two tablespoons of ground seed daily, no more to start.
Grind fresh, or buy ground and keep the bag in the fridge.
Stir into yogurt, porridge, a smoothie or bread dough.
Steep a teaspoon of whole seed in hot water and drink the slippery liquid warm.
Bazrak steeped in hot water until it goes slippery, drunk warm for a dry cough or a hard stool.
Chapter 10 of 15
What It Goes With
Dairy:
Yogurt
The standard vehicle. A spoon of ground flax disappears into it completely.
Pairing:
Walnuts
Both carry plant omega-3. A small handful with the morning flax covers it.
Honey:
Honey
A teaspoon in the steeped flax drink makes the slipperiness easy to swallow.
Grain:
Oats
Two soluble fibres in one bowl, which is more effective for cholesterol than either alone.
Chapter 11 of 15
Who Should Be Careful
General caution:
Whole seeds go through undigested. If you have not ground them, you have eaten nothing.
Medication interaction:
Flax without enough water makes things worse, not better. A full glass with each dose.
General caution:
Start with one teaspoon and build up over a week, or you'll be bloated for the first few days.
General caution:
Bowel obstruction or a known narrowing of the gut.
General caution:
Hormone-sensitive cancer without oncology advice on the amount.
Chapter 12 of 15
Medicines and Interactions
General cautions
Medication interaction:
Flax slows how fast the stomach empties, so take medicines an hour apart from it.
Specific medicines
Medication interaction:
Warfarin and other blood thinners — Large amounts of flax may add a mild thinning effect. Keep the daily amount steady and tell your clinic you take it. (low concern)
Medication interaction:
Oral medicines generally — The fibre slows absorption. Take tablets an hour before or two hours after flax. (moderate concern)
Medication interaction:
Diabetes medicines — Flax lowers post-meal glucose slightly, which can add to the medicine. Watch readings when you start. (low concern)
Chapter 13 of 15
Pregnancy, Children and Older Adults
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Pregnancy and breastfeeding:
Culinary amounts in bread and porridge aren't a concern. Large daily doses and flaxseed oil supplements are usually left alone in pregnancy because of the weak hormonal action; ask your midwife.
Children
Children:
A teaspoon of ground flax in porridge is fine for a school-age child who is constipated, with plenty to drink alongside. Do not give whole seeds to a small child.
Older adults
Medication interaction:
This is the age group flax helps most and the age group most likely to take it wrong. Grind it, take it with a real glass of water, and keep medicines an hour clear of it.
Chapter 14 of 15
Through the Year
Spring:
Spring
A good month to start the habit, while the bowel is already moving more easily.
Summer:
Summer
Warming by nature, so keep the dose modest in real heat and take it with cold yogurt.
Autumn:
Autumn
The dry-cough season. This is when the steeped drink earns its old reputation.
Winter:
Winter
Daily, in warm porridge. Dry indoor heat and less movement both harden the stool.
Chapter 15 of 15
Questions People Ask
Will flax mess with my hormones?
For most people the lignans are far too weak to notice. If you have a hormone-sensitive cancer, ask your oncologist what amount is sensible rather than avoiding it on your own.
How long until it works for constipation?
Two or three days for most people, and only if you drink enough water with it.
Is flaxseed oil the same thing?
No. The oil carries the omega-3 but none of the fibre and almost none of the lignans, which is most of the reason to eat the seed.
