Linseed Oil and Flaxseed Oil
Using Linseed Oil and Flaxseed Oil Today
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About Flax

flax fieldsFlax (binomial name: Linum usitatissimum)  is a plant that is commonly referred to as common flax or linseed. The use of flax dates all the way back to the B.C times. This plant is native to the Mediterranean region and was also heavily cultivated in ancient Egypt and Ethiopia. Experts believe that the fertile crescent is the place where this plant was first domesticated. This plant can grow up to 1.2 meters. It also has green leaves and blue flowers.

Researchers have been studying the benefits of the seeds that come from flax for several years. Flaxseeds come in two different colors brown and yellow. One pound of flaxseed contains 20 grams of protein, 28 grams of fiber, 450 calories and 41 grams of fat. It is also rich in B vitamins, zinc, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus. Many people take flaxseed along with flaxseed oil because of the nutritional benefits. If it is stored properly, it can last for up to 20 months.

4 Responses to About Flax

  • very good and clear info.on flaxseed oil I’ve ever seen.
    i’m importer of spanish oliveoil in china, looking for imported(to china) flaxseed oil in bottle(marasca/dorica).
    hope you can help to locate an factory in EU.

    best regards,
    peter zou

  • Dear Sirs

    I think it is good to expand the knowledge of linseed in all its forms there are few plants that live up to their names, Linseeds latin name means most useful and it would be hard to find a plant with so many uses. I have to say you are quite wrong when you talk about linseed and flax oil. In this country if you are a farmer growing
    flax you will be growing a tall plant for the stem to make linen. linseed is a shorter plant with more seed branches and more seeds which is what you need for more oil. You are right the seeds do look the same. and the oil produced is the same, wether it is able to be used as a culinary depends purely on the processing method. Slow cold pressed linseed is just the same as cold pressed flaxseed. imagine if as a farmer you asked your seed merchant for flax seed and that you needed it for linen production and he send linseed you could not tell by looking at the seeds but you would soon know when stopped growing at low level. So trust is an issue you have to know your merchant will send you flax and not linseed. So you see the answer is that flax is a fibre plant and linseed is for oil production. You can be sure farmers will not be growing the tall flax plant with fewer branches and less seed if he wants oil.
    I am pretty sure that most seeds sold in health food shops as flax seed will be linseed but don’t take my word for it just plant a few and see what happens.

    I hope this helps and that you will amend your site if you would like more information please email me through my website http://www.highbarnoils.co.uk and I would be happy to help you.

    Yours sincerely
    Durwin Banks