Flax seed: 100 grams contains...1

Flax oil:35 grams
     Alpha-Linolenic Acid 20.7 grams
     Linoleic Acid 4.9 grams
     Oleic Acid 6.7 grams
     Stearic Acid 1.4 grams
     Palmitoleic Acid 1.8 grams

Protein: 26 grams
Fiber:   14 grams
Mucilage:12 grams
Minerals:14 grams
     Potassium  .74 grams
     Phosphorus .70 grams
     Magnesium  .38 grams
     Calcium    .21 gram
     Sulphur    .21 gram
     Sodium     .046 gram
     Chlorine   .043 gram
     Iron       .0077 gram
     Zinc       .0057 gram
     Manganese  Trace
     Silicon    Trace
     Copper     Trace
     Fluorine   Trace
     Nickel     Trace
     Cobalt     Trace
     Iodine     Trace
     Molybdenum Trace
     Chromium   Trace

Water:    9 grams

Flax seed has been keeping civilizations of the world healthy for 5000 years. Flax is a useful and powerful agent for treating fatty degeneration in cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and other diseases. In addition to the above nutrients, Flax seed also has some other extremely healthy things in it.

Carotene, Vitamin B1, B2, C, E, Lecithin and phospholipids: Flax contains all the anti-oxidants it needs to naturally keep the oil fresh within the seed. When the seed is cracked, the anti-oxidants will keep the oil fresh until they are all used up. If we keep light and oxygen away from the seed pulp or oil by not breaking up the seed until just before use, the natural, fresh anti-oxidants will be used within our bodies in their strength.

Fiber: Fiber is a must for intestinal and colon health. And Flax seed has one of the best, Mucilage. Its 12 percent mucilage makes flax seed the best natural laxative available. Its also great for acidic stomachs and lowering cholesterol by preventing the re-absorbtion of bile. It has many other useful properties as well.

Lignans: Lignans have anti-viral, anti-fungal, antibacterial, and anticancer properties. And Flax seed contains 100 times more lignans than the next closest source. (Flax oil doesn't have any lignans, it's all in the seed.)

Preparing Flax Seed for Use:          (Top of page)

Ingesting unbroken flax seed just passes right through us. For our bodies to digest flax seed, the hull or shell must be broken. There are a couple of ways of doing this.

1. Blenders: Flax seed grinds up very nicely without any water. Put 3 tablespoons in your blender and set it on the "grind" speed. This seems to work a little better if the small 1 cup blender jars are used, but the open top blender works also. After it is well ground, flax seed prepared in this way is so versatile it can be sprinkled on just about anything. Or better yet, add some raw sunflower seed. (Cooked sunflower seed contains damaged oil.) Three tablespoons of flax blended with 3 to 4 tablespoons of sunflower seed contains a balanced blend of all the essential fatty acids you need. With or without the sunflower seeds, flax seed prepared in this way has a nutty flavor and goes well on salads, prepared or already cooked cereal, vegetables, or even ice cream! This is something you can really get creative with.

Another way to do this with your blender is to add a cup of water for every 3 tablespoons of flax seed then turn the blender on high. You can tell when it is done as it thickens up. It will have the consistency of pudding, only with more body. That 12% mucile is the reason it gets so thick. The flavor is a bit too strong for my taste to eat it straight like this. I've tried blending it up in milk instead of water and adding a little jam. This makes it much more palatable for drinking. Also, for some reason the milk prevents the blended flax from thickening so much, and to a large degree hides the flax's strong flavor. It's more like the consistency of a malt.

2. Coffee Grinders: The small, blade type coffee grinders that grind 4-5 tablespoons of coffee at a time are also great for flax.

3. Grain Grinders: Grain grinders come in a couple of different types. But some are better suited for grinding flax than others.

a. Stone Grinder: Stone grinders have two donut shaped, porous stones. The outer stone turns and the inner stone is stationary. Grooves in the inner half of the stone forces grain through the stones where it is ground. These grinders can be electrically or manually operated. Stone grinders can grind flax, but there are a couple of precautions you must take. Flax is so full of oil that it will quickly gum up the stones in your grinder. For a stone grinder to grind flax, it must be mixed with wheat, or some other dry grain in a ratio of at least 3 parts grain to 1 part flax. This generally takes care of the plugging problem. And it may be necessary to take the stones apart occasionally and clean the oily residue out of them.

b. Burr Grinder: Burr grinders use metal wheels with protruding burrs which grind the grain. These grinders will grind all kinds of grains and beans, and are an excellent choice for flax. They also come in manual and electric models.

c. Impact Grinder: These grinders only come in the electric variety and are extremely fast grinders when considered next to the stone or burr grinders. The blade grinder has several rows of blades that turn inside each other at extremely high speeds. For private use these grinders are the top of the line. When purchasing one, be sure it is designed for all types of grains and beans. Not all of them are! All the impact grinders that I know of must be mixed with dry grains when grinding flax or they will plug up.

3. Cooking: Put your freshly prepared flax /flour mixture in pancakes, bread, muffins, or biscuits. Be creative. I'd love to hear of your successes and perhaps add your recipe to the recipes page.

I don't recommend...
Boiling flax seed turns it into the most disagreeable slime. (It's the mucilage, again.) Even though chewing the seed works, and chews much easier than wheat, I would not recommend it except to the most hearty folks who have a good set of teeth. When I have not had the opportunity to get my flax for the day, I have on occasion popped a tablespoon of flax seed in my mouth. Chewing it takes a couple of minutes to break open all the seed shells.

References:
1. Fats that Heal Fats that Kill taken from information throughout chapter 59