I've Got Flax

[aliaseater]

Can anyone please enlighten me as to the use of flax as food. I've recently fielded requests for flax seed and flax oil. I've no idea what these are used for.

Thanks

[tryska]

flax seed and flax seed oil are a way of getting omega-3 EFAs in ones system.

flax seed oil can taste pretty nasty unless you get one that uses the omega-flo process. then it tastes buttery and delicious. it can't be heated, as it oxidizes quite quickly so you don't want to use it in anything that you have to cook.

the oil can be used as a salad topper, and i use it over cottage cheese.

now flax seed, you can incorporate into breads, grind it and mix it with oats, top salads that kind of thing.

you can actually mix the oil with peanut butter and add some crushed seeds to it, and use it as a spread or add it into a smoothie or shake for protein and good dose of healthy fats.

[fifi]

My son got on a nutrition kick while he was living with me a couple of years ago. A nutritionist friend of his gave him a recipe for some really yummy muffins that contained flax seed. He would grind it up in the mini-Cuisineart. THAT made a hell of a racket.

The muffins were a good fiber source.

Edited September 23, 2003 by fifi (log)

[Alex]

I grind my flax seeds in an old blade-type coffee grinder. They add kind of a nutty taste to pancakes.

As tryska mentioned, flax seed oxidizes quickly, so I recommend buying it in small quantities and storing it in the fridge.

[sherribabee]

I like to make my own granola and add a cupful of flax seeds to it. :)

When I can't get it that way, I take the capsule. I'm not sure I could choke down the oil otherwise.

[Jensen]

Can anyone please enlighten me as to the use of flax as food.  I've recently fielded requests for flax seed and flax oil.  I've no idea what these are used for.

Lots of people use them in making dog food (another food fad, albeit a canine one). As someone said, they add Omega-3 fats to the diet.

[pitti]

I just grind them and at them to cereal. They taste kind of nutty.

As for dog food it's more then a fad. My dog is allergic to flax and it's almost impossible to get dog food without it.

[foodie52]

One tablespoon of flax oil every morning in my oatmeal.

Ergo, I shall live forever.....

[sherribabee]

But be careful if you're a guy, there is evidence that flax oil promotes prostate tumor growth.

[tryska]

interesting that that comes from Ornish....

anyways, i wonder if the effects on prostate cancer are due to Alpha Linoleic Acid's affect on hormones.

*starts a new research project*

[Human Bean]

The definititive popular reference on flax and other EFAs is Udo Erasmus' Fats That Heal, Fats that Kill. (eG Amazon link). The science appears to be solid, although much of the other stuff seems to be of the rah-rah health-food-faddist variety (EFAs will help prevent cancer, heart disease, mange, and bad breath.) Okay, I made up the mange and bad breath parts, but there's a disconcerting amount of faddist stuff in it. But it's not overall a bad book. Try your library to see if they can get you a copy; I don't own the book, but have read it via inter-library loan. I don't recall seeing any recipes in it, but this was a few years ago.

That said, I've consumed about an ounce (rather more than necessary) of flax oil or mixed Omega oils daily for about 4 years. It really does make your skin amazingly soft, especially if you've also cut out most deep-fried foods and trans-fats (the book tells you more than you ever wanted to know about why trans-fats are evil - I don't remember the details).

Flax oil should always be purchased refrigerated; it's usually available in health food stores. If it's not refrigerated, forget it. Fresh flax oil has an interesting nutty taste; rancid flax oil smells and tastes like linseed oil (familiar to painters; linseed oil IS rancid (boiled) flax oil). You can use flax oil in salad dressings or on other cold food, as has been mentioned. Don't heat it, it is fragile and breaks down easily (presumably, anything up to body temperature is okay, otherwise it would become evil once you've consumed it, but it's not good to let it stay at elevated temperatures for longer than necessary). The flax oil that I buy is Spectrum Organic from California, it's readily available here and reasonably priced.

Flax seeds, I'm not so sure about their uses. If you bake them, you might destroy their value (same as how some fish are high in Omega-3s, but cooking them might completely destroy the EFAs and negate their value). I grind the seeds and add them to salads; EFAs and extra fiber together. Again, I'd suggest cold foods if you're using flax seeds, but I don't have any ideas for whole seeds, only freshly ground.

Digression (cooks can skip this; Scientific Bastards might find it interesting, though it contains no solid science):

Sherribabee's link above about possible negative prostate consequences is interesting, and requires further study. It may have some merit. I learned about EFAs from the bodybuilding community when I (intentionally) lost a lot of weight. Bodybuilders know vastly more than most anyone about gaining and losing weight; usually pharmaceutically-assisted, but not always; the pros have astounding drug bills, but non-pros can't afford that, and are far more knowledgeable about practical nutrition than any professional dietician - the academics study it, but the builders live it, and know what works and doesn't. Anyway, the folklore is that flax may help prevent gynecomastia; male breast enlargement caused by excessive androgens (actually, androgens metabolized to estrogens that cause the breast growth). If this is the case, then effects of flax might be effectively pro-androgen, which is long-term anti-prostate (also long-term pro-hair-loss, as androgens are involved in that as well). Again, it requires more study. (Truism: Results of scientific studies always call for more studies. This helps insure further funding.) Having read this far, we now return you to your regular eGullet...

Edit: Dumb; redundancy that would have been obvious had I previewed.

Edited September 25, 2003 by Human Bean (log)

[tryska]

rock on human bean - that's exactly where i was going with my posssible research project.

<~~~~~is a natty bb.

[Hopleaf]

the oil can be used as a salad topper, and i use it over cottage cheese.

I'm gonna try this. I've been eating cottage cheese a lot lately, as it's low in cholesterol (at least the 2% variety is).

Any idea of the shelf-life of flax seed oil? Rancidity factors? The bottle in my pantry is probably a couple of years old.

[Hopleaf]

Nevermind! I just read Human Bean's post above. Guess I'm tossing that bottle I have.

[tryska]

good stuff for breakfast. i like the friendship california style best. actually it's the only one i will eat, but it's 4% milkfat. this week for breakfast it's been grapefriut flesh, demerara sugar (just a sprinkle) and cootage cheese. :D not quite the acquired taste of flax and cottage cheese....and yeah, toss yours out and get a new bottle, preferably fom cobblestone mills or jarrow. in a pinch spectrum isn't bad.

[misstenacity]

BUMP!

Has anyone noticed when taking flax oil in amounts around 1T per day or higher, that you can smell the oil on your skin? It doesn't smell bad.... just flaxxy.

Its going right THROUGH me! Hehe.

HumanBean, thanks for your comments on the weightlifters. I'm becoming more fascinated by that culture as of late, especially the nutrition-control aspects of it.

Andrea

http://tenacity.net

[Tracy K.]

Yes, flaxseed oil/flax seed can have a laxitave effect...and I think that that was the "old-fashioned" use for it before the fatty-acid issue came around. There is an old cereal made in Massachusetts called Uncle Sam cereal which is basically wheat flakes and flax seeds; their box used to list the 'maintaining regularity' point before Omega-3 was the hot health item.

I enjoy sprinkling some ground flax seeds on salads/cereal, really you name it. A small amount will give a nice nutty flavor.

[KatieLoeb]

Makes your hair shiny and your skin very soft. I've also found that it clears up patches of dry skin (which I often get in the winter) from "the inside out", so to speak.

I like using the oil as a salad dressing oil. Mixes well with Pumpkin seed oil which has a much stronger nuttier taste that masks the Flax oil taste if you don't like it.

[Human Bean]

I've never personally notice a laxative effect from flax, or a flaxy smell on my skin, but maybe I've just never paid much attention.

The soft skin and shiny hair is very noticeable though; it really seems like skin lotion, but working from the inside out rather than the outside in, as Katie said.

[NulloModo]

So that is why my skin and hair is soft and my hair is so shiny...

I eat a ton of flax, though not for health benefits directly as much as the stuff is incredibly low-carb. Combined with wheat protein isolate and oat fiber it makes an incredibly tasty, realistically texture, and very low carb bread.

Check out low-carb forums in general if you want to know more flax recipes. The low-carb community is the largest consumer and the biggest innovator for new flax-seed uses.

Oh, I will also say, skip the Bob's Red Mill pre-ground stuff. Check out local health food and natural food stores for a source of whole golden flax seeds (milder in flavor than the Bob's Red Mill and more common Brown seeds).

Trader Joes also makes a pretty nice Soy and Flax Seed tortilla chip.

[Ninjai Fanatic]

flax breads are really nice..just make sure you do'nt put too much (the ground up type okay) or you'll end up with a scratched throat.

as for just .. plain eating, etc, you can mix a tablespoon or so with your coffee/chocolate drinks as long as you won't wait too long before drinking it as it expands. yummy stuff. :)

[plantdetective]

Uncle Sams cereal is great. Started it when I was trying to loose weight and just like it, Never have really liked sweet cereals. My favorite used to be rice chex plain with milk or occaisionally corn flakes plain with skim or 1%.

The flax seeds are just a nice bonus with this cereal. Price around here ranges from $1.58-1.98 so fairly frugal at 5-7 servings per box.

Paul

[gus_tatory]

Makes your hair shiny and your skin very soft.  I've also found that it clears up patches of dry skin (which I often get in the winter) from "the inside out", so to speak.

I like using the oil as a salad dressing oil.  Mixes well with Pumpkin seed oil which has a much stronger nuttier taste that masks the Flax oil taste if you don't like it.

←

absolutely, KatieLoeb~! i too have noticed these side benefits of flaxseed oil--no more split and cracking nails, heals winter dry scalp, etc. i also take salmon oil and borage oil for omega 3s.

i use flaxseed in cooking by adding 1-2 TBLSP to my buckwheat waffles recipe, same amount to a bread-machine loaf, and the baked goods acquire this wonderful nutty smell as they finish up cooking. good stuff~!

[ellencho]

Sometimes my mom and I just eat spoonfuls of flax seed. It's crunchy and it tastes nutty.

[Vancouver]

My favourite use for flax seeds is to mix a few tablespoons with dried cranberries and plain yoghurt. It makes for a delicious blend that is both nutty and fruity.

Cheers!