FLAX SEED OIL
( Linum usitatissimum)
Other Names: Linseed oil.
General Description: A perennial herb growing to 3 ft. with oily brown seeds, native to Europe and Asia.
Parts Used: Seeds and seed oil.
Active Ingredients: fatty acids, Palmitic, Steric, Oleic, Linoleic and Linolenic.
Traditional Uses: In the Middle East Flax has been cultivated for at least 7,000 years. "What department is there to be found in active life in which linseed is not employed? Pliny ( A.D. 23-79 ).
Current Status: Flax seed oil is a good source of essential fatty acids. Essential fatty acids must be taken in the diet as the body can not make them. Flaxseed is rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the essential omega-3 fatty acid and is used by many for PMS and breast tenderness.
Precautions: No reports of toxicity, when used at recommended doses.
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