In our article we want to talk about what is flax. This plant, except for household purposes, is widely used for medicinal purposes. Let's look at its properties.
What is flax?
The plant has long been used for the manufacture of tissue and dietary oil. It should be noted that linen clothes are characterized by great strength and durability, not to mention the high hygroscopic properties, thermal conductivity and environmental safety. Flax seeds have long been used in medicine to treat many diseases. Flaxseed oil is a dietary product. It is for the body a source of fatty acids that are not synthesized by the body on its own.
Plant description
Flax is a type of plant that is annual. It is very interesting and has long been used by people. If we talk about which plant flax belongs to, then this is the Flax family. This genus has over a hundred species. For example, alpine, white, capitate, large-flowered, veined and thin-leaved.
Of course, the most common flax is ordinary. It is also called spinning. So why is flax remarkable? Plant height reaches 60 centimeters. The leaves are small and narrow, and the flowers, as a rule, are blue, occasionally pink are folded into inflorescences, called a false umbrella. The fruits of the plant are boxes in which there are no more than ten seeds.
Flax is a plant that blooms from June to August. The fruits ripen in September. Biologists believe that the plant was once imported from India, because it was there that the first linen fabrics appeared. However, this fact is very controversial. In fact, there are no exact facts about the origin of the plant. Flax as a plant has long been known, and it grows in Canada, the USA, Northern Europe, Turkey, India, Transcaucasia.
Forty flax varieties are grown on the territory of Russia alone. But the most common flax flax and flax curls. The first type is grown exclusively for tissue, and the second - for oil.
Useful properties of the plant
Flax (the plant we described earlier) has a number of very useful properties. It contains nutrients and dietary fiber in which fatty acids are present. Flax is a source of protein of natural plant origin, vitamins and trace elements. That's why it has a healing effect on the human body. Here is such an interesting flax culture. What plant can boast such widespread use in everyday life?
Where is flax used?
This plant is, in fact, unique. It is widely used for medical purposes. It is also actively used by the food and textile industries and cosmetology. For example, flax masks can be used to restore facial skin.
In addition, it should be noted that flax is also used in cooking. It enriches dishes with healthy organic substances and vitamins. Oil is made from grass seeds, which is recommended for hypertension and cardiac and vascular diseases. Another oil is used for atherosclerosis and is included in various diets.
Decoctions of seeds are used to treat rheumatism and gout. For its preparation, two tablespoons of seeds are poured with a glass of water, heating for ten minutes. Then filter, and then take a spoon (canteen) five times a day.
For chronic constipation, it is recommended to drink a glass of infusion prepared at the rate of a spoonful of seeds per cup of boiling water. The drink is prepared immediately before use.
With ulcers and gastritis, mucus of mature seeds is taken. It has anti-inflammatory and enveloping effects.
In addition, decoctions are used for genitourinary disorders and inflammation of the bladder. For this, three tablespoons of seeds are filled with half a liter of boiling water. For a quarter of an hour the mixture is heated over a fire, and then, having cooled and filtered, are taken.
Flaxseed oil is used for disorders of fat metabolism, constipation, as well as for the treatment of wounds. The crushed flax seed helps with boils.
Flax contraindications
Of course, flax is a wonderful healthy plant. But are there any contraindications for its use? Let's look into this issue.
Naturally, flax, like many other medicinal plants, has its contraindications. It is not recommended to use it for inflammation of the ocular cornea, for cirrhosis of the liver, hepatitis, and for acute violations of intestinal activity.
There are times when you can’t use raw seeds and oil, but you can use jelly, decoctions. This applies to deviations in the work of the vascular and cardiac system. For example, with high cholesterol.
It should be noted that flax has a pronounced choleretic effect, which means that it can not be used in acute cholecystitis. In addition, having a laxative effect, it is strictly prohibited for diarrhea.
Are seeds harmful?
Flax seeds are believed to be harmless. But at the same time, in many countries the sale of flaxseed oil is prohibited.
It leads in the content of omega-3 acids. These fatty acids are extremely useful for the human body, because they fight against atherosclerosis, lower cholesterol, are the building material for cell membranes, and are also very necessary for the synthesis of prostaglandins. However, under the influence of solar heat and light, acids quickly oxidize. At this moment, peroxides are formed, which, on the contrary, are extremely harmful to people, having a carcinogenic effect.
Oil must be stored in a cool place, and transported in opaque containers. Seeds last much longer than butter. After all, in them, fatty acids are under a protective shell. Nevertheless, before using them, you need to check their taste.
Sometimes on sale you can find flaxseed flour. It is a ground seed. It already, of course, does not have the necessary fatty acids, but it does not deteriorate if stored improperly. However, it is already deprived of most of its useful properties, but products from it still have a beneficial effect on the body due to fiber, which helps with intestinal disorders.
How to store and grind seeds?
Ground seeds are convenient to use in recipes, this reduces the time of making infusions and herbs. Ground seeds are well added to different dishes and salads, this increases the value of food. Sometimes golden flax is put in flour for baking. This prevents rapid staling. In Canada, for example, this has long been a standard procedure.
Ground grains, which are sold in stores, do not have any beneficial properties, since they are packed in transparent packaging and are exposed to light. For health, grains that you yourself grind at home, for example, with a blender, combine harvester, coffee grinder, will be more useful. Best of all, of course, an electric mill will cope with such a task, it will quickly cook the right batch. And you can grind the seeds in the old way in a mortar.
Whole seeds store their properties for up to 12 months. The milled ones will not be stored for so long, they need to be cooked anew each time. Therefore, if you have prepared and have not calculated the right amount, then the excess portion should be stored in a dark jar in a cool place or in a frozen state.
Kukushkin flax
What is this cuckoo flax plant ? We all heard about him, but few remember what it is. It is logical to assume that it belongs to the flax family. But actually this is a profound error.
The name itself is confusing. Kukushkin flax is a genus of green mosses. At the moment, more than a hundred species are known that are distributed around the world. In the form of pillows, flax is found in forests, mountains, tundra, in swamps. Plants of this genus participate in the formation of peat.
Official pharmacology does not use this plant, but in folk medicine it is used as a laxative, diuretic, enveloping, anti-inflammatory agent.
Name history
This, perhaps, ends with its similarity with flax. And the plant got such an interesting name for the following reasons. Its stems are really partly similar to the famous flax flax. And bright speckled boxes look like cuckoo wings. So we got an unusual name.