Editing Flax (section)

====Culinary====
[[File:Linseed rolls crude.JPG|alt=Small pieces of dough being topped with flax seeds before baking in a commercial bakery|thumb|Bread rolls being topped with flax seeds before baking]]

A 100-gram portion of ground flax seed supplies about {{convert|2234|kJ|kcal|abbr=off}} of [[food energy]], 41&nbsp;g of fat, 28&nbsp;g of fiber, and 20&nbsp;g of protein.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Flax nutrition profile |url=http://www.flaxcouncil.ca/english/index.jsp?p=g3&mp=nutrition |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090723062551/http://www.flaxcouncil.ca/english/index.jsp?p=g3&mp=nutrition |archive-date=23 July 2009 |access-date=8 May 2008}}</ref> Whole flax seeds are chemically stable, but ground flax seed meal, because of [[Redox|oxidation]], may go [[rancidity|rancid]] when left exposed to air at room temperature in as little as a week.<ref name="DieteticAss">{{Cite journal |last1=Alpers |first1=Linda |last2=Sawyer-Morse, Mary K. |date=August 1996 |title=Eating Quality of Banana Nut Muffins and Oatmeal Cookies Made With Ground Flaxseed |journal=Journal of the American Dietetic Association |volume=96 |issue=8 |pages=794–796 |doi=10.1016/S0002-8223(96)00219-2 |pmid=8683012}}</ref> Refrigeration and storage in sealed containers will keep ground flax seed meal for a longer period before it turns rancid. Under conditions similar to those found in commercial bakeries, trained sensory panelists could not detect differences between bread made with freshly ground flax seed and bread made with flax seed that had been [[Mill (grinding)|milled]] four months earlier and stored at room temperature.<ref name="Malcolmson">{{Cite journal |last=Malcolmson |first=L.J. |date=April 2006 |title=Storage stability of milled flaxseed |journal=Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society |volume=77 |issue=3 |pages=235–238 |doi=10.1007/s11746-000-0038-0 |s2cid=85575934}}</ref> If packed immediately without exposure to air and light, milled flax seed is stable against excessive oxidation when stored for nine months at room temperature,<ref name="Chen">{{Cite journal |last=Chen |first=Z-Y |year=1994 |title=Oxidative stability of flaxseed lipids during baking |journal=Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society |volume=71 |issue=6 |pages=629–632 |doi=10.1007/BF02540591 |s2cid=84981982}}</ref> and under [[warehouse]] conditions, for 20 months at ambient temperatures.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}

Three [[polyphenol|phenolic]] [[glucoside]]s—[[secoisolariciresinol diglucoside]], [[p-coumaric acid]] glucoside, and [[ferulic acid]] glucoside—are present in commercial bread containing flax seed.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Strandås |first=C. |year=2008 |title=Phenolic glucosides in bread containing flaxseed |journal=Food Chemistry |volume=110 |issue=4 |pages=997–999 |doi=10.1016/j.foodchem.2008.02.088 |pmid=26047292}}</ref>

=====Nutrition=====

{{nutritionalvalue | name=Flax seeds | kJ=2234| protein=18.29 g | fat=42.16 g | satfat=3.663 g | monofat=7.527 g | polyfat=28.730 g | omega3fat=22.8 g | omega6fat=5.9 g | carbs=28.88 g | fiber=27.3 g | | sugars=1.55 g | iron_mg=5.73 | calcium_mg=255 | magnesium_mg=392 | phosphorus_mg=642 | potassium_mg=813| zinc_mg=4.34 | vitC_mg=0.6 | pantothenic_mg=0.985 | vitB6_mg=0.473 | folate_ug=87 | thiamin_mg=1.644 | riboflavin_mg=0.161 | niacin_mg=3.08|water=7 g  | source_usda=1 | note=[https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169414/nutrients Link to USDA Database entry]}}

Flax seeds are 7% water, 18% [[protein (nutrient)|protein]], 29% [[carbohydrate]]s, and 42% [[fat]] (table). In {{convert|100|g}} as a reference amount, flax seeds provide 534 [[kilocalorie]]s and contain high levels (20% or more of the [[Daily Value]], DV) of protein, [[dietary fiber]], several [[B vitamins]], and [[dietary minerals]].<ref name=nd/><ref name=usda/> Flax seeds are especially rich in [[thiamine]], [[magnesium]], and [[phosphorus]] (DVs above 90%) (table).

As a percentage of total [[fat]], flax seeds contain 54% omega-3 fatty acids (mostly [[alpha-Linolenic acid|ALA]]), 18% [[omega-9 fatty acids]] ([[oleic acid]]), and 6% [[omega-6 fatty acids]] ([[linoleic acid]]); the seeds contain 9% [[saturated fat]], including 5% as [[palmitic acid]].<ref name="nd">{{Cite web |date=2015 |title=Nutrition facts for 100 g of flaxseeds |url=http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3163/2 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101205075853/http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3163/2 |archive-date=5 December 2010 |publisher=Conde Nast for USDA National Nutrient Database, version SR-21}}</ref><ref name="usda">{{Cite web |date=2015 |title=Full Report (All Nutrients): 12220, Seeds, flaxseed per 100 g |url=http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/3745?fg=&man=&lfacet=&count=&max=&sort=&qlookup=&offset=&format=Full&new=&measureby= |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140920222846/http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/3745?fg=&man=&lfacet=&count=&max=&sort=&qlookup=&offset=&format=Full&new=&measureby= |archive-date=20 September 2014 |publisher=USDA National Nutrient Database version SR-27}}</ref> Flax seed oil contains 53% 18:3 omega-3 fatty acids (mostly ALA) and 13% 18:2 omega-6 fatty acids.<ref name=nd/>

=====Health research=====
A [[meta-analysis]] showed that consumption of more than 30&nbsp;g of flax-seed daily for more than 12&nbsp;weeks reduced body weight, [[body mass index]] (BMI), and waist circumference for persons with a BMI greater than 27.<ref name="pmid28635182">{{Cite journal |last1=Mohammadi-Sartang |first1=M. |last2=Mazloom |first2=Z. |last3=Raeisi-Dehkordi |first3=H. |last4=Barati-Boldaji |first4=R. |last5=Bellissimo |first5=N. |last6=Totosy de Zepetnek |first6=J. O. |date=September 2017 |title=The effect of flaxseed supplementation on body weight and body composition: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 45 randomized placebo-controlled trials: Flaxseed and body composition |journal=Obesity Reviews |volume=18 |issue=9 |pages=1096–1107 |doi=10.1111/obr.12550 |pmid=28635182 |s2cid=5587045}}</ref> Another meta-analysis showed that consumption of flax seeds for more than 12&nbsp;weeks produced small reductions in [[Systole|systolic blood pressure]] and [[Diastole|diastolic blood pressure]].<ref name="pmid25740909">{{Cite journal |vauthors=Khalesi S, Irwin C, Schubert M |year=2015 |title=Flaxseed consumption may reduce blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials |journal=[[Journal of Nutrition]] |volume=145 |issue=4 |pages=758–65 |doi=10.3945/jn.114.205302 |pmid=25740909 |doi-access=free|hdl=10072/128716 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> A third showed that consuming flax seed or its derivatives may reduce total and [[LDL-cholesterol]] in the blood, with greater benefits in women and people with high [[cholesterol]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Pan |first1=A |last2=Yu |first2=D |last3=Demark-Wahnefried |first3=W |last4=Franco |first4=OH |last5=Lin |first5=X |date=August 2009 |title=Meta-analysis of the effects of flaxseed interventions on blood lipids |journal=The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition |volume=90 |issue=2 |pages=288–97 |doi=10.3945/ajcn.2009.27469 |pmc=3361740 |pmid=19515737}}</ref> A fourth showed a small reduction in [[c-reactive protein]] (a marker of inflammation) only in persons with a body mass index greater than 30.<ref name="pmid26959052">{{Cite journal |last1=Ren |first1=Guan-Yu |last2=Chen |first2=Chun-Yang |last3=Chen |first3=Guo-Chong |last4=Chen |first4=Wei-Guo |last5=Pan |first5=An |last6=Pan |first6=Chen-Wei |last7=Zhang |first7=Yong-Hong |last8=Qin |first8=Li-Qiang |last9=Chen |first9=Li-Hua |date=4 March 2016 |title=Effect of Flaxseed Intervention on Inflammatory Marker C-Reactive Protein: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials |journal=Nutrients |volume=8 |issue=3 |pages=136 |doi=10.3390/nu8030136 |pmc=4808865 |pmid=26959052 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

=====Linseed oil=====
{{excerpt|Linseed oil}}

=====Safety=====
Flax seed and its oil are [[generally recognized as safe]] for human consumption.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cheeseman MA |date=24 August 2009 |title=GRAS Petition by Flax Canada, Agency Response Letter GRAS Notice No. GRN 000280 |url=https://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/GRAS/Noticeinventory/ucm181935.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617234254/https://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/GRAS/Noticeinventory/ucm181935.htm |archive-date=17 June 2015 |access-date=1 June 2015 |publisher=U.S. Food and Drug Administration}}</ref> Like many common foods, flax contains small amounts of cyanogenic [[glycoside]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Cunnane |first1=SC|last2=Ganguli |first2=S|last3=Menard |first3=C|last4=Liede |first4=AC|last5=Hamadeh |first5=MJ|last6=Chen |first6=ZY|last7=Wolever |first7=TM|last8=Jenkins |first8=DJ |year=1993 |title=High alpha-linolenic acid flaxseed (''Linum usitatissimum''): some nutritional properties in humans |journal=Br J Nutr |volume=69 |issue=2 |pages=443–53 |doi=10.1079/bjn19930046 |pmid=8098222 |doi-access=free}}</ref> which is nontoxic when consumed in typical amounts.<ref name="efsa">{{cite journal | author=EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain| title=Evaluation of the health risks related to the presence of cyanogenic glycosides in foods other than raw apricot kernels | journal=EFSA Journal|date=11 April 2019 | volume=17 | issue=4 | pages=e05662 | doi=10.2903/j.efsa.2019.5662 | pmid=32626287 | pmc=7009189 | doi-access=free }}</ref> Typical concentrations (for example, 0.48% in a sample of defatted dehusked flax seed meal) can be removed by special processing.<ref>{{Cite journal |vauthors=Singh KK, Mridula D, Rehal J, Barnwal P |year=2011 |title=Flaxseed: a potential source of food, feed and fiber |journal=Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr |volume=51 |issue=3 |pages=210–22 |doi=10.1080/10408390903537241 |pmid=21390942 |s2cid=21452408}}</ref>