Flaxseed

Flaxseed is available either as yellow seeds or brown seeds, they have the same nutritional value. Flaxseed comes from the flax plant, and is rich in alpha-linolenic acid (LNA), an essential fatty acid beneficial for treating a range of ailments. In ancient times, the seeds were used for healing and medicinal purposes, and the fiber found in the plant was used to make linen fabric. Flaxseeds are known for the therapeutic oil that is derived from them when they are pressed. Flaxseeds and their oil are the best food source of LNA, an Omega-3 fatty acid, typically found in fish oils.

The body does not naturally produce essential fatty acids, therefore we must consume them in order to stay healthy. Just one tablespoon of flaxseed oil contains about 2.5 grams of Omega-3s, more than twice the amount most Americans get from their food. Flaxseeds also contain linoleic acid (LA), an Omega-6 fatty acid, another healthy fat found in vegetable oils. Flaxseeds are the richest source of lignans, a type of fiber that may have anti-cancer properties. When lignans are ingested, bacteria in the digestive tract convert them to estrogen-like substances, which are believed to have anti-tumor effects. Lignans also have anti-oxidant properties, protecting cells from damaging free radicals.

New studies have shown that cancer patients who consume ground flaxseeds between the time they are diagnosed and the time of surgery, are able to slow the progress of their cancers and tumor growth rate, though it is unclear whether that is due to the lignan component or something else in the flaxseeds. Flaxseeds help lower bad cholesterol levels to protect against heart disease, counter inflammatory conditions due to their high Omega-3 content, and relieve constipation and other intestinal conditions because of their high fiber content. Flaxseeds and their oil also promote healthy hair and nails because of the Omega-3 content, possible reduce the risk of cancer, assist with menstrual and menopausal discomfort due to their hormone-balancing lignan component, may prevent swelling and inflammation in the prostate due to the EFA content. Flaxseeds have a nutty flavor and are a great addition to many recipes. The seeds themselves can be sprinkled on salads, vegetables, or cereal, however, due to their high fiber content, flaxseeds pass through the body and should be ground for maximum benefit. Once ground, seeds should be kept refrigerated.

Ground flaxseeds are excellent for use in flour for breads, muffins, pancakes, cereals and breakfast bars, which can also be found pre-made in grocery stores. Flaxseed oil spoils quickly and must be kept refrigerated. The oil cannot be heated as the nutritional content will be damaged at high temperatures, and is best absorbed when taken with food. The oil can be mixed into juices or other drinks, yogurt, cottage cheese, and many other foods, or even used as oil in a salad dressing. Flaxseed oil capsules are available, but a large number of capsules are needed to get the equivalent of 1 tablespoon of oil, and this can become quite expensive. Ground flaxseeds must be ingested with plenty of water (at least one 8-ounce glass of water per tablespoon of ground flaxseed) to prevent the ground seed from swelling up and obstructing the digestive tract, and should not be ingested if you have any kind of bowel obstruction.

Flaxseed Products:

1. Whole Flaxseed - Whole flaxseed can be kept in cool, dry storage (0 to 80° F) for several years. Whole flaxseed needs to be ground so that nutrients and compounds can be utilized by the human digestive tract.
2. Ground Flaxseed - Grind at home with a coffee grinder or food processor. In some geographic areas it may also be available for purchase pre-ground. Ground flaxseed can be stored at refrigerator or freezer temperatures for several months.
3. Flaxseed Oil - Flaxseed oil is cold-pressed without solvents. The oil is usually sold in health food stores. Oil can be stored in the refrigerator for up to four months. Check the expiration date when purchasing.

Health Benefits

The health benefits of flaxseed have focused on the body's response to the high content of omega 3 fatty acids and fibers, especially lignan.

• Heart Disease - Dietary fiber in flaxseed has been found to lower "bad" cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol). Omega 3 fatty acids also have been shown to reduce blood pressure, stroke risk and to increase time for blood clotting.
• Anti-inflammatory Effects - The omega 3 fatty acids in flaxseed are metabolized to substances that exert an anti-inflammatory response and may have benefit for diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
• Natural Laxative - The fiber in flaxseed exerts a natural laxative effect.
• Diabetes - The fiber in flaxseed has been shown to reduce the blood glucose response to carbohydrate intake in healthy individuals. More research is needed to determine the effect with diabetics and pre-diabetics.
• Menopausal symptoms - Phyto-estrogens from flaxseed, called lignans, may help reduce menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes.

Daily Amounts:

• Ground flaxseed - Suggested safe and effective daily intake is about 4 tablespoon (1/4 cup) or about 36 grams. Raw flaxseed can be sprinkled onto cereal or stirred into juice or other foods. Flaxseed may also be incorporated into bakery products.
• Flaxseed oil - One tablespoon of flaxseed oil has been suggested as a daily amount. Flaxseed oil is a source of omega 3 fatty acids. The oil does not contain lignans or other types of dietary fiber found in ground flaxseed (unless added back).

Flaxseed Recipe Substitutions

Flour substitutions

• Many recipes may allow a substitution of one-quarter to one-third of the flour with ground flaxseed.
• For example, in a recipe asking for 2 cups whole wheat flour, use 1½ cups whole wheat flour and ½ cup ground flaxseed.

Fat alterations - Because flaxseed has a high fat content, reduce the fat in baked products by 2-3 tablespoons for every 1/2 cup ground flaxseed used.

FLAXSEED ADDED TO BAKED PRODUCTS

This fact sheet provides information to bakers and food scientists on the utilization of ground flaxseed (both brown and golden flaxseed) in existing or newly formulated baked products. Baking trials were conducted at the Northern Crops Institute on a variety of baked products to answer some of the questions that bakers may encounter when using flaxseed for the first time.

Flaxseed Nutritional Facts

• Flaxseed contains 40-45% oil, 55% of which is alpha ( ) linolenic acid (ALA)1, 2.
• One ounce (28.4 g) of flaxseed contains more than 5 grams of alpha linoleic acid.
• Flaxseed is, by far, the best known source of plant lignans (one group of phytoestrogens)
• Flaxseed contains 28% dietary fiber.
• One ounce of flaxseed provides 32% of USDA's reference Daily Intake (RDI) of fiber.
• Flaxseed has high levels of essential nutrients, such as folic acid, vitamins, and minerals.
• Contact AmeriFlax for more information on the nutritional benefits of flaxseed.

General Baking Information:

• Flaxseed can be added to baked products as a whole seed, imparting a healthy appearance and increased texture quality. However, flaxseed must be ground (milled) prior to consumption to obtain the potential health benefits from the Omega-3 fatty acids and lignans. See section entitled "Practical Storage of Ground (Milled) Flaxseed".
• Flaxseed is high in mucilage (gums) that can increase the water absorption properties of the dough, which can impact mixing time and dough handling characteristics. The American Institute of Baking recommends additional formula water at a rate of 75% of the added ground flaxseed by weight2. However, baking tests at the NCI show that additional water requirements are product and formula specific. Bakers will need to optimize water addition levels for individual formulas.
• For most baked products, moderate to high inclusion levels of ground flaxseed allow for the reduction or removal of shortening or other added oils.
• Shorter mixing times are required for certain products.
• In bread products, flaxseed addition can increase fermentation and proof times. Yeast levels can be increased to compensate for this increase.
• Oven temperatures may need to be decreased slightly to prevent excessive browning.
• Baking with flaxseed does not reduce the quality or availability of the nutritional components of flaxseed according to published research3.

Specific Product Information:

This page contains practical tips for including flaxseed in various baked products from actual trials at the Northern Crops Institute. Ground flaxseed was added on a "Baker's Percent" basis, with the flour portion comprising 100% of the formula and all other ingredients are added as a percentage of the flour portion. The amount of flaxseed in the dough or batter is also listed on a true or 100% basis; however, keep in mind that baking liberates much of the water added to a formula. See flaxseed recipes for copies of the following formulas.

Bagels: 25% Ground Flaxseed (13% on a 100% basis)

• Mixing time was not impacted with the addition of flaxseed.
• The oils in flaxseed allowed for the removal of shortening.
• Dough extensibility increased with flaxseed addition, for easier working of the dough.
• With any bagel formula, proof time is critical. The addition of 25% ground flaxseed increased proof time six minutes in NCI tests.
• Flaxseed bagels had softer texture than non-flaxseed bagels and had good flavor.

Bran Muffin: 26 & 42% Ground Flaxseed (6.7 and 10% on a 100% basis)

• Flaxseed addition allowed oil in the formula to be reduced by 40%.
• Flaxseed addition required additional applesauce to retain the same batter viscosity.
• Flaxseed muffins were found to have good flavor and good texture after three days.
• An increase in the amount of honey helped retain moisture in the muffin.

Cracked Wheat Hoagie: 15 and 20% Ground Flaxseed (5.9 and 7.7% on a 100% basis)

• Oil was removed from the formula with the addition of ground flaxseed, resulting in improved texture.
• Only a small amount of water was added to the formula with the addition of flaxseed.
• Dough mixing was unaffected by flaxseed addition.
• The dough was found to be more extensible, but had no impact on handling or molding.
• Oven temperature was reduced to control browning.
• Both the 15% and 20% loaves had good flavor and texture for three days at room temp.
• Flaxseed contributed good flavor to the bread, not covering the whole-wheat flavor.

Oatmeal Bread: 20 and 25% Ground Flaxseed (6.4 and 10.2% on a 100% basis)

• Additional water was required to optimize dough-handling properties.
• Shortening was removed from the formula, but this did not affect dough handling or texture characteristics.
• Bread containing flaxseed required 15 minutes longer fermentation than non-flaxseed bread.
• Oven temperature was reduced to control browning.
• Flaxseed increased loaf diameter and reduced loaf height and volume.
• The bread with flaxseed provided excellent flavor, and did not mask the wheat and oat flavors.
• Texture and flavor were found to be excellent for the three days of evaluation.

Chocolate Chip Cookies: 25% Ground Flaxseed (6.1% on a 100% basis)

• Unlike the other baked products tested, shortening was not reduced with the addition of flaxseed into the formula.
• Even though flaxseed is high in oil, it imparted a dryer feel to the cookie dough.
• Cookies with flaxseed had increased height (were thicker) compared to 0% flaxseed formula, even with the increased oil due to the flaxseed incorporation.

Practical Storage of Ground (Milled) Flaxseed: Dr. Dennis Wiesenborn, Professor with North Dakota State University, Ag and Biosystems Engineering and Cereal and Food Sciences Departments.

It is often desirable to grind flaxseed before use, because this makes it easier to incorporate the seed into bread and other products. Also, grinding increases the availability of the flaxseed nutrients to be utilized by the body compared to intact flaxseed. Ground and unground flaxseed may be purchased from health foods stores and many supermarkets. Flaxseed is easily ground using an inexpensive coffee grinder or blender, and good quality, unground flaxseed can have a shelf life of several years if stored in a cool, dry location away from bright light.

Grinding flaxseed accelerates the oxidation process that causes the oil to become rancid. Ground flaxseed should be stored in an airtight container away from light. Storage in a freezer or refrigerator is ideal, but a cool cupboard will suffice. Under optimal conditions, good quality, ground flaxseed should keep for six months or more. If flaxseed does become rancid, it is a flavor or palatability issue, not a food safety concern. Fresh, toasted flaxseed has a distinctly pleasant aroma and flavor, yet heat can heat damage sensitive oil components and accelerate rancidity.

Nutrient Composition of Flaxseed

1 Tbsp ground flaxseed weighs 12 grams and has approximately 5 grams of fat

(Percent of total weight):

• Fat 41%
• Omega 3 PU 57%
• Omega 6 PU 16%
• Monounsaturated 18%
• Saturated 9%
• Total dietary fiber 28%
• Water insoluble 67% (Cellulose and Lignan)
• Water soluble 33% (Mucilage gum)
• Protein 20%
• Moisture/Ash 11%

References:

1. USDA Nutrient Data. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp
2. American Institute of Baking, Technical Bulletin, Volume XVII, Issue 4, April 1995
3. Cunnane, S.C., et. al. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1995; 61:62-68

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