Flax seed

Linum usitatissimum L.

Botanical characteristics. Family of flax. Annual herbaceous plant up to 60 cm high. The stem is straight, branched up to the top, leafy. Leaves are regular, narrow-lanceolate, with three veins. Flowers are regular, bright blue, collected in racemose half-zonotics. Blossoms in June-August. Fruit is a spherical capsule filled with seeds, ripens in July-August.

Spread. In the wild is unknown. As a cultural plant is mentioned among the ancient Greeks, Jews, Egyptians, was widespread in Ancient Rus. Currently, it is cultivated in the non-chernozem regions of Russia, in Siberia, in the Baltic, in Ukraine. Cultivated flax-long and flax-curls.

Used parts of the plant. Seeds.
Flaxseed contains fatty oil (up to 40%), vitamin A, carbohydrates, protein, organic acids, mucus (up to 12%), enzymes, glycoside linamarin. Slime and linamarin determine the therapeutic activity of seeds.

Application. Decoction of flax seeds acts enveloping, anti-inflammatory and as a gentle laxative. Due to its enveloping action, the flax seed, added to the treatment fee, prolongs the effect of other plants.
It is used as an emollient for inflammation of the respiratory system, with a dry cough. Flax seed is successfully used for exacerbations of gastritis and peptic ulcer, with pain in the intestines, with chronic constipation, with hemorrhoids and rectal cracks - to soften the stool. Decoction of flax seed is a good remedy for food poisoning. It is also used for cystitis, nephritis and bladder stones.
Linseed oil is used as a gentle laxative for spastic constipation; Is recommended as a dietary product that reduces cholesterol in the blood, patients with atherosclerosis and obesity.
For the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis, the pharmaceutical industry produces linethol, and for external use - linole.
Decoction of flax seed is used for enemas and syringings, with various local inflammatory processes in the form of compresses and poultices. When angina apply as a rinse. Flaxseed oil is a good remedy for the treatment of burns.

Contraindications. Assign with caution in the propensity to diarrhea.

Preparation. Flax seeds take 1-3 teaspoons with water or milk 2-3 times a day for 20-30 minutes before meals.
One tablespoon of seeds is filled with a glass of boiling water (in the evening, in a thermos). The next day, the infusion is drunk 3 times for 20-40 minutes before meals.
"For poultices and compresses, flaxseed flour is mixed with hot water until a liquid slurry is obtained, which is then spread over a layer of gauze or a piece of cloth and applied to a sore spot, and then wrapped on top with a piece of woolen cloth" (BD Yordanov, B Nikolov, A. Boychinov).