Flaxseed: A Golden Seed

Flaxseed (Linseed): A Nutraceutical & Functional food.

Flaxseeds

The words nutraceutical and functional food are wrongly interpreted to be one and the same, though there is a difference between the two. A functional food is one which is similar in appearance to a conventional food, consumed as a part of the usual diet, with demonstrated physiological benefits, and/or to reduce the risk of chronic disease beyond basic nutritional functions. 

While a nutraceutical is a product isolated or purified from foods that is generally sold in medicinal forms, not usually associated with foods. A nutraceutical can be a part of functional foods while the latter has to provide essential nutrients often beyond qualities necessary for normal maintenance, growth and development. 

Health benefits of Flax Seeds

As flax is consumed in the form of whole/milled/roasted seeds, oil and flour as a food to provide basic nutrition as well as various health benefits in reducing cancer and cardiovascular diseases, lowering LDL-cholesterol and vasodilatory functions, flax can be considered as a functional food. On the other hand, various stable preparations of flax in the form of nutraceutical like neat oil, capsules and microencapsulated powder are available in market. Flax lignans- isolated SDG preparations are also commercially available as a dietary supplement. 

Flax seed oil capsule

Moreover, flaxseeds were also used as medicines in ancient times as cough remedy and to relieve the abdominal pain. Various medicinal preparations of flaxseed/ oil are available in foreign markets, have been described under the next heading. 

Therefore, by keeping all these views in mind, flax can be considered a potential nutraceutical as well as functional food.




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