Flaxseed or Linseed

Scientific name: Linum usitatissimum

Description:

Flax is an annual fiber crop that grows to a height of more than 3 ft tall and thrives in moist soils rich in silt, clay and sand. It is cultivated in ancient Egypt, India and China. It has slender stems and slender lanceolate green leaves.Flax is an annual plant that thrives in deep moist soils rich in sand, silt, and clay.

The flower has five pale blue petals while in other varieties the petals can be bright red. The fruit is round with glossy brown seeds like that of an apple. These small, oval-shaped seeds contain oil called flaxseed oil or linseed oil.

There are two main types of flaxseed: golden flaxseed and brown flaxseed.


Health Benefits of Flaxseed:

In ancient times, flaxseeds also known as linseeds are both used as food and medicine.

Flaxseeds are an excellent source of omega-3 essential fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid or ALA, docosahexaenoic acid or DHA, and eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA). These are "good" fats that have been shown to be beneficial to have a healthy hearts.

It is also a rich source of dietary fiber and the fiber-related polyphenols called lignans as well as a good source of mucilaginous gums like arabinoxylans and galactoxylans. Thus making flaxseed an effective laxative.

The lignans are estrogen-like chemical compounds with antioxidant qualities that fight free radicals.

Linseed or Flaxseed is a rich souce of vitamin B1 and other minerals like magnesium, copper, phosphorus, calcium, folate, selenium and other micronutrients.


Medicinal Properties:

To get the most benefits out of flaxseeds, it should be consumed in ground form(grounded) otherwise the seeds will just past through the digestive tract undigested. One can add grounded flaxseed or linseed in coffee, cooked cereal, homemade muffin, cookie, bread recipe. or grain dish. Or you may add a tablespoon of flaxseed oil to smoothies and fruit shakes.

Cancer 

The lignan contents are said to block enzymes that prevent tumor cells from growing. Flaxseed is said to prevent breast cancer, prostate cancer, and colon cancer. It also has antiangiogenic properties that stops tumor cells from forming new blood vessels.

Heart Disease

Linseed oil or flaxseed oil is rich in omega 3 fatty acids as well as some other antioxidants thus providing valuable cardiovascular benefits. It also lowers cholesterol levels and protects the blood vessels from inflammatory damage.

Digestive Health

The high fiber content helps delay gastric emptying and improve intestinal absorption of nutrients.

Post-Menopausal Symptoms

It is believed that taking flaxseed oil reduce the symptoms of menopause like hot flashes.

 
Side effects and Precautions:

Precautions:

Pregnant women should avoid taking flaxseed because of its estrogen-like properties.

Bowel obstruction - those people suffering from bowel obstruction should also avoid flaxseed/linseed because of its high fiber content.

Side effects include:
 Stomach pains
 Bloating
 Flatulence
 Constipation
 Diarrhea
 Nausea


Additional info:

Flaxseed should be used within 24 hours after grinding and the flaxseed oil should be refrigerated.

Do not eat unripe flaxseeds as they may be poisonous.

Lansones

Scientific name: Lansium domesticum

Common names: langsat, lansones, lanzones,langsak
langsad (thin-skinned variety); longkong (thick-skinned variety)


Description:

Lansones is native to Southeast Asia because of the tropical temperatures and the tree can grow to a height
of 15 meters. The bark is colored gray with light and dark spots. The compound leaves are alternate and
pointed at both ends while the flowers are small with short stems & spikes and is greenish-yellow.

The fruit is yellowish or beige and is borne in clusters on a single stem. It can be oval, round, ellipsoid
or globose and is 2 to 7 centimeters in size. When one opens it, it is divided in sections of succulent
sweet&sour flesh with seeds in it. The seeds are greenish and bitter.

This fruit is available all year round but it's the sweetest when it's in season which is between July and
September.


Parts used: fruit, bark, leaves, seeds and fruit rind

Health Benefits:

Lanzones is rich in riboflavin that promotes growth, helps the body to release energy converted from
carbohydrates and makes red blood cells healthy. It also provides a sufficient amount of thiamine that helps
treat nerve and heart conditions,  This delicious fruit also contains Vitamin A, C, E and antioxidants like
carotene, beta carotene, zea-xanthins which fight off many ailments.

It is has calcium, phosphorus, iron, alkaloids, sucrose, saccharose, fructose and glucose, carbohydrates,
fiber, phytin and niacin which helps reduce cholesterol.


Medical properties and uses:

Bark of the lanzones tree is considered astringent, antipyretic and anthelmintic. It is used to treat malaria
and the powder form is applied on scorpion stings.

The concoction of lansones leaves and bark is used to relieve symptoms of dysentery.

The seed has five tetranoterpenoids, domesticulide A-E (1-5) and limonoids.
Traditional medicine used the pounded seeds mixed with water for deworming, treating diarrhea and ulcer.

The lansones leaves or the the dried fruit skin are burned and used as natural mosquito repellant or as
incense.

The fruit has antipyretic properties that lowers the person's body temperature and the crushed seeds are also
used for fevers.

The dry extract of lansones fruit is also used for moisturizing, whitening/lightening effect and has
antibacterial properties.

Eating fresh lansones is also a great way to lose weight.


THOUGH THE CONTENT OF THIS BLOG HAD BEEN TRIED/TESTED AND HAD BEEN USED
AS FOLK/HERBAL MEDICINE IT IS STILL BEST TO CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE
TRYING THIS AND AVOID SELF-DIAGNOSIS AND SELF-MEDICATION.