Botanical Name : Linum usitatissimum
Sanskrit Name: Alasi                           
English Name : Common flax, Flax Seeds, Linsed
Family :  Asclpiadaceae                                    
Part used: leaf

Description of Linum usitatissimum:
It is a small or medium-sized tree with a rounded crown and horizontal or drooping branches. The leaves are dark green, shining, elliptic to obovate. Fruits are ovoid, 2 inches in dia., yellow or red when ripe, with 6-8 grooves. Seeds are 6-8 surrounded by a succulent aril.

Traditional uses: Flax is an erect, herb, cultivated for its oily seeds. Leaves narrow and entire. Flowers are large, blue or bluish violet and entire. Flowers are large, blue or bluish violet and pentamerous in terminal panicles. Stamens - 5 and alternating with staminodes. Fruits capsular, with five cells, each containing 2 seeds. Seeds are yellowish or blackish brown, small, flattened, oval, with smooth and shining seed coat and small albumen.

Phytochemistry: Flax seed, next to fish oil, contains the highest concentration of the essential nutrient, Alpha Linolenic Acid (LNA), commonly called Omega 3.

Other constituents include:

• Mucilage (6%)
• Cyanogenic glycoside (linamarin) -- a respiratory system sedative
• Bitter principle
• Linseed oil in the seeds contains cis-linoleic (24%) and alpha-linolenic acids (36-50%), vitamins A, B, D, E, minerals, amino acids (25%)

Pharmacology:

1. Flaxseed contains soluble fiber, like that found in oat bran, and is an effective laxative.
2. Studies of flaxseed preparations to lower cholesterol levels report mixed results.
3. Some studies suggest that alpha-linolenic acid (a substance found in flaxseed and flaxseed oil) may benefit people with heart disease. But not enough reliable data are available to determine whether flaxseed is effective for heart conditions.
4. Study results are mixed on whether flaxseed decreases hot flashes.
5. NCCAM is funding studies on flaxseed. Recent studies have looked at the effects of flaxseed on high cholesterol levels, as well as its possible role in preventing conditions such as heart disease and osteoporosis.
6. The seeds contain both soluble and insoluble fiber which promote intestinal health and lignans, a form of phytoestrogens believed to help protect against colon, prostate, and breast cancers.

Main Actions: Analgesic; Cancer; Cardiotonic; Demulcent; Emollient; Expectorant; Laxative; Nervine; Pectoral; Resolvent

Main Uses: Flax Seed is used internally in habitual constipation, functional disorders of the colon resulting from the misuse of laxatives and irritable colon, as a demulcent preparation in gastritis and enteritis. These little seeds improve digestion, help stabilize blood glucose levels, fight tumor formation and enhance cardiovascular health. The freshly ground seed can be added to cereal, soups, or stews as a thickener. Regular use may help balance estrogen activity, reducing the risk of some cancers and heart disease and benefiting menopausal women

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