Chemical Composition and Health Benefits of Flaxseed

Flaxseed or linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) comes from the flax plant, an annual herb. The main importance of flaxseed is in the human nutrition sector because it is emerging as an important functional food ingredient thanks to the content of active compounds, pointed to provide health benefits. There are several ways to eat flaxseed: milled, in the form of oil or added to bakery product. Scientific evidences support consumption of flaxseed for the high content in omega-3, omega-6 rich oil, α-linolenic acid, lignans, high quality proteins and fibers, compounds which are biologically active in the prevention of some chronic diseases such as many types of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cerebrovascular stroke. Furthermore, advantages in flaxseed consumptions are shown in animal nutrition sector and therefore result in healthier food from animal origin. In fact, the fatty acid profile of the meat and fat is directly affected by the source of fat in diet in swine and poultry, feeding omega-3 enriched diets by the addition of flaxseed would increase the omega-3 content in eggs and meat and thus enrich the products. The present review is focused on recent data on flaxseed chemical composition and its beneficial effects.