Flax Seed
By Ash Brones | August 6th, 2009 | Category: Herbal Magic | 2 comments
Linum usitatissimum
Flax seeds
Flax seed tea
A source of essential fatty acids, which help with hormonal troubles, heart disease, and cancer. Is a source of fiber, which helps relieve constipation. Mucilaginous, which helps sooth and protect swollen or irritated membranes of the digestive tract. Helps with diverticulitis and irritable bowel syndrome. Seems to help regulate hormones.
May ease inflammatory conditions such as gout or eczema. May regulate menstrual cycles and ease PMS or menopausal symptoms. May protect against heart disease. May lower cholesterol and blood pressure. May reduce chances of colon cancer.
Flax Seed Tea: 2 tsp whole flax seed, 1 cup cold water, soaked for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally, and strain. Warm tea slightly. Helps with bloating, gas, heartburn, abdominal cramping or constipation. Also helps with a sore throat or irritated stomach, or a urinary tract infection. Can drink up to 2 cups daily.
Laxative: Grind 1 tbsp of fresh flax seeds. Add this to applesauce or water. Take this concoction in the morning and before bed. Warning: Not okay for an obstructed bowel.
Hormone Helper: 1.5 tbsp ground and mixed with applesauce, granola, rice, oatmeal, yogurt, or anything else. Eat daily.
In magic: Believed that if 7 year old children danced in a field of flax, they would be given the gift of beauty. During the Middle Ages, flax flowers were ironically believed to protect against witchcraft. Used in rituals for the goddess Hulda, who was said to have taught mortals how to grow and then to spin it into thread and weave it into cloth. Powers are money, protection, beauty, psychic powers, and healing.
This is not medical advice.
please be careful of flax seed. My neighbor with breast cancer … post menapausal hormonal type … was told not to ever use flaxseed again. Charlotte was a daily user for years. Herbs/alternative medicines are wonderful, but not every one can use all of them safely. By the way, the oncologist was from India … where non-traditional medicine is commonly practiced.
It has something to do with the hormones and the PM breast cancer that is caused by the excess hormones. Female oncologist BTW. My friend had a very slow growing tumor in her breast for several years. When she started using the flaxseed it became a very fast growing tumor and involved lymph nodes .. kept growing from the two weeks of surgeon looking at it and the surgery.
Women should talk to their doctors or NP’s or gynocologists before taking the flaxseed.
it’s the Alfa-linolenic Acid levels that the flaxseed raises that there seem to have been a few concerns with in clinical trials. Flaxseed also not so brilliant for those with diabetes or bleeding disorders. Or rather, interacts with some of the meds one often takes for said conditions