Flax - description, use, medicinal properties, recipes. Flax plant

Medicinal herbs and plants - Flax, common: description, medicinal properties, preparation, application, folk recipes, contraindications and precautions, recommendations.

Description.

Common flax (seed), or Flax-seed, or Dolgunets (Linum usitatissimum) - from the genus Flax, the Flax family.

Flax, common - annual herbaceous plant height up to 60 cm or more. The root is white, taproot, thin, long. Stems are erect, round, smooth, branched at the top. Leaves are alternate, narrowly lanceolate, sessile. The flowers are large, blue or blue, in thyroid racemes on long peduncles. The fruit is a multi-seeded, almost spherical capsule. The seeds are flattened, brownish in color, smooth, shiny. Blooms from June to August. Fruits from the end of July.
Flax is cultivated as a field crop in the northern and middle bands European part of Russia. In the wild, it is occasionally found in all areas along roads, in crops, and in weedy places.

Preparation.

The seeds are collected in September during flax threshing and dried under a canopy or in dryers. Seed oil is obtained by cold pressing.

Medicinal properties.

The medicinal raw materials are the seeds and the oil extracted from them. Due to the presence of a large amount of mucus, they have an enveloping, mild laxative and anti-inflammatory effect, therefore they are indicated for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Mucus prevents the absorption of toxic substances from the intestines that are formed during infectious diseases and poisoning.
Fresh grass is poisonous to internal use not recommended.

Application.

The mucus of the seeds has enveloping and softening properties, moderates irritant effect various substances taken orally or applied to the skin. It is used orally to reduce irritation during inflammatory and ulcerative processes on the mucous membranes, especially in the gastrointestinal tract (gastric ulcer and duodenum), with colic in the abdomen. Mucus is also prescribed for poisoning with various cauterizing substances, for catarrhs respiratory tract, to soften the taste of various pungent and sour substances, slow down the absorption of easily soluble medicines, to enhance their action. Fresh flax seeds are used internally in as a lung laxative. Swelling in the contents of the gastrointestinal tract, they mechanically irritate the receptors of the intestinal wall and thereby enhance peristalsis.
Flax seeds are used externally for local inflammatory processes in the form of compresses and poultices, which slow down evaporation, prevent tissue drying, soften and moderate inflammation.
Flaxseed oil is used externally as an ointment for burns and is widely practiced in dietary nutrition patients with disorders fat metabolism, as well as in atherosclerosis. In pharmaceutical practice, it is used to prepare liquid ointments.
IN folk medicine boil the seed and drink the decoction, eat boiled seeds for stomach ulcers, gastritis, chronic catarrh of the stomach, bronchitis (as an expectorant), for coughs, colic, difficulty breathing, for kidney diseases; the strained decoction is drunk with milk for pulmonary tuberculosis, the seed is eaten for leukemia; used for diarrhea; The seed is used for slimy drinking. Externally - the seed is steamed, used for sore throats, applied to abscesses, on tumors, used for various poultices, frostbitten areas are lubricated with oil. A decoction of the seeds is recommended for the treatment of wounds and ulcerations in the mouth (gargling).

Folk recipes.

Flax seed decoction (mucus): one part of whole flax seed is poured with 30 parts of hot boiled water, shake for 15 minutes, filter, squeeze. Use only freshly prepared seed mucilage. Take 1/4 cup 3 times a day before meals. The course of treatment is 2-3 weeks.

Preparation of mucus: 1/2 teaspoons of flax seeds are poured into 100 ml of water, shaken for 15 minutes and filtered. Take 1/2 glass before meals.

Preparation of infusion for internal use: pour 1-2 teaspoons of flaxseed with a glass of hot water and leave for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, then strain without squeezing. Warm the infusion slightly before use.

Compress: place coarsely ground or whole seeds in a gauze bag, hold it for about 10 minutes hot water, and then take it out and quickly apply it to the sore spot.

Infusion of flax seeds: 1 teaspoon of seed per 1 cup of boiling water. It is recommended to take 1 glass of infusion before bedtime for chronic constipation, without straining, along with the seeds.

From a strained decoction of flaxseed (1 tablespoon of flaxseed in 1.5 cups of water, boil over low heat for 12 minutes) enemas are made for diarrhea.

To prepare mucus, pour 3 g of seeds into 1/2 cup of boiling water, shake for 15 minutes and filter. Take 2 tablespoons 3-4 times a day. For diarrhea, 1 tablespoon of seeds is poured into 1/2 cup of hot water, boiled over low heat for 15 minutes, filtered and used for one enema. For chronic constipation, it is recommended to take 1 glass of unstrained infusion daily at night at the rate of 1 teaspoon of seeds per 1 glass of boiling water. Medicines must always be fresh.

Flax seeds are added to a diabetes composition that includes bean pods (without grains), blueberry leaves and oat straw. Instead of straw it is better to use green oats, collected and dried at the heading stage. The ratio of raw materials should be equal.

To prepare the infusion, pour 3 tablespoons of the crushed mixture into 3 glasses of hot water, boil over low heat for 15 minutes, cool and filter. Take 1/3-1/2 cup 3 times a day with meals. The disappearance of dry mouth and thirst indicates the effectiveness of treatment. Based on the condition, you can increase or decrease the volume of infusion taken or change the number of doses. The same infusion is prescribed for inflammation of the bladder.

Flaxseed oil is also used externally. Warmed seeds are applied to the lower back for radiculitis. For boils and skin diseases Poultices and softening compresses are made from ground seeds. Flaxseed oil mixed with lime water in a 1:1 ratio is prescribed for the treatment of superficial burns.

For acute gastritis, use the following recipe: 1 tbsp. Infuse a spoonful of seeds for 1 hour in 2 cups of boiling water, then strain. Take 1 glass 2 times a day, in the morning at empty stomach and before bed.

The industry produces the drug linetol, which has good therapeutic and preventive effect with atherosclerosis. It lowers blood cholesterol levels. Externally used for burns and radiation damage to the skin. To prevent atherosclerosis, take 1.5 tablespoons of linetol in the morning before or during meals. The course of treatment is 1-1.5 months. With a break of 2-4 weeks it is repeated several times. Linetol is not toxic, but taking it may cause nausea and mushy stool, especially in the first days. These phenomena go away on their own, without stopping the drug. If you are prone to diarrhea, Linetol is not recommended.

Contraindications and precautions.

Flax should not be consumed for a long time; it can cause poisoning. It is also contraindicated for cholecystitis, keratitis, acute disorders bowel functions.
Treatment of children under two years of age with any herbal remedies poses a potential danger.

There are contraindications. Self-medication is contraindicated. Before using any prescription, consult your doctor for advice and permission to use.

Syn: common flax.

The plant has long been used by people for making fabrics. Flax seeds are used as coating agent.

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Flower formula

In medicine

Flax seeds are used for inflammatory and ulcerative processes of the gastrointestinal tract (inflammation of the esophagus (esophagitis), gastric and duodenal ulcers, enteritis, colitis); for spastic constipation.

Externally, flax seeds are used for various local inflammatory processes, burns, trophic ulcers, radiation injuries and skin lesions after X-ray exposure. In dentistry - for inflammatory diseases of the oral mucosa and stomatitis.

For children

As a medicine, flax seeds can be used by children from 12 years of age.

Components linseed oil are included in aerosols that are used in treatment thermal burns, stomatitis, strepto- and staphylodermic manifestations in children.

In cooking

Fresh flaxseed oil is used in home cooking for preparing salads, vinaigrettes and other dishes that do not require strong heating. In Ethiopia, flax seeds and oil are used in baking bread. Flaxseed oil is a valuable edible fat that has been used as a food product for a long time.

IN food industry F.I. Mamchur et al. (1989) obtained a protein concentrate with high content essential amino acids, which has a high biological value and recommended using it as an additional source of proteins when creating food products. Polish scientists consider flax seeds as a promising source for the manufacture of confectionery products.

In industry

Application in pharmaceutical industry

Flax seed mucilage has prospects for use in pharmaceutical drug technology, in particular as an emulsifier. Polish scientists have studied the possibility of using flax mucilage from the cake obtained by extracting fatty oil seeds in the technology of tablet forms. Flax mucilage promotes better binding of the components in the tablets and speeds up their disintegration time.

Refined flaxseed oil is the basis for soft patches.

Technical Application

From the stems of fiber flax, flax fibers are obtained, from which yarn for linen is spun.

Flax is also grown for its technical oil, which serves as a raw material for the preparation of drying oil, varnishes, paints, linoleum, oilcloth, and waterproof fabrics. It is used in soap making, rubber, and paper industries.

Oil production waste - oil cake - is used to feed farm animals. The chaff after threshing the seeds is also used to feed livestock. Lignified parts of stems that are not used for fiber are waste from primary processing flax - contain 60% cellulose and are used in the manufacture of paper, cardboard, construction and thermal insulation boards, ethyl alcohol, acetone and other products.

Application in cosmetology

Flax seeds are used in medicinal cosmetics for preparing nourishing masks, which soften and smooth the skin of the face, make it elastic, and protect against inflammation.

Classification

The genus flax (Latin Linum) has 200 species of herbs and shrubs and is widespread in temperate latitudes. Seed or cultivated flax (ordinary) - lat. Linum usitatissimum L. - belongs to the Flax family (lat. Linaceae). Flax is not found in the wild.

Botanical description

Seed or cultivated flax (ordinary) is an annual, sometimes winter, cultivated plant with a thin, straight, cylindrical, single, branched stem at the top. There are fibrous and oilseed varieties of flax. Among the fibrous varieties there are:

fiber flax, which produces long fiber;
curly flax with short fiber;
linen-mezheumok, occupying an intermediate place between the first two forms.

The long stem has erect stems, up to 60 cm high, while the curly vine has stems up to 30 cm, sometimes creeping. The leaves are sessile, the lower ones are opposite, the upper ones are alternate, linear, with entire edges. Near the base of the leaves, instead of stipules, there are glands. The flowers are predominantly blue, sometimes white, less often pink, five-petaled, collected in spreading thyroid inflorescences. Flax flower formula: *Х5Л5Т(5)П(5).The fruit is an ovoid spherical capsule with 6-10 seeds. The seeds are shiny, smooth, flattened, light brown in color, without endosperm. The plant blooms in June-July, the seeds ripen in August-September.

Spreading

Flax is a plant of temperate zone countries.

In Central and Northern Europe, the USA and Canada, fiber flax is mostly cultivated. In Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, flax is mainly grown. Curly flax is a common crop of subtropical and tropical countries. Various varieties of curly flax are grown mostly in India, Pakistan, China and some Arab countries as an oilseed crop. IN recent years in the world different varieties flax is sown annually on more than 5 million hectares of arable land.

As an oilseed and industrial crop, flax is grown in the Transcaucasian countries and the Caucasus, in particular in Georgia, Turkey and Azerbaijan. Distributed separate form flax - creeping flax (Linum usitattissimum f. parenne.).

Regions of distribution on the map of Russia.

Procurement of raw materials

In the pharmaceutical industry and medicine, flax seeds are used ( Lini semina), which are harvested as a by-product when harvesting dry flax grass used for processing into fiber. To do this, the grass of fiber flax and mezheumka flax is collected in the yellow ripeness phase of the stems. The technology for collecting flax for fiber is mechanized. Machines pull plants out of the ground, after which they knit sheaves and dry them. The dried grass is threshed to separate the seeds. The threshed seeds are additionally dried in the sun and stored in a dry place. Quality seeds should sink in cold water and quickly become slippery in warm water. Flax seeds are the official raw material in Ukraine, Russia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, France, Sweden and other European countries.

In recent years, flax seed production has been concentrated in five countries: Canada, Argentina, China, India and Russia. Almost half of the world's flax seed exports come from Canada and Argentina. In addition, they also export flaxseed oil and seed cake.

Chemical composition

Flax seeds contain a large amount of biologically active substances having wide range pharmacological action. The outer shell of the seeds (epidermis) contains 3-9% mucilage. The presence of arabinose, galactose, xylose, rhamnose and glucose was found in the mucus. During the ripening process of flax seeds, the amount of rhamnose increases, and glucose decreases. The mucus also contains about 8% protein and at least 2.6% calcium.

Flax seeds contain cyanogenic glycosides, which can affect the pharmacological and toxicological effects of drugs obtained from this raw material. The presence of cyanogenic glycosides such as linamarin (23.4%), linustatin (6.64%), neolinustatin (4.86%) and lotaustralin (2%) has been established.

An important component of flax seeds is fatty oil. Quantitative content of fatty oil in seeds and its high-quality composition may vary depending on cultural forms and varieties, as well as geographical and climatic conditions growth. Thus, the content of fatty oil in fiber flax seeds is up to 39%, in mezheumka - 35-45%, in curly flax - 52%.

Flaxseed oil lipids contain triglycerides (92.25%), free fatty acids(3.3%), sterols (1.15%), sterol esters (0.15%), phospholipids (1.16%). Triglycerides of flaxseed oil fatty acids contain 6.8-7.4% palmitic acid, 4.0-5.7% stearic acid, 14.4-32.1% oleic acid, 13.9-18.6% linoleic acid and 48.6- 55.9% linolenic and isololenic acid.

In addition, flaxseed oil contains up to 30% carotenoids and up to 50% tocopherols. In the flax grass collected during flowering, as well as in the ripened seeds, flavonoid glycosides were identified, among which the following glycoflavones were isolated by chromatographic methods: orientin, isoorientin, visenin and lucenin.

Pharmacological properties

An infusion of flax seeds has an enveloping, anti-inflammatory, and mild laxative effect. In the intestines, the seeds swell and increase in volume, which causes increased peristalsis. Flaxseed oil also has wound healing and weak choleretic effect. Thanks to the low amount of cholesterol and a large number unsaturated fatty acids, flax seed oil reduces cholesterol levels in the blood and inhibits the development of atherosclerosis. Unsaturated fatty acids of flaxseed oil, conventionally called vitamin F, play important role in normalizing lipid metabolism, preventing dermatitis.

When used externally, flax seeds reduce evaporation, prevent tissue drying, have anti-inflammatory properties, and have regenerative activity.

In warm water, flax seeds swell after 2-3 hours and secrete mucus. When taken orally, mucus exhibits enveloping and softening properties, enveloping the mucous membrane with a film. digestive tract and food mass. Thus, mucus reduces the irritating properties of various substances and prevents their rapid absorption through the intestines and skin. By preventing the occurrence of reflexes with the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines, coating agents They also have an analgesic effect.

Preparations based on flaxseed oil and ethyl fatty acids inhibit the development of lipidosis vascular wall, increase the concentration of phospholipids in the blood serum, normalize protein metabolism, activate fibrinolysis and reduce blood clotting in patients with coronary atherosclerosis.

Use in folk medicine

Bulgarian herbalists suggested using purified mucus for treatment chronic colitis and tracheobronchitis. Medicinal enemas made from flax mucus are prescribed to patients with dysentery, proctitis, and hemorrhoids. Flax mucilage is also used for chemical burns esophagus and stomach, to slow absorption soluble substances in order to increase the duration of their action. Flax seeds are also part of a medicine that is used for kidney failure.

In Germany, crushed seeds of specially grown flax varieties are used to produce drugs used to treat chronic constipation and intestinal colic.

In India and Pakistan, linseed oil is used to lubricate infants. Flaxseed oil ointment is very effective in patients with papillomatosis. Therapeutic effect oil is due to the blocking of sulfhydryl groups of thick keratin.

In some countries, flaxseed oil is used as a dietary remedy for metabolic disorders, coronary disease heart disease, liver cirrhosis and cholecystitis.

Historical background

Flax is a cultivated plant. It is believed that most cultivated forms of flax come from narrow-leaved flax (Linum angustifolium L.), which occurs wild in some European Mediterranean countries. Over the course of many centuries of cultivation of angustifolia flax, forms of cultivated flax were created.

Archaeological excavations indicate that flax in ancient times was known as a spinning culture. This plant was used 9 thousand years ago in Ancient Egypt, where fabric was first made from flax fiber. After 2–3 thousand years, flax began to be cultivated in Assyria and Babylon, and later in Ancient India and Greece. In the mythology of Ancient Egypt, flax was considered the first plant created by the gods. Flax and fabrics woven from its fiber were very popular. Ancient Greece and Rome. The Roman historian Apuleius wrote about flax as the purest of all known plants. Flax was praised in their works by Homer, Herodotus, and Theophrastus. The Scythians adopted the methods of growing flax from the ancient Greeks, from where the culture spread to the southern, western and northern Slavic lands. Other Northern European peoples learned to cultivate flax from the Slavs.

Cultural flax has ancient history applications in medicine. For the first time about medicinal properties flax was reported by Hippocrates in his book “Corpus Hippocraticum”, where he gave a recipe for using a mucous decoction of flax seeds for stomach diseases. Pliny recommended using flax seeds for inflammation of the respiratory tract and urinary organs, abscesses and women's diseases. Flax was very popular in medieval Arab medicine. For example, Avicenna noted that raw flax seeds have laxative properties, while roasted ones have astringent properties.

IN Kievan Rus flaxseed oil was used for treatment burn wounds. Old Ukrainian medicinal and economic manuals of the 16th and 18th centuries. It was recommended to use flax seed flour to soften hard boils, and the oil as a substitute for olive oil. Flax also played a big role in the export of old Rus'.

In the 19th century, the first scientific publications about the use of flax products in medicine and pharmacy appeared in Russian medical journals.

Literature

1. Medicinal plants of the state pharmacopoeia. Pharmacognosy. (Ed. I.A. Samylina, V.A. Severtsev). - M., “AMNI”, 1999.

2. Mashkovsky M.D. "Medicines." In 2 volumes - M., Novaya Volna Publishing House, 2000.

3. “Herbal medicine with the basics” clinical pharmacology"edited by V.G. Kukesa. - M.: Medicine, 1999.

4. P.S. Chikov. “Medicinal plants” M.: Medicine, 2002.

5. Sokolov S.Ya., Zamotaev I.P. Handbook of medicinal plants (herbal medicine). - M.: VITA, 1993.

6. Mannfried Palov. "Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants". Ed. Ph.D. biol. Sciences I.A. Gubanova. Moscow, "Mir", 1998.

7. Turova A.D. "Medicinal plants of the USSR and their use." Moscow. "Medicine". 1974.

8. Lesiovskaya E.E., Pastushenkov L.V. "Pharmacotherapy with the basics of herbal medicine." Tutorial. - M.: GEOTAR-MED, 2003.

9. Medicinal plants: Reference Guide. / N.I. Grinkevich, I.A. Balandina, V.A. Ermakova and others; Ed. N.I. Grinkevich - M.: graduate School, 1991. - 398 p.

10. Nosov A.M. "Medicinal plants". -M. : EKSMO-Press, 2000.- 350 p.

11. Plants for us. Reference manual / Ed. G.P. Yakovleva, K.F. Blinova. - Publishing house "Educational Book", 1996. - 654 p.

12. Medicinal plant raw materials. Pharmacognosy: Textbook. allowance / Ed. G.P. Yakovlev and K.F. Blinova. - St. Petersburg: SpetsLit, 2004. - 765 p.

13. Plant resources of the USSR: Flowering plants, their chemical composition, usage; Family Asteraceae (Compositae) / executive editor P.D. Sokolov; Russian Academician Science Botanich. in - t im. V.L. Komarova - St. Petersburg: Nauka, 1993. - P. 145-148.

14. Formazyuk V.I. "Encyclopedia of food medicinal plants: Cultural and wild plants V practical medicine" (Ed. N.P. Maksyutina) - K.: Publishing house A.S.K., 2003. - 792 p.

15. T.A. Vinogradova, corresponding member. International Academy of Ecology and Life Safety Sciences, Ph.D. medical sciences; V.M. Vinogradov, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Prof., V.K. Martynov, Honored Teacher of the Russian Federation. “Practical herbal medicine” (edited by Prof. B.N. Gazhev). M.: Publishing house "EXMO-Press"; St. Petersburg: “Valeria SPD”, 2001.

16. “Botany of higher, or above-ground, plants” / A.G. Elenevsky, M.P. Solovyova, V.N. Tikhomirov. - M.: Publishing center "Academy", 2000. - 432 p.

17. A.P. Efremov, I.A. Schröter, T.P. Osadchaya "Secret storerooms of nature." - M.o. Publishing house "Overley", 2001. - 160 p.

Common flax - other names:

flax,
cultural flax,
blue linen,
long-lasting,
Mochenets,
Lucenets,
Ilnets,
slate,
ilnyak.

Flaxseed oil is perhaps one of the most ancient means of folk medicine and cosmetology, known back in the days of Ancient Rus'. Since ancient times, our ancestors have successfully used flaxseed oil to solve a variety of problems.

Flax is a cultivated herbaceous plant, an annual. He is a native of India. More than 40 species of this plant are cultivated in Russia. Curly flax is grown as an oilseed crop. Its thin stalk has a height of 30–50 cm. The leaves are small (four to five cm long), bluish-green, pointed at the top, alternate. Flowers on long stalks, azure color. The fruit is a capsule with ten seeds inside. Flax seeds ripen in early autumn.

In Russia and Ukraine, flax is grown as an industrial crop. The homeland of flax is India, and it was there that fabric from this plant was created for the first time, several thousand years ago. There are over 200 types of flax in the world, of which about 40 are grown in Russia and Ukraine.

In folk medicine with therapeutic purpose use seeds (seeds) of flax seed. They are light brown in color, shiny, located in a spherical seed capsule.

Flax seeds have a valuable chemical composition: they contain mucous, protein and minerals, unique fatty oil, linamarin glycoside, organic acids, carotene, enzymes, carbohydrates, etc.

Uses of flax:

How to treat flax medicinal plant, has been practiced by our ancestors since time immemorial. Its small, sized seeds (four to six mm long) have truly miraculous powers.

It's comparative cheap product, which is important to many people. It can be purchased at any pharmacy.

This medicinal raw material has gained particular popularity among gastroenterologists. It also successfully treats diseases of the pancreas.

The beneficial ingredients contained in this herbal medicine that help in treatment are:

Vitamins – A, E, F.
Macroelements: potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron.
Microelements: manganese, copper, zinc, chromium, aluminum, nickel, iodine, lead, boron.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids: have a general strengthening and immunostimulating effect on the entire body and the pancreas in particular.
Polysaccharides (when lowered into water, they quickly swell and form mucus): they have bactericidal, enveloping, anti-inflammatory, softening, and analgesic properties.
Substances lignins, selenium: prevent the formation of tumors in the diseased organ.

Flax seeds are used in whole or ground form to treat the pancreas.

They are included in dietary foods that have great value for such patients. The crushed seed is added to baked goods and salads. Prepare oatmeal for breakfast or mix a teaspoon flaxseed flour with kefir it won’t be a big deal. But the health benefits from eating these dishes are invaluable.

This whole seed contains a lot of fiber, so when using it, drink a lot of water, but daily dose This medicine should not be exceeded; it is 10-30 grams.

According to reviews of people who were treated, after just a few days of using this herbal preparation they feel relief in the diseased organ (pancreas).

Recipe examples:

Decoction

Take one glass of water for two dessert spoons of flax seeds. The seed is poured with boiling water and simmered over low heat for five minutes. The decoction is infused for two hours. Take it warm, but not more than 1/2 cup at a time.

Flaxseed jelly

To make this drug, flax seeds are ground in a coffee grinder to a dusty state. Then take two teaspoons of flaxseed flour and pour a glass of water. Cook the jelly for about ten minutes. Honey is added to improve the taste. cranberry juice. Use it warm (1/4 cup). This drink has a cleansing effect on the entire body.

Infusion

Ninety grams flax seeds pour a liter of boiling water and leave overnight. Drink one hundred milliliters of this drink.

Phytotherapy

Take:

for two servings of dill fruits, cloves and knotweed herbs, buckthorn bark;
three servings each of flax seeds, blueberry leaves, St. John's wort tops;
three servings each of dandelion and plantain leaves, burdock roots;
five servings of perennial grass, wheatgrass roots;
one serving of sage.

All ingredients are crushed and mixed. A couple of tablespoons of the mixture are brewed with half a liter of boiling water, and left for eight hours. Use half a glass of warm drink. The above drinks are drunk before meals, twenty to thirty minutes, treatment courses are long, up to several months. Each person’s body is individual, so consulting a doctor will not hurt.

During remission of the disease, use flaxseed oil. We must remember that abuse of this fatty product may cause exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis.

When treating the pancreas, medicinal oil in the amount of 100 g. mixed with freshly squeezed potato juice from one medium tuber. This oil is also added to salads or porridges (no more than one teaspoon per serving of the dish).

Like any drug, flax seed also has contraindications. It is not recommended for use when:

exacerbations: colitis, pancreatitis;
allergic reactions to flax seeds;
pregnancy.

Since this is a high-calorie, fatty drug, it should be used with caution when diabetes mellitus, cholecystitis. The cleansing effect of flax seed mucilage may cause aggravation of kidney stone disease. Abrupt exit sand from a diseased organ causes severe pain symptoms.

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It is not recommended to use infusions and decoctions of linden flowers for people with heart disease, or with a tendency to allergic reactions. At long-term use preparations from linden (infusions, decoctions, tea, etc.), several months in a row or more, visual acuity may sharply decrease,...

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Other names: ordinary flax, cultivated flax, blue flax, dolgunets, mochenets, lyuchenets, ilnets, slate, ilnyak.

Flax- it's herbaceous annual plant with a thin stem, approximately 30-50 cm high, the stem has a waxy coating and branches in the upper part.

In folk medicine, flax seeds (seeds) are used for medicinal purposes. They are light brown in color, shiny, located in a spherical seed capsule.

Flax seeds have a valuable chemical composition: they contain mucous, protein and mineral substances, a unique fatty oil, the glycoside linamarin, organic acids, carotene, enzymes, carbohydrates, etc.

Flax seed mucilage is used externally for medicinal purposes, and is also taken orally as an anti-inflammatory agent for diseases. respiratory organs, urinary tract, or as an emollient - for chronic constipation, problems with gastrointestinal tract etc.

The mucus of the seeds is also used to make medicinal enemas for inflammation of the rectum, hemorrhoids, dysentery: 1 tbsp. a spoonful of flaxseed is poured into 200 ml of boiling water, left for 2-3 hours (50 ml of slightly warmed mucus is taken for 1 enema), and also used for douching.

The mucilage is obtained by shaking crushed seeds in hot water for 15 minutes, then filtering through a thick cloth. Take 1-3 teaspoons of mucus in the morning and evening, with water, milk or compote for a sharp cough, hoarseness, inflammation of the gastric mucosa, etc. Alternatively, you can pour flax seeds into a glass cold water, stand for 2-3 hours, stirring frequently. Drink the resulting mucus in the evening before bed.

Flax mucus is also taken for poisoning; it prevents the absorption of toxins from the digestive tract into the blood.

Externally, mucus is used for trophic ulcers, after X-ray irradiation of the affected area. A gauze cloth moistened with mucus is applied to the affected area while it is warm.

A decoction of flax seeds is prescribed to cancer patients, after chemotherapy, as well as during radiation sickness, leukemia (blood cancer), it promotes the removal of radionuclides from the body, has a positive effect on the condition of the blood and relieves intoxication.

Used in folk medicine decoction of flax seeds : 2 teaspoons of seeds are poured into 1 glass of water, boiled for 10-15 minutes, then, after cooling, filtered. Drink the entire decoction for chronic stomach catarrh or as an expectorant.

Flax seeds have a positive effect on blood lipid and cholesterol levels (reduce). Crushed flax seeds in the form of mucous poultices are used externally for various local inflammatory processes. They slow down evaporation, prevent tissue drying, soften and moderate inflammation at the site of application.

For acute gastritis, use the following recipe: 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of seeds into 0.5 liters of boiling water, leave for 1 hour, then strain. Take 1 glass 2 times a day, in the morning on an empty stomach, and in the evening before bed.

Flax is also used as an analgesic and wound-healing agent for burns, boils, boils and minor skin lesions. Flaxseed, in the form of a paste in a compress, softens boils and abscesses and reduces pain. Also useful cosmetic masks from flaxseed.

Used for burns flax oil obtained by pressing seeds. Flaxseed oil is widely used in the dietary nutrition of patients with lipid metabolism disorders, as well as atherosclerosis. In pharmaceutical practice, liquid ointments are prepared with flaxseed oil.

The drug linetol from flaxseed oil is used for burns and radiation injuries. Linetol is produced in hermetically sealed, filled to the top dark glass bottles. It is not recommended to leave the oil open, as the drug is destroyed in air.

Fresh flax grass is poisonous, so it is not recommended to ingest it.

Flax, contraindications . You should not use flax (infusions and decoctions from it) for a long time, as this can cause poisoning. Also, flax seed is contraindicated for cholecystitis, keratitis, and acute intestinal dysfunction.