Discover The Benefits And Properties Of Flaxseed Part 2

Composition

The flaxseed is rich in fat, protein and dietary fiber. On average the linseed canadian coffee contains 41% fat, 20% protein, 28% of total dietary fiber, 7.7 % of moisture and 3.4 % of ash, which is a residue rich in minerals that is left after burning the samples.

The composition of the linseed may vary depending on genetics, the environment, the processing of the seed and the method of analysis used .

The protein content of the seed is reduced to the extent that it increases the oil content. The content of flaxseed oil may be altered through traditional methods of cultivation and is also affected by the geography of the area of production - the cold nights of northern Canada improve the content and quality of the flaxseed oil.


Table 1 Shows the composition of the linseed.

Type linseed	Weight(g)	Common measure	Energy (Kcal)	Total fat (g)	ALA (g)	Protein (g)	CHO Totalc, d(g)	Dietary fiber
Approximate Analysis	100	-	450	41	23	20	29	28
Whole seed	180	1 cup	810	74	41	36	52	50
	11	1 tablespoon	50	4.5	2.5	2.2	3.0	3.0
	4	1 teaspoon	18	1.6	0.9	0.8	1.2	1.1
Milled seed	130	1 cup	585	53	30	26	38	36
	8	1 tablespoon	36	3.3	1.8	1.6	2.3	2.2
	2.7	1 teaspoon	12	1.1	0.6	0.5	0.8	0.8
Linseed oil	100	-	884	100	57	-	-	-
	14	1 tablespoon	124	14	8
	5	1 teaspoon	44	5	2.8

Table 1

* WING= alpha-linolenic acid, the essential fatty acid Omega-3.
* CCHO= carbohydrate.
* The total carbohydrate includes carbohydrates such as sugars and starches (1 g) and total dietary fiber   (28  g) per 100g of seed of linseed.


Fatty Acids - omega oils
Historically flaxseed has been valued for its abundance of fat, which provides
a unique blend of fatty acids. The fatty acids are organic compounds that are found in virtually all foods.

Flaxseed contains a mixture of fatty acids.  This product is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is the essential fatty acid and omega-3 linoleic acid (LA), which is the essential fatty acid omega-6.
These two fatty acids are polyunsaturated essential for humans - that is to say, they must be obtained from fats and oils for the food due to the fact that our body does not produce them.

The ALA constitutes 57% of the total fatty acids in flaxseed, making this product in the source of ALA more important within the diet of North America.

The linoleic acid constitutes 16% of the total fatty acids. The linseed oil and canola oil contain the lowest levels of saturated fatty acids not desirable, from a nutritional point of view. On the other hand the level of desirable monounsaturated in the linseed oil is modest.

Solin oil contains a low level of ALA, the essential fatty acid omega-3. The Oil of Solin was developed by growers of plants from Australia and Canada, which changed the traditional linseed oil to reduce its content of ALA  between 50 % -60 %, to less than 5% .

The oil of Solin has a fatty acid content oil similar to sunflower seed, which makes it a good choice for certain food ingredients such as margarine.

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