What is flaxseed oil?

Linseed oil is attracting attention because it is good for health and beauty. The effect is also featured in TV programs such as NHK "Gatten!" And TV Asahi "Osamu Hayashi's Now!". In recent years, the health benefits of the nutritional components contained in oil have been reviewed again from the idea that conventional oil has calories and should not be taken.

• With olive oil, sesame oil, coconut oil and grape seed oil on the shelves, flaxseed oil may not be that major yet. However, there are many reasons to be noticed.

We will explain what kind of oil is flaxseed oil, how to use it, and the raw materials contained in it.

What is flaxseed oil?

"Linseed oil" (flax oil) is an oil extracted from the seed of a plant called flax. Flax is also known as an annual plant of the Flaxaceae family used to make linen. Let's explain what kind of oil flaxseed oil is.

Flaxseed oil is made from flax seeds

Flaxseed oil, also known as flax oil, is made from flax seeds. Flax seeds are brown and have a flat shape.

Physical pressure is applied to the ripe seeds, which are squeezed or crushed and extracted to make flaxseed oil.

As for the extraction method, it is said that it is better to carefully extract it by the "cold press method" so as not to destroy the original nutritional components of flaxseed oil. The extracted unrefined flaxseed oil has a deep yellowish color and a slight astringency. With the popularity of flaxseed oil, many products can be bought in stores and online shopping.

As a criterion for selecting flaxseed oil, we recommend organic JAS certification and those that are recognized as organic even if they are overseas.

By the way, flaxseed oil is attracting attention because it is said that the nutritional components contained in it are good for health and beauty. As stated in the "Japanese Dietary Intake Standards (2015)" set by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, take an appropriate amount (1 teaspoon a day = 4 g) of flaxseed oil and avoid overdose. Oil is a food used in every household, and various oils are available for health consciousness.

Now let's take a look at the popular perilla oil and compare it to flaxseed oil.

Difference between flaxseed oil and perilla oil

Egoma belongs to the Labiatae family, but it is different from Shiso, which is often seen in supermarkets. In the past, it was unfamiliar with perilla, so it seems that it was called shiso oil or perilla seed oil, but perilla oil is made by squeezing the seeds of perilla seeds of the Labiatae family. Below, we will compare the differences between flaxseed oil and perilla oil.

Nutritional components flaxseed oil and perilla oil: about 60% a-linolenic acid, not only α-linolenic acid, but also oleic acid and linoleic acid in similar proportions.

Flaxseed oil: Slightly astringent Perilla oil: Almost odorless and has no habit

Fast Oxidation Flaxseed Oil and Perilla Oil: Low Oxidation Stability, Fast Oxidation

This oil, which is rich in omega-3 a-linolenic acid, is sensitive to heat and easily deteriorates.

However, since perilla oil contains about 5 times as much vitamin E as flaxseed oil, it can be used for about twice as long as flaxseed oil. Refrigerated storage is essential, as clearly stated in the handling precautions for product packaging. Choose flaxseed oil in an amount that can be used up to avoid deterioration. As a guide, it should be used up in about one month after opening. It was found that both flaxseed oil and perilla oil contain almost the same amount of ingredients.

The difference is in its taste and speed of oxidation.

Reference: About the difference between flaxseed oil and sesame oil

Explaining how to use flaxseed oil

I introduced flaxseed oil as a food, but it is actually used as a "paint". This is also a utilization after taking advantage of the characteristics of flaxseed oil.
Below, we will introduce how to use flaxseed oil by dividing it into "eating" and "painting".

Eat flaxseed oil

Although flaxseed oil can be said to be a natural ingredient, it is sensitive to heat and easily deteriorates because it contains a large amount of a-linolenic acid.

Ingesting oxidized oil is not good for your health, but counterproductive.

When using flaxseed oil, it is best to "eat it raw without heating", which is the key to getting abundant nutritional ingredients without waste. Here are three examples of how to eat.

1. Sprinkle salad, vegetables, grilled fish, sashimi, natto, cold tofu, chilled Chinese, granola / yogurt / honey, etc.

2. Mix dressings, smoothies, etc.

3. Okra and wasabi to be mixed, soup, rice bran, etc.

In this way, flaxseed oil is surprisingly good for both vegetables and fruits. You can easily eat it by suppressing the point of "not heating" and "sprinkling, mixing, and mixing". After that, please try various things as you like.

Apply flaxseed oil

Now, let me introduce another way to use it. Linseed oil is a drying oil. Drying oil is an oil that gradually oxidizes and hardens in the air.

Taking advantage of this property of naturally drying, flaxseed oil is used as a paint.

Flaxseed oil is a natural paint, and while it is safe to use by itself, it has other benefits as well.

-Resistant to mold and rot

-Repels water

-Because it is a natural paint, it minimizes the risk of sick building syndrome caused by the use of chemical substances.

-Edible flaxseed oil can be used instead of painting, so it can be easily obtained at supermarkets.

It turns out that flaxseed oil is an excellent paint that does not interfere with the peace of mind and safety of nature, the beauty and functionality of wood.

Reference: Introducing whether flaxseed oil really has an effect on the skin

Explaining the raw materials contained in flaxseed oil

The effects of flaxseed oil, such as anti-aging, disease prevention, skin-beautifying effects, and boosting immunity, have become a hot topic. They are due to the following nutritional components contained in flaxseed oil:

a-linolenic acid

It has been a long time since the danger of metabolic syndrome became a hot topic due to changes in eating habits and lifestyles in recent years. The decrease in the amount of fish eaten also has an effect, and the intake of omega 3, which is abundant in the fat content of blue fish, is also decreasing proportionally.

"A-linolenic acid" contained in flaxseed oil is an essential omega-3 fatty acid. Since it is one of the unsaturated fatty acids and cannot be synthesized in the human body, it must be procured from the outside.

a-linolenic acid has various functions such as reducing bad cholesterol in the blood and converting it to good cholesterol, preventing blood from forming blood clots, lowering blood pressure, and suppressing allergens. .. In addition, as a result of improving blood circulation, you can expect a skin-beautifying effect by improving basal metabolism and metabolism, which is more than two birds with one stone.

Omega 3 is often deficient in modern people, but you can easily take it with flaxseed oil. You can expect to prevent various illnesses by taking about 1 teaspoon as a daily limit and taking it continuously. As mentioned above, flaxseed oil is easily oxidized, so it is important to be careful not to ingest degraded oil.
Incorporating flaxseed oil on a daily basis is a good support for a lively and healthy life.

Summary

The raw material for flaxseed oil is a plant species called flax. Flax has been used as a disease-preventing herb since ancient times. And there is a story that seeds were used as medicine in the Edo period.

Flaxseed oil is a superfood that can be used as a preventive measure against modern diseases with 1 teaspoon a day. To prevent oxidation, we recommend that you do not heat it, store it properly, pay attention to these two points, and incorporate flaxseed oil into your life well.

Reference: Explaining the effects of omega 3 fatty acids contained in flaxseed oil