TECHNOLOGY OF CEREALS , LEGUMES AND PULSES

#FLAX SEEDS# जवस

Rajan D Jaykar11FET 1015 T Y B Tech FoodsInstitute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai

INTRODUCTION : knowing Flaxseed …

• We, in India have an amazing capacity to ignore our plant Kingdom riches and consign them to the archives, till someone from the developed countries publishes exciting news about the medical and other uses of such things.

Take FLAX.

• There was so much one read about flax seeds, all the time. How useful they were, how best to take them, how NOT to take them, the quantities, the various recipes, and so on and so forth...

• At the very first; I found out what flax was in Marathi (my mother tongue) and then had an enlightening discussion with my grandmother . She told me  that right from her childhood in the plains of Maharashtra, it was always routine for houses to have earthen pots in which this flax seeds chutney was stored, for eating along with jowar bhakri .

Turns out that flax seed has been used for a very long time here in India.

Flaxseed chutney

• It may be tiny, but it’s mighty: The flax seed carries one of the biggest nutrient payloads on the planet. 

• Other common name(s): flaxseed , linseed, lint bells, linum Scientific/medical name(s): Linum usitatissimum

• Flax is an annual plant cultivated for its fibre, which is used in making linen.

Flaxseed, flaxseed oil and linen are all products of flax, one of the first crops to be domesticated.

FLAX : PLANT

• The scientific name for flax—Linum usitatissimum— reveals a lot about our human relationship to this plant. 

• The "linum" part of this name sounds a lot like "linen," which is a fabric that has been made from flax for over 3,000 years. The "usitatissimum" part of its name means "of greatest use" in Latin, and that quality also rings true in our relationship to flax.

Linen

FLAXSEED PLANT STRUCTURE :

• Flax, Linum usitatissimum, is an upright annual plant growing to 1.2 m (3 ft. 11 in) tall, with slender stems.

• The flowers are pure pale blue, 15–25 mm diameter, with five petals; they can also be bright red.

• The fruit is a round, dry capsule 5–9 mm diameter, containing several glossy brown seeds shaped like an apple pip, 4–7 mm long.

• referring to the plant itself, the word "flax" may refer to the unspun fibres of the flax plant. 

CLASSIFICATION :• Brown flax and golden flax (sometimes called yellow flax) are the two

basic varieties of flax• they are similar in their nutritional composition, with one important

exception.

One specific strain of yellow flax called "solin" was been developed by agricultural scientists to be processed and sold as a cooking oil that could substitute for oils like sunflower seed oil. 

• Solin has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a GRAS list food, and it is sometimes being produced under the trademarked name "Linola" (TM).

• Linola which has a completely different oil profile and is very low in omega-3 FAs.

New Zealand flax also has a rich history of use for its fibre content, however, as well as traditional medicinal uses as developed by the Maori peoples of New Zealand.

• New Zealand flax, even though it bears the same name, is not related to the flax plant Linum usitatissimum

SOLIN OIL New Zealand flax

HISTORY :

• Flax is amongst the oldest fiber crops in the world.• flax cultivation may have started even thousands of years earlier, during

the Neolithic Era of approximately 10,000 BC. • Sometime between 4000 and 2000 BC, flax cultivation became a common

practice in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea and in regions of the Middle East

• Flax was extensively cultivated in ancient China and ancient Egypt.[4] The use of flax for the production of linen goes back at least to ancient Egyptian times. Pictures on tombs and temple walls at Thebes depict flowering flax plants. Thebes – Egypt

GROW AND HARVEST :• Flax tolerates a range of soils and climates.•  Choose a site in full sun, with deep, fertile, well-drained soil, and prepare

it as you would for growing vegetables or flowers. 

•  Flax grows best in cool weather.  This can be as early as January or as late as May, depending on where you live.

• Seedling flax plants quickly develop a good root system and need watering only if the weather is unusually warm, dry or windy.

•  The only common, serious crisis in growing flax is that the tender stalks sometimes get knocked flat by hail or heavy rainstorms.

PRODUCTION :

: TOP FIVE FLAXSEED PRODUCERS :

COUNTRY PRODUCTION (METRIC TONS)

Canada 368,300

China 350,000

Russia 230,000

India 147,000

United Kingdom 71,000

FAT41%

FIBRE28%

PROTEIN21%

ASH4%

CARBO6%

##COMPOSITION OF FLAXSEED##

58%

15%

18%

3%5%

omega 3omega 6omega 9steric acidpalmitic acid

NUTRITIONAL PROFILE OF FLAXSEED : What's in flaxseed ?

• while it’s not technically a grain, it has a similar vitamin and mineral profile to grains, while the amount of fiber, antioxidants, and Omega-3 fatty acids in flax leaves- grains in the dust.

• Additionally, flax seed is very low in carbohydrates, making it ideal for people who limit their intake of starches and sugars.

• its combination of healthy fat and high fiber content make it a great food for weight loss and maintenance

• flax seed is high in most of the B vitamins, magnesium, and manganese, but this little seed is just getting started. 

There are three additional nutrient groups which flax seed has in abundance, and each has many benefits.

I. Flax Seed is Rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids: 

• Among all 127 World's Healthiest Foods, flaxseeds comes out number one as a source of omega-3s!

• Omega-3 fatty acids are a key force against inflammation in our bodies.• Most of the oil in flax seeds is alpha linolenic acid (ALA)

II. Flax Seed is High in Fiber:

• You’d be hard-pressed to find a food higher in fiber -- both soluble and insoluble -- than flax.

• This fiber is mainly responsible for the cholesterol-lowering effects of flax.• water-soluble, gel-forming fiber that can provide special support to the

intestinal tract.  III. Flax Seed is High in Phytochemicals:

•  Flax seed is high in phytochemicals, including many antioxidants.•  Lignans are fiber-like compounds, but in addition to their fiber-like

benefits, they also provide antioxidant protection due to their structure as polyphenols.

•  It is perhaps our best source of lignans, When flaxseed is eaten, the lignans are activated by bacteria in the intestine. 

• promote fertility, reduce premenopausal symptoms, and possibly help prevent breast cancer. 

KEEP IN MIND :a) flax seeds need to be ground to make the nutrients available (otherwise

they just “pass through”) b) flax seed oil alone contains neither the fiber nor the phytochemicals of

whole flax seed meal.

HEALTH BENEFITS :• The seeds of most plants are rich in nutrients and can provide us with

health benefits.• This combination of features—omega-3 fatty acids, high-lignan content,

and mucilage gums (high fibre content)—is a key factor in the unique health benefits of flaxseeds.Cardiovascular Benefits Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Benefits

Cancer Prevention(lignan)

Digestive Health

Hailed with burning body fat, being high in omega-3s and charged with fibre, these little seeds can really fire up our metabolism

• Protecting against radiation - a diet of flaxseed may protect skin tissue from being damaged by radiation.  its strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, works as both a mitigator and protector against radiation pneumonopathy.

• Improving blood sugar - there is strong evidence to suggest that consuming flaxseed everyday improves glycemic control in obese men and women with pre-diabetes

• Preventing hot flashes - dietary intake of flaxseed can decrease the risk of hot flashes among postmenopausal women

• Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to have numerous health benefits including a reduction in inflammation, blood pressure and decreased blood triglyceride levels and incidence of coronary heart disease.

• Flaxseed is also used for acne, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), kidney problems

• Other uses include treatment of sore throat, upper respiratory tract infections (URTI), and cough.

HOW DOES IT WORK ?

• The fiber in flaxseed is found primarily in the seed coat. Taken before a meal, flaxseed fiber seems to make people feel less hungry, so that they might eat less food.

• Researchers believe this fiber binds with cholesterol in the intestine and prevents it from being absorbed.

•  Flaxseed also seems to make platelets, the blood cells involved in clotting, less sticky. Overall, flaxseed’s effects on cholesterol and blood clotting may lower the risk of “hardening of the arteries” (atherosclerosis).

• Flaxseed is sometimes tried for cancer because it is broken down by the body into chemicals called “lignans.” Lignans are similar to the female hormone estrogen - so similar, in fact, that they compete with estrogen for a part in certain chemical reactions.

• natural estrogens seem to become less powerful in the body. Some researchers believe that lignans may be able to slow down the progress of certain breast cancers and other types of cancers that need estrogen to grow.

PRECAUTIONS :• Flaxseed, like any supplemental fiber source, should be taken with plenty

of water; otherwise, it could worsen constipation or, in rare cases, even cause intestinal blockage. Both flaxseed and flaxseed oil can cause diarrhoea

• The fiber in flaxseed may lower the body’s ability to absorb medications that are taken by mouth

• Do not eat raw or unripe flaxseeds -- they may be poisonous.  Raw Flax seeds, contain a substance called cyanate, which can be harmful to the body in larger quantities.

• People with a bowel obstruction, inflamed bowel, or narrowed oesophagus should not take flaxseed. It is high in fiber and could make the condition worse

• It might also cause gastrointestinal (GI) side effects such as bloating, gas, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhoea, stomach-ache, and nausea. 

• Bleeding disorders: Flaxseed might slow clotting.

• Avoid eating flax seeds whole. They have the nasty habit of leaving your body in the same condition they came in ...

• Relying on flaxseed treatment alone and avoiding or delaying conventional medical care for cancer may have serious health consequences

• The omega-3 fatty acids in flaxseeds aren't taken up as well by the human body as the omega-3 in fish oil

• Side effects associated with the consumption of flaxseed, include:

Stomach pains Nausea Constipation Diarrhoea

INTERACTIONS WITH MEDICATIONS :• Flaxseed may block the normal absorption of medicines. • Always take medicines at least one hour before or two hours after using

flaxseed. 

•  If you are currently being treated with any of the following medications, you should not use flaxseed without first talking to your health care provider:

Blood-thinning medications --• Omega-3 fatty acids may increase the risk of bleeding, especially if you

also take blood thinners such as warfarin or aspirine

Medications for diabetes --• Flaxseed may lower blood sugar levels. If you are taking medicines for

diabetes, including insulin, you should use flaxseed (ALA) only under your doctor’s supervision.

Birth control pills or hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) --• Flaxseed may change hormonal levels and change the effects of oral

contraceptives or HRT.

Antibiotic drugsBacteria in the intestine convert some of the chemicals in flaxseed into lignans, which are thought to be responsible for many of the possible benefits of flaxseed. However, because antibiotics kill these bacteria, lignans are not formed as usual. This might alter the effects of flaxseed.

PROCESSING OF FLAXSEED :

• The majority of flaxseed is processed to extract oil for use in industrial products such as paints or floor coverings.

• Meal produced during extraction is concentrated in protein and used in livestock feeds; this product is often referred to as linseed meal.

2 most commonly used processes for flaxseed oil extraction are :

i. prepress solvent extraction ii. expeller press extraction

• In Prepress solvent extraction : It extracts virtually all of the oil using a combination of mechanical extraction and solvent extraction.• expeller processing relies solely on mechanical pressure to extract oil

Prepress Solvent Extraction of Flaxseed :• Prepress solvent extraction uses a combination of mechanical pressure

and chemical extraction and is the preferred oilseed extraction method for most large scale plants as it is the most effective method of extracting oil.

CLEANING •Seeds are cleaned to remove stones, chaff or dirt to prevent damage or wear on the processing equipment followed by preheating.

FLAKING •The seed is fed between the rolls and crushed into a very thin flake•to rupture the cell walls and to increase the surface area for oil extraction

COOKING •to reduce the viscosity of the oil and to allow it to migrate out of storage bodies in the seed.

PREPRESS •compression effect forces the oil out of the small openings in the wall and is collected •extracts almost half of the oil and prepares a cake that is suitable for solvent extraction.

SOLVENT EXTRACTION•Hexane is flushed through the cake, it solubilizes and absorbs the oil from the flax meal. •After completion, the solvent is allowed to drain out of the meal.•During evaporation , hexane is boiled off leaving the oil.

Mechanical Extraction of Flaxseed :

• Expeller plants can be economically constructed for small scale production.

• With the recent interest in incorporating flax oil into human diets, people are attracted to mechanically extracted oil -- on the basis that a solvent was not used in the process of extraction.

• The meal product resulting from mechanical extraction has a residual oil content of over 5% and offers a meal with elevated energy content as compared to solvent-extracted meal.

• it is common practice to install two sets of expeller presses. The first press extracts approximately 50% of the oil; the cake is then fed into a second press and additional pressure is applied to drive out as much of the remaining oil as possible.

FAQS ABOUT FLAXSEEDS :

Which is better for me, whole or ground flax seed? Ground flax seed provides more nutritional benefits than does whole seed. Grinding flax seeds breaks them up, making them easier to digest when eaten. Then the body can profit from all that flax goodness If whole flax seeds remain unbroken, they may pass undigested through the body, reducing the nutritional advantage of eating flax seed in the first place

How should I store flax seed and for how long will it keep? For WHOLE Flaxseed : Whole flax seed comes with Nature’s own finest packaging – its natural hard hull keeps it fresh. You can store clean, dry, good quality whole flax seed at room temperature for up to a year. For Ground Flaxseed : Once you grind flax seed, there is greater risk of it developing an off-flavour and taste.   you should refrigerate it in an airtight, opaque container. Ground flax seed handled this way will keep for up to 90 days.

FLAXSEEDS PRODUCTS : Breads Cereals Crackers Energy bars Meal Mixes Oil Omega-3 Eggs Pasta Snacks Waffles Pet Food