Flax for constipation, gallstones and coughs

Flax or Linseed, Linum usitatissimum, has been cultivated for at least 5,000 years, mainly for linen production from the fibrous stems, although linseed oil and the actual seeds were also used for other purposes. The plant is an annual, reaching a height of a little over 2′ (70cm). It is not fussy about soil, so long as it is moist, and it needs full sun. It is not related to the New Zealand flax.

Although flax seed is often spoken of as a superfood, it is important not to go overboard with it, as although small quantities are helpful for digestion, very large quantities can be fatal. You do have to eat a lot of it for this to happen, though, so as long as you’re not the type of person who takes things to extremes and eats a particular food all day and every day, you will be safe. (I once heard of a man who ate carrots and drank carrot juice, and nothing else, for months. He finally died of it – and just like mum always said, “You eat too many of those, and you’ll turn into one!” – he had turned orange.) Anyway, flax will give you gas, if you eat a lot of it, so that’s probably another reason not to.

Apart from its culinary uses (for example vegans use flax seeds boiled in water as a substitute for eggs), flax seed and the oil, which may be called linseed oil, has a number of useful medicinal uses. One thing to be careful about is to make sure that the seeds are ripe before using them. Leave the pods on the plant until they start to shrivel and dry, then gather them and remove the seeds.

For constipation, you should swallow 1-2 tbsp of seeds with plenty of water. They will swell in the gut, and should solve the problem for you. If this does not work, follow up with prune juice or some liquorice, but you should find that this is unnecessary.

To treat gallstones, take 1-2 tbsp of the oil and lie down on your left hand side for 30 minutes. The stones will be expelled into the gut and leave the body in the usual way. Obviously, you don’t use this remedy if you are constipated. Get that sorted out first.

You can use a poultice to treat pleurisy and other chest complaints. Cook the seed in boiling water for a few minutes until soft, wrap in a linen bag and apply to the chest. Do allow it to cool a little before use, but it should be used as hot as you can stand (just don’t scald yourself).

Finally, you can make a decoction from 1 tablespoon of seed boiled in a liter (4 US cups, 32 fl oz) of water until the liquid has reduced by half. The 2 cups of liquid that remain should be taken during the course of the day to treat catarrh, coughs and digestive complaints.

As with all plants grown for use in herbal remedies, flax should be grown organically to avoid its active constituents are not changed by the addition of foreign chemicals. To find out more about growing organic flax visit the Gardenzone.

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