Linseed (Flax) For A Sensitive Digestion

It’s very common for people with sensitive digestion that react badly to different foods to want to enjoy the benefits of linseed but are worried about adding it to their diet or have used it in the past and had a problem with it.  There is no reason* that you can’t reintroduce it and your body tolerate it.

A naturally gluten-free food. Completely unrelated to wheat and other grains

Wheat is probably the number one food that upsets the digestion. Wheat fibre or bran is often eaten by people with a slow digestion for the very reason that it is so irritating that it can help get things going. However many people with a sensitive digestion can also have a slow digestion for which wholemeal wheat and bran are just too harsh, they need gentle help which is where linseed comes in. Linseed aka Flaxseed is completely unrelated to wheat and grains, contains none of wheat’s harsh anti-nutrients, no gluten and is actually soothing and helps develop a healthy gut, good gut biome with the right bugs for comfort regularity and resilience. Some people find that after a spell giving up wheat and using ground flaxseed instead they become more tolerant to wheat,

Types of Linseed (Flax)

If your digestion is really sensitive try using linseed in this order of easiest to tolerate. Let your digestion get used  to  one type, once you are happy with that give it a good daily helping once or twice per day for a fortnight and move on to the next. We don’t recommend eating whole linseeds as those can be irritant, two heaped dessert spoons per day of ground linseed is the normal aim to support a resilient digestion.

1. In degrees of easiest to tolerate, most easily tolerated is Flaxseed oil. this  is tolerated as easily as other vegetable oils such as olive or avocado oil. It helps feed your gut biome and start to get the magic of linseed working on a happier, calmer digestion.
2. Next easily tolerated is mucilage in the form of linseed tea. This is a very soothing protective drink and helps with creating good gut flora and gentle bulk.
3. After the mucilage the next easiest to tolerate if Flax Farm ground linseed. Introduce it slowly with a quarter teaspoon on the first few days and gradually increase as your body gets used to it, then increase every few days until you get up to two heaped dessert spoons.
4. We don’t recommend whole seeds as care for a sensitive digestion.  the can irritate but once your digestion has become more stable you may find you can include whole linseeds OK in salads, baking and breakfasts for texture and additional fibre.

Cold-pressed linseed (flaxseed) oil

Cold-pressed linseed oil is a rich source of the healthy fat, omega-3, which is an essential nutrient for cell and process in the body. This includes the cells of the gut wall and the whole digestive process.

Linseed mucilage

Mucilage is the soluble fibre component that makes the seeds slippery when wet. Firstly, Linseed is more than 300% richer in this digestion-friendly, soluble fibre than porridge oats. With that Linseed contains a unique type of mucilage that makes a tea which is a very soothing drink for the whole digestive tract. Linseed tea is most helpful if drunk three times a day.  Linseed tea is easy to make, see recipe.

Flax Farm ground linseed

Ground linseed is kind to the digestion, it is gluten-free and unrelated to wheat and other grains. Ground linseed is a rich source of omega-3, insoluble and soluble fibre which are important nutrients for a healthy, comfortable digestion. Flax Farm Ground linseed is a great ingredient for gluten-free cookery and baking. Try it as an alternative for making quick breads.

Flaxjacks

First off, Flax Farm’s Linseed Flaxjacks are super yummy and they just happen to be very digestion-friendly.  All our Flaxjacks are made with natural ingredients, ground linseed so rich in omega-3 and tummy-friendly fibre they are also wheat-free and gluten-free. We even have a completely oat-free bar which is ideal when you want to be cereal-free. Lots of people find a Flaxjack a day is just what their digestion needs. See our full range of more than twenty varieties of Flaxkjacks, including dairy-free and sugar-free options.

Flax Farm  Linseed Porridge & Muesli

Start your day with one of our delicious and digestion-friendly Flax Farm linseed breakfasts, a great way to enjoy the goodness of ground linseed. All gluten-free and wheat-free, even an oat-free porridge. Flax Farm Linseed Porridge and Muesli are great for baking with. You can replace ordinary porridge oats or oat-flour in recipes.

Gluten-free baking ingredient.

Linseed porridge or muesli makes a delicious alternative or addition to flour in many recipes. Use to replace at least a third of wheat flour in every day or gluten-free recipes.

*Like all foods, it is possible for people to be allergic to linseed but this is extremely rare, it is not a recognised allergen. Allergy to linseed is usually experienced as tingling in the lips or mouth or a rash on the body. If this occurs stop eating and call 101 If you are allergic to linseed like with other allergies it tends to increase in severity each time you consume the food.