Flaxseeds – Nutritional Information
Item: Flaxseeds
Category: Nut and Seed Products
Scientific name: Linum usitatissimum
Refuse: 0% (values below are for edible portion)
Serving size analysed: 10.3g, 1 tbsp, whole
Intro: Flax is a small plant, growing to just over a meter in height, and has been used as far back as 30,000BC for its fibers which can be used to make fabric, paper and even fishing nets. The part of the plant we are looking at today though is the seed.
The seeds come in two basic varieties, brown and golden, and they are both pretty similar in terms of nutrition, although the golden variety is probably the better known of the two types. These seeds are prized today for contain omega 3 fatty acids, and for their high fiber content (if you look below you can see they are about 28% fiber, which must be because most of the seed is actually a shell) which can help to keep you regular.
They also contain a lot of fat (about 40%) but most of it is unsaturated so that must be the omega 3 fatty acids which push the fat content up, and they contain 18% protein and all 8 essential amino acids, along with a lot of calcium and vitamin B9 (also phosphorous and potassium but that is found in almost everything we look at!). Make sure if you do eat flaxseeds though that you drink more water than usual to help flush them through your system.
| Overview: | |
| Calories: | 55 |
| Water: | 0.72g |
| Carbs: | 2.97g |
| Protein: | 1.88g |
| Fiber: | 2.81g |
| Total Fat: | 4.34g |
| Saturated Fat: | 0.38g |
| Trans-fats: | Not known (or 0) |
| Minerals: | |
| Calcium: | 26.27mg |
| Iron: | 0.59mg |
| Magnesium: | 40.38mg |
| Phosphorus: | 66.13mg |
| Potassium: | 83.74mg |
| Sodium: | 3.09mg |
| Zinc: | 0.45mg |
| Copper: | 0.13mg |
| Manganese: | 0.26mg |
| Selenium: | 2.62mcg |
| Vitamins: | |
| Vitamin A: | 0.00IU |
| Thiamine (B1): | 0.17mg |
| Riboflavin (B2): | 0.02mg |
| Niacin (B3): | 0.32mg |
| Pantothenic acid (B5): | 0.10mg |
| Vitamin B6: | 0.05mg |
| Folic acid/Folate (B9): | 8.96mcg |
| Vitamin B12: | 0.00mcg |
| Vitamin C: | 0.06mg |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol): | 0.03mg |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone): | 0.44mcg |
| Essential Amino Acids: | |
| Isoleucine: | 0.09g |
| Leucine: | 0.13g |
| Lysine: | 0.09g |
| Methionine: | 0.04g |
| Phenylalanine: | 0.10g |
| Threonine: | 0.08g |
| Tryptophan: | 0.03g |
| Valine: | 0.11g |
| Miscellaneous: | |
| Alcohol: | 0.00g |
| Caffeine: | 0.00mg |
Footnotes:
General footnote: Up to 12 percent flax seed can safely be used as an ingredient in food.
Source:
These nutrition facts for flaxseeds were kindly provided by…
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.
USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 22. Nutrient Data Laboratory Home Page: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/
…under a PD license.
Information provide for entertainment purposes only and should not be relied upon to be accurate, please visit the USDA database for the full record.
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