This week, we will explore the topic of fat.  This group of nutrients has gotten a bad reputation in the name of unwanted weight gain and heart disease.  While certain types of fat are associated with poor health outcomes, others are necessary for life.  By the end of this article, my hope is that you will have a better understanding of and relationship to fat. 

We begin our journey with herbs this year with the humble flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum).

This plant was one of the first domesticated by humans and has been used since the stone age (1). The fibers have long been spun into linen and the seeds have been used both as food and for the oil which makes up about 33% of the seed’s mass (2). Aged flaxseed oil is also known as linseed oil. One might assume that there isn’t much to write about this humble little seed, but you would be mistaken.