In Western countries, textiles made from flax, called linen, are traditionally used for underclothes, bed sheets, and table linens. In addition, flax seeds have been used for food supplements, food, and oil.
Which country produces flax?
China is one of the renowned producers of flax in the world. It has been producing flax for more than 90 years. However, China has extracted oil from flax seeds for more than 2000 years. Moreover, they use flax to manufacture linen cloth material, which is why they have become the largest linen fabric, exporters.
Where does flax come from?
Kazakhstan is another largest producer of flax, exporting 46% of the whole flax produced in Europe. China and Poland are the other two major countries that import flax from Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan generally uses flax for oil extraction, and production of flax is expected to increase in the coming year.
Is flaxseed oil a good source of fatty acids?
Flaxseed oil isone of the richest plant sources of unsaturated fatty acids, especially alpha-linolenic acid (C18:3, ALA) ( Bhatty, 1995 ). In addition to ALA, flaxseed provides substantial amounts of phenolic compounds including lignans and phenolic acids ( Eliasson et al., 2003 ).