Just the flax, ma'am

Every week since 1989, French Meadow Bakery has sent musician Jackson Browne a loaf of their sunflower and flaxseed bread. He knows the flax is good for him, said Lynn Gordon, founder and president of French Meadow Bakery, which has a cafe in Minneapolis and distributes its bread in health food grocery stores nationwide.

"Flax is definitely a super food, or a super seed," Gordon said. In the quest to make bread more than "carbs, carbs, carbs," the bakery started mixing flax into baked goods in 1989, and it's now an ingredient in seven breads as well as muffins and granola. "It makes the bread a whole food. It adds more protein, it adds fiber, it adds essential fatty acids," Gordon said.

Awareness and use of the tiny flaxseed -- and flaxseed oil -- has "exploded," said Ann Louise Gittleman, a clinical nutritionist and author of 30 books, including "The Fat Flush Plan" and the recently released "The Gut Flush Plan." "The nice thing about flax is that it's really good for people of all ages and all stages of life. It's good for women, it's good for men, it's good for kids," she said. "I'm a big believer that flaxseeds are here to stay."

Gittleman recommends using both flax oil, which has higher concentrations of healthy fats, as well as flaxseed, which is packed with fiber and lignans. "They're a marvelous source of fiber, and they're also a wonderful source of a naturally occurring substance known as lignans, which are plant-based hormones that help modulate estrogen levels," she said.

Gittleman said that flax can reduce cholesterol, regulate blood sugar levels, improve skin, hair and nails, decrease menopause symptoms, improve heart and brain health and help kids with attention-span troubles or mood swings.

Increasing demand

Although some experts have different opinions on the extent to which flax is beneficial, it certainly has been appearing in more products.

The Lunds and Byerly's organic blue corn and flax tortilla chips are the grocer's fourth-highest selling chip in a category that includes brands like Tostitos and Doritos. "The primary reason we added flax [to the blue corn chips] was for the health benefits," Sorenson said. "After we put it in for health benefits, we found it also added a very nice texture to the chip." The stores also stock flaxseed, which has a slightly nutty taste, in their bulk foods sections.

Flax oil is a common purchase at Lakewinds Natural Foods Co-op in Minnetonka, said Tarah Long, a wellness specialist there. "It's incredibly popular, and it's one of the things people come in for most in the wellness section," she said.

The same thing is happening at Stillwater's River Market Community Co-op. "There's been a steady increase in interest over the last, I'd say, three years," said Kellie Seth, health and body care assistant manager.

A locally grown crop

So who's planting this increasingly popular seed? Flax is grown primarily in cooler climates. Minnesota has harvested between 3,000 and 13,000 acres annually in recent years. North Dakota harvested nearly 1 million acres a few years ago, and Canada is a major grower, said Sheri Coleman, a registered nurse and executive director of Ameriflax, an organization representing U.S. flax producers.

But flax oil and ground seeds can turn rancid, Moeding cautions, so keep it in the fridge in a dark, airtight container. And never use the oil to cook. Instead, add it to salad dressings or smoothies. If you bake with flaxseed, keep the oven temperature under 350 degrees, Coleman said.

Some health professionals say you must grind flaxseed (a coffee grinder does the trick) instead of using it whole because otherwise the seed passes through the body undigested, and you won't absorb the many nutrients it has to offer.