**Abstract**

Although vegetables and fruits are unquestionably important components of food, incorporating herbs and spices into one's diet has become a must to improve one's health in today's world. Due to rising popularity among health-conscious consumers, studies on functional foods such as herbs are a growing field in food science. Flaxseed (*Linum Usitatissimum* L.), which comes from the flax plant, an annual herb, is gaining interest as a functional food ingredient due to its high levels of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), lignans, and fiber. Flaxseed consumption in the diet helps to prevent serious illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, gastrointestinal, renal, and bone problems. Type II diabetes, in particular, is one of the great healthcare challenges of the twenty-first century, as it has engulfed children, adolescents, and young adults alike. While standard risk factors for type II diabetes are genetics, living style, and behavioral aspects, this article focuses on preventing or controlling the disease through dietary changes. To the best of our knowledge, review articles on the commercial use of flaxseed in the formulation of numerous food products with low glycemic index and their impact on diabetes are hardly available. The data from the previous 5 years is used to compile this report.

**Keywords:** bioactive compounds, diabetes, flaxseeds, functional foods, human nutrition

## **1. Introduction**

Flaxseed, also known as linseed, is the seed of the flax plant, which is an annual herb that grows to about 2 feet tall and belongs to the Linaceae family. *Linumusitatissimum* is the Latin name for flaxseed, which means "most useful" and it is of two types: brown and yellow or golden. It's usually eaten in one of three ways: whole seed, ground powder, or oil. It was most probably first cultivated in Egypt, but it is now grown all over the world particularly in India, China, United States, Ethiopia, and Canada. Commercially, it was used in the manufacture of papers as well as clothes such as linen until the 1990s, though flaxseed oil and its by-products were utilized in livestock feeds [1]. Flaxseed has been consumed by humans since the dawn of time. However, it has sparked renewed attention in the areas of dietary intake and disease investigation over the last 30 years, owing to the significant health benefits associated with some of its bioactive components [2]. It contains about 40–50% oil, which is mostly made up of beneficial polyunsaturated fatty acids. It is high in omega-3 fatty acids, soluble and insoluble fibers, phytoestrogenic lignans, proteins, and antioxidants, among other nutrients. In the diet of vegetarians, it is a potential source of alpha-linolenic acid [3]. Flaxseeds contain

fats (41%), and dietary fibers (28%) as well as proteins (20%), water (8%), and ash content (3%). Flaxseed has a lipid content of 37 to 45 g/100 g and carbohydrate content of 25 to 30 g/100 g. Glutamine, Arginine, Valine, Leucine, Tyrosine, and Phenylalanine, Insoluble fiber constituents such as Cellulose, Hemicellulose, and Lignin are abundant in flaxseed, its meals, and isolated protein, while soluble fiber is made up of mucilage gums [4]. Flaxseed mucilage, which is mainly comprised of water-soluble polysaccharides, has greater water holding capacity and physicochemical characteristics comparable to guar gum [5]. Flaxseeds contain three kinds of phenolic compounds: Phenolic acids, Flavonoids, as well as Lignans. The main phenolic acids found in defatted flaxseed are Ferulic acid, Chlorogenic acid, and Gallic acid. Flavone C- and Flavone O-glycosides are the most common Flavonoids found in flaxseeds. Secoisolariciresinol diglycoside is the main lignan found in flaxseed. Alpha-linolenic acid accounts for 53% of all lipids, with linoleic acid accounting for 17%, oleic acid for 19%, stearic acid for 3%, and palmitic acid for 5%, As a result, the n-6 and n-3 fatty acid ratio is usually 0.3:1 in flaxseeds [6]. Additionally, it contains minerals and vitamins, especially Phosphorus (K), Magnesium (Mg), Calcium (Ca), Iron (Fe), Zinc (Zn), and low concentration of Sodium (Na), as well as Vitamin A, C, Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, B6, and E [7]. **Figure 1** shows the detailed picture of the nutritional profile of flaxseeds. It contains anti-nutrient compounds like phytic acid, linatine, and cyanogenic glycosides in addition to beneficial phytochemicals. Furthermore, this plant's ability to absorb and accumulate cadmium from the soil, which forms chelates with thiol-containing plant proteins, is a serious issue. Fortunately, no harmful impacts, such as food poisoning, have been reported in the literature as a result of Flaxseed consumption [2, 3].

**Figure 1.** *Nutrient profile of flaxseeds.*

#### *How Can Flaxseed be Utilized as Functional Food DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.100201*

Flax seeds contain numerous biologically active elements that help to prevent and treat a variety of physiological conditions and non-communicable diseases, including dyslipidemia, obesity, diabetes mellitus, a variety of cancers, kidney and renal failure, irritable bowels, immune function, and more. Their omega-3 fats, Lignans, and Fiber content are primarily responsible for their health benefits. Plant-based ALA fatty acids have been linked to a lower risk of stroke and have been shown to improve heart health. Lignans, which are rich in antioxidants and estrogen, may aid in the prevention of diabetes, breast and prostate cancer, as well as other cancers [8]. **Figure 2** demonstrates major health benefits provided by phytochemicals present in flaxseeds. Seed mucilage consumption via the orogastro-intestinal route has been linked to a variety of health benefits, including postprandial glycemic and insulinemic response modulation, hyperlipidemia prevention, satiety enhancement, and gut microbiota function regulation [9].

Diabetes Mellitus, also known as diabetes, is a metabolic condition characterized by raised blood sugar levels. A Hormone called insulin that transports sugar from the bloodstream into cells to be stored or used for energy, is responsible for diabetes. In diabetes, the body either does not produce enough insulin or does not use it effectively. Over the last 50 years, the number of diabetics and obese people has risen considerably in both developed and developing countries [10]. Both the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have made significant efforts to keep figures or global predictions of a sharp rise in the number of people with diabetes up to date. According to the IDF, 382 million people had diabetes in 2013, and by 2035, that number will have risen to nearly 600 million. **Figure 3** shows the International Diabetes Federation's global distribution of people with types 1 and 2 diabetes (ranked by country) [11]. Diabetes mellitus is linked to abnormalities in carbohydrate, protein, and lipid metabolism, which can lead to secondary complications. It can harm the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves over time. It raises the chances of having a heart attack or a stroke in adults by two to three times. Neuropathy (nerve damage) in the feet, when combined with reduced blood flow, increases the risk of foot ulcers, infection, and eventual limb amputation. Diabetic retinopathy is a common cause of blindness that develops as a result of long-term damage to the retina's small blood vessels. Diabetic nephropathy is one of the most common causes of kidney failure [12]. Basic lifestyle modifications have been shown to restrict the risk of type II diabetes or delay its onset. To aid in the prevention of type II diabetes and its

**Figure 2.** *Health benefits of flaxseeds.*

**Figure 3.** *Prediction of growth of diabetic patients, 2035.*

complications, individuals should: attain and maintain healthy body weight; participate in physical activity; consume a nutritious sugar and saturated fat-free diet, and refrain from smoking. Because of the importance of lifestyle prevention, it's critical to look into the protective effects of healthy nutrients and foods. Numerous studies have shown that nutritional therapy plays an important role in preventing or delaying the advancement of these secondary complexities [13].

A diabetic diet focuses on a general dietary pattern including functional foods such as whole grains, nuts, fruits, leafy green vegetables, herbs, spices, legumes, and seeds that can help in managing blood glucose levels [14, 15]. Functional foods, which can boost health and lower the risk of developing many chronic diseases, have received a lot of attention over the last two decades. The concept "functional foods" was coined to describe foods that have been scientifically proven to have medical benefits [14]. Researchers have been focusing on the characteristics of bioactive substances found in functional foods in the management of multiple facets of diabetes mellitus in recent years; some of the therapeutic potentials of these bioactive substances and food sources have been studied in vitro and in vivo, and numerous analytical studies have even verified the benefits in people with diabetes. Hypoglycemic and Hypolipidemic properties have been discovered in a variety of functional foods [15]. Flaxseeds one of the functional food have been shown in studies to have hypoglycemic and hypolipemic properties, causing foods to have a lower glycemic index. It is high in dietary fibers, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants, as well as being low in carbohydrates, making it an anti-diabetic food. Therefore, incorporating flaxseed into various food products causes positive changes in diabetics' biochemical profiles, thereby improving their metabolic profile [16]. This review summarizes data on flaxseed-infused foods and their importance in diabetes that has been published in the literature for the past five years.

#### **2. Value-added food products prepared by incorporating flaxseeds**

After centuries of use as natural medicine, Flaxseed has resurfaced in the functional foods arena as a potential future functional ingredient with a wide variety of clinical benefits. Flaxseed-supplemented food products are becoming increasingly trendy due to their high levels of unsaturated fatty acids, protein, soluble fiber, and phytonutrients. It can be used as roasted and ground seeds, and its oil can be used in a variety of food formulations as vegetable oils, stable emulsions, and micro-encapsulated powder. **Tables 1** and **2** highlights the specifics of flaxseed-supplemented foods. Their impact on the glycemic index is also briefly discussed. The entire information on functional foods is divided into two categories: paper-based information and patent-based information.
