**1.4 Flaxseeds**

Flaxseed, whose scientific name is Linum usitatissimum, which means "useful," is also known as Alsi or Jawas in India and has a crunchy texture and nutty flavour. It has been grown for its fibre content, other nutritional benefits, and therapeutic applications. **Figure 4** illustrates the advantages of flaxseeds for health. As the building block for other compounds that help in the prevention of inflammation, ALA (alphalinolenic acid) can also help protect the blood vessels against inflammatory damages. Numerous studies have demonstrated that dietary flaxseeds can raise blood levels of ALA, even when they are added to baked goods like breads, muffins, or other recipes. Two more omega 3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosapentaenoic acid, have also been shown to increase in the blood when flaxseeds are consumed (DPA). Increased blood levels of EPA and DPA help in the inflammatory protection that arises in many degenerative illnesses [17–23].
