Linseed oil pressed by cold method retains all primary natural materials. It is assigned to the category of food products of healthy nutrition, and it is used in the pharmaceutics as the basic component of a medicine.
Compared to other frequently used oils the linseed oil contains:
The biggest amount of the irreplaceable omega-3 fat acid (58%) – 2 times more than in the cod-liver oil;
Sufficient amount of vitamins.
Compared to the cod-liver oil , linseed oil tastes and smells better, it is not as expensive as the cod-liver oil . Linseed oil has been used since the ancient Greece and Roman times. 1 g of linseed oil approximately contains: poly-unsaturated oil acids (alpha linolen – 540 mg and linol – 160 mg), monosaturated (olein acid – 143 mg) and saturated – 82 mg. Recommended daily ration is 1-3 table spoons.
Linseed oil
Flax is a widespread plant from the Linaceae family. They were used in the manufacturing of fibred fabrics. Naturally, the more to the north is the climate zone where the flax is grown, the more valuable is the linseed oil. The pressing of the linseed oil began in Lithuania in the middle of the nineteenth century, but there has not been any industrial production of the linseed oil in our country to date. Linseed oil is produced from the ripe seeds of flax grown in Lithuania by the unique method of cold pressing, without any harmful effects of the light, oxygen and high temperature. There are very strict requirements for the oil pressed by cold method. The pressed oil meets all the quality, hygiene and food safety requirements. It is processed only mechanically.
Linseed oil is the source of the irreplaceable poly-unsaturated oil acids, vitamins, phospholipids, phyto-sterols, natural anti-oxides, mineral substances and other biologically active components that have many benefits for the human body. Both vitamins and mineral substances perform not only physiological but also preventive function.
Lithuanians should try to decrease the amount of animal fat in the food they eat and use more of the seed-oil. This gap could definitely be filled not only by the refined rape-oil produced in Lithuania, but also by the Lithuanian linseed oil pressed by cold method; its production has already been started.
Vitally important poly-unsaturated oil acids (omega-6 and omega-3) are not synthesized in the human organism; therefore it is important that people receive them with food. When they are not gained with food, the growth of the organism slows down, immunity to contagious deseases decreases, the skin becomes dry, and there is disorder of cholesterol circulation.
For many years in Lithuania the shortage of fat acids has been compensated by the linseed oil, and during the post-war years – by cod-liver oil.
Scientists in the USA are claiming that a person daily should gain with food 1-2 g of poly-unsaturated oil acids. If the there is 1 g of poly-unsaturated oil acids in the diet, the organism is able to assimilate 5 mg of vitamin E.
The amount of saturated and poly-unsaturated (w-6, w-3, w-9) oil acids in the oils pressed by cold method, g/100 g
| Fat acids Name of the oil |
Linol (Ω-6) |
α-Linolen (Ω-3) |
Olein (Ω-9) |
Saturated RR RR |
Ω6:Ω3 |
| Grape seeds | 72 | 1 | 17 | 10 | 72:1 |
| Linseed | 14 | 58 | 19 | 9 | 1:4 |
| Sunflower | 65 | traces | 16 | 12 | 65:0 |
| Pumpkin | 46 | 0,4 | 35,5 | 15,3 | 46:0 |
| Soy | 54 | 8 | 23 | 15 | 6,75:1 |
| Corn | 59 | traces | 29 | 13 | 59:0 |
| Sesame | 43 | 1 | 40 | 15 | 43:1 |
| Olive | 9 | traces | 75 | 15 | 9:0 |
* ω-6:ω – 3 ratio should be 2:1
The amount of natural tocopherol and tocotrienol (Vit. E) in some of the oils, mg./100g.
| Oil | Total amount of tocopherols | α tocopherol | Tocotrienol |
| Sunflower | 40-80 | 34,9 | – |
| Soy | 33-152 | 3-12 | – |
| Olive | 6-9 | 3-7 | – |
| Linseed | 54,3 | 0,5 | 20 |
| Sesame | 33,1-100,3 | 0,33 | – |
We seek for companies engaged in processing or using linseed oil produced by the method of cold pressing in pharmacy, cosmetology or food industry.
