Flaxseed, ground
Checked by us One serving: 15 g (about 2 tablespoons) · 77 kcal
Lots of omega-3: ALA and selenium.
Go easy: cyanogenic glycosides can add up.
Worth knowing for some people: flaxseed: take with fluid.
Good for
How we counted this
What one serving (15 g) gives you.
Your body needs enough of each of these. Past enough, more doesn’t help. Amounts are what the food databases list, not what your body absorbs, unless a row says it was measured.
The words: “A lot” means one serving gives 20% or more of Health Canada’s daily amount, “Some” 10% to 19%, “A little” 2% to 9%, “Almost none” under 2%. Strongest word first; within a word, protein and fibre lead, then the biggest share. ?
A milligram (mg) is a thousandth of a gram, and a microgram (µg) a thousandth of a milligram: 1,000 µg make 1 mg.
- A lot
Omega-3: ALA
The one omega-3 your body can’t make: it must come from food. Your cells build it into their membranes and burn it for energy.
Learn more
3,422 mg in one serving: 214% of the 1,600 mg a day men need, 311% of the 1,100 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, omega-3 fatty acids fact sheet for health professionals
- A lot
Selenium
Your thyroid uses it to make its hormones.
Learn more
20.4 µg in one serving: 37% of the 55 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, selenium fact sheet for health professionals
20 more nutrients below “a lot”
- Some
Magnesium
Your muscles and nerves need it to work.
Learn more
55.8 mg in one serving: 14% of the 400 mg a day men need, 18% of the 310 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, magnesium fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Fibre
Keeps your gut moving.
Learn more
3.47 g in one serving: 9% of the 38 g a day men need, 14% of the 25 g women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. Institute of Medicine 2005, Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids
- A little
Niacin (B3, niacin equivalents)
More than 400 of your enzymes need it to work.
Learn more
1.2 mg in one serving: 8% of the 16 mg a day men need, 9% of the 14 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, niacin fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Thiamin (B1)
Your cells use it to get energy from food, and so to grow and work.
Learn more
0.08 mg in one serving: 7% of the 1.2 mg a day men need, 7% of the 1.1 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, thiamin fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Zinc
Your immune system and healing wounds depend on it.
Learn more
0.71 mg in one serving: 6% of the 11 mg a day men need, 9% of the 8 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, zinc fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Protein
Your muscles, and every other tissue, are built and repaired from it.
Learn more
2.71 g in one serving: 5% of the 56 g a day men need, 6% of the 46 g women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. Institute of Medicine 2005, Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids
- A little
Iron
Carries oxygen in your blood.
Learn more
0.87 mg in one serving: 11% of the 8 mg a day men need, 5% of the 18 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, iron fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Vitamin B6
Helps you use protein, and your brain needs it to make its chemical messengers.
Learn more
0.06 mg in one serving: 5% of the 1.3 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin B6 fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Potassium
Your nerves, muscles and kidneys need it to work.
Learn more
119 mg in one serving: 4% of the 3,400 mg a day men need, 5% of the 2,600 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, potassium fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Calcium
Builds your bones and teeth.
Learn more
34.5 mg in one serving: 3% of the 1,000 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, calcium fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Choline
Your cells need it for their membranes, and to make acetylcholine, a messenger for memory, mood and muscle control.
Learn more
11.8 mg in one serving: 2% of the 550 mg a day men need, 3% of the 425 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, choline fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Riboflavin (B2)
Your cells use it to make energy and handle fats. It also helps turn tryptophan into niacin and activate vitamin B6.
Learn more
0.02 mg in one serving: 2% of the 1.3 mg a day men need, 2% of the 1.1 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, riboflavin fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Folate
Your body needs it to make DNA and to divide new cells.
Learn more
6.22 µg in one serving: 2% of the 400 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, folate fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin K1
Your blood needs it to clot.
Learn more
0.55 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 120 µg a day men need, 1% of the 90 µg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin K fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin C
Your body makes collagen with it, which wounds need to heal. It also helps you absorb iron from plants.
Learn more
0.09 mg in one serving: under 1% of the 90 mg a day men need, under 1% of the 75 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin C fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Omega-3: EPA + DHA
Long-chain omega-3s, built into your cell membranes. DHA is concentrated in your brain and retinas.
Learn more
0 mg in one serving: under 1% of the 250 mg a day.
Health Canada sets no daily amount for these fats, so the daily figure here is the European Food Safety Authority’s.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, omega-3 fatty acids fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin A
Your eyes need it to see in dim light.
Learn more
Getting enough matters; more than enough doesn’t sharpen your sight.
0 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 900 µg a day men need, under 1% of the 700 µg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin A fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin B12
Your body needs it to make red blood cells and keep nerves working.
Learn more
0 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 2.4 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin B12 fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin D
Your body needs it to absorb calcium and keep your bones hard.
Learn more
Your skin also makes it in sunlight, so food is only one of its sources.
0 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 15 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin D fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin E
Shields the fats in your cells from damage; your immune system uses it too.
Learn more
0 mg in one serving: under 1% of the 15 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin E fact sheet for health professionals
Watch out
How we counted this
Cyanogenic glycosides
Go easyLearn more
22 g in one sitting reaches the limit
You’d need about 1.5 servings in one sitting of this food alone to reach the limit.
“Go easy” here because fewer than 2 servings at a time reach the limit; one serving on its own stays under it.
One serving carries 961 µg (CN bioavailable-equivalent (after factor 3), at the EFSA mean 192.1 mg/kg)
How we got this
The dataset’s rating: Go easy: can push past the limit
May exceed: EFSA's acute reference dose for cyanide is 20 µg/kg body weight, 1,400 µg for 70 kg in one sitting, and for ground linseed EFSA counts a third of the cyanide against it. About 21.9 g in one sitting reaches it at EFSA's mean (192.1 mg total cyanide/kg, 58 samples) and 14 to 15 g at the Canadian Grain Commission's two means, so Health Canada's 15 g serving is 69% of the dose on EFSA's mean and 97% to 106% on the Commission's, and a tablespoon (8 g) 37% to 56%. Two servings in one sitting pass it on every mean.
Cadmium
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 1.3 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to use up what an average adult’s intake leaves under the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 5.52 µg
How we got this
A serving a day adds 31% to what an average adult already takes in: a share of that intake, not of the limit. With that serving every day, an average adult would be at about 93% of the limit.
An average adult already takes in about 71% of the limit. One serving a day fits in the room left.
Counted from zero, with no allowance for what adults already take in from other food, 480 g a week would reach the limit.
Why this rating: Eating it daily comes to 105 g a week, which stays within the 140 g of room left before the limit.
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
A daily serving adds 31% to an average adult's cadmium intake (EFSA 2012 adult median, 1.77 µg/kg body weight/week; Canadian adults in 2007: 1.2-1.75), far from doubling it, so no cap.
Checked for lead: fine at normal amounts.
Lead
Nothing to watchA serving a day adds 0% to the lead an average adult already gets from all food. No dose is known to be safe, so we’d flag a food only if a daily serving doubled that intake.
Learn more
A serving a day adds 0% to what an average adult already takes in. There is no limit to take a share of.
One serving carries 0 µg
How we got this
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
All eight CFIA samples report 0 (not quantified), so only a lower bound exists; the detection limit for flax is not given. CFIA's general limit range is 0.0005-0.02 ppm: at the top of it, 15 g carries 0.3 µg, under 1% of the average adult's 35 µg/day, so no cap.
For some people
Person-specific flag, not rated: 'For each dose, drink at least 250 ml of liquid'; 'Do not use if you have difficulty swallowing'; 'Take a few hours before or after taking other medications or health products' (EMA: may block throat or oesophagus without fluid).
Worth knowing
No limit applies, so none is rated.
Sugar
0.2 g of sugar in a 15 g serving, natural and added together.
Learn more
Shown, not rated. The food tables we read give total sugar, and few give added sugar, so the site can’t yet tell sugar added in making a food from the sugar in fruit or milk.
Also measured in it
Figures from the dataset. None has a limit to be rated against, so none is a verdict.
Oxalate: 9 mg per 100 g in the sources we hold. · Oxalosis and Hyperoxaluria Foundation 2024 · grade C
We haven’t rated this food for oxalate. We count only a figure that comes from a grade A or B source and says it was measured per 100 g of the food as eaten, and none of the figures here does both.
Phytate, as the source gives it: 770-920 (quoted literature range) mg/100 g (not stated); 997 ± 141 (787-1,232) mg phytate/100 g dry matter (phytic acid basis: the paper uses 660.3 g/mol for its molar ratios) (dry matter) · Duarte 2025, Castro alba2019 · grade C, A
These come from different samples and are given on different bases (as the food was analysed, or per gram of dry matter), so the figures can’t be compared with each other.
Phytate (also written InsP6, IP6 or phytic acid), the form in which plants store phosphorus, is found in whole grains, beans and nuts. It binds zinc in the gut and lowers how much zinc and plant (non-heme) iron you absorb. No limit applies.
Source: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Zinc fact sheet · NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Iron fact sheet
Also checked (nothing to act on) · 2
Noted for context, or not measured in this food yet.
Shown as context: person-specific. Flax is not on Health Canada's list of priority food allergens.
Person-specific flag, not rated. HealthyFlax.org (Flax Council of Canada, 12 Dec 2017, industry) says Health Canada's Natural Health Products Division 'does not advise of any contraindications during pregnancy or lactation' for flaxseed up to 45 g/day; secondary reviews and the EMA list lignan estrogenic activity as a reason for caution (hormone-dependent tumours).
Better options
How we counted this
“Better” here always means better at something the row names: more of one nutrient, more nutrients per serving, or the goal you pick. It never means better in every way.
Every amount below is for the same weight, 15 g, the size of one serving of this food, so a swap compares like with like. A serving of another food can be bigger or smaller.
A food is listed only if it gives clearly more: at least a fifth more than this food, and at least 10% of the daily amount more.
More of what it’s good for
For omega-3: ALA: no other toppings we’ve checked give clearly more, in the same 15 g.
For selenium: no other toppings we’ve checked give clearly more, in the same 15 g.
Flaxseed, whole would lead this list, but it’s left out (Cadmium: go easy).
Your goal
Your goal changes only this list, not what the food gives you or what to watch.
Losing weight: fewer calories, and more nutrients, protein and fibre for each calorie.
Parmesan- 59 kcal in 15 g (this food: 77)
- More calcium (178 mg vs 34.5 mg)
- Less omega-3: ALA (44.6 mg vs 3,422 mg)
- Less selenium (3.38 µg vs 20.4 µg)
1 food out of the 6 other toppings we’ve checked and could compare gives clearly more nutrients, protein and fibre per calorie.
Building muscle: more protein and more calories, per 100 g.
Pumpkin seeds29.9 g protein · 515 kcal per 100 g
1 food out of the 6 other toppings we’ve checked and could compare gives clearly more protein, and more calories, per 100 g.
Why some foods aren’t suggested
Left out: Flaxseed, whole (Cadmium: go easy).
Bring a tracker export or describe your usual week. The same rules check all of it.
The numbers
Open every value
Name in the database: Flaxseed, ground (milled)
How the serving was set: 15 g (Health Canada TRA row C.5 'milled flax, hemp and chia seeds', household measure '# tbsp (15 g)'); O.1 (nuts and seeds, 'whole, chopped, sliced, slivered or ground', 30 g shelled) also reads on ground seeds in general; C.5 names flax and is used. Tablespoon weight 8 g is derived (16 g / 2 tbsp in an illustrative Health Canada claim example) (corrected by checker, 2026-10-17)
Listed nutrients, per 100 g
For each nutrient, the value this page uses is marked “used”. A row marked “second database” is another database’s figure for a matching food, kept so you can see how far databases disagree (they can differ in the samples analysed, lab methods and rounding). Its own cells are worked out from it, but none of the page’s words or scores are.
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 calories | How | Source | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omega-3: ALA | 22.813 g | 3.42 g | 4.43 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Calcium | 229.9 mg | 34.49 mg | 44.69 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| 255 mg | 38.25 mg | 49.57 mg | copy of USDA · not used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #4528 | C | |
| Carbohydrate | 34.355 g | 5.15 g | 6.68 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Choline | 78.7 mg | 11.81 mg | 15.3 mg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Energy | 514.443 kcal | 77.17 kcal | – | FDC Energy (Atwater Specific Factors) used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) | – |
| 534 kcal | 80.1 kcal | – | from SR Legacy · not used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C | |
| Omega-3: EPA + DHA | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Fat | 37.28 g | 5.59 g | 7.25 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 3.281 g | 0.49 g | 0.64 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Fibre | 23.13 g | 3.47 g | 4.5 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Folate | 41.45 µg | 6.22 µg | 8.06 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Iron | 5.778 mg | 0.87 mg | 1.12 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Magnesium | 372.1 mg | 55.82 mg | 72.33 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Niacin (B3, niacin equivalents) | 8.03 mg | 1.2 mg | 1.56 mg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #4528 | C |
| Phosphorus | 556.4 mg | 83.46 mg | 108.16 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Potassium | 793.4 mg | 119.01 mg | 154.22 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Protein | 18.036 g | 2.71 g | 3.51 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.161 mg | 0.02 mg | 0.03 mg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Selenium | 135.9 µg | 20.39 µg | 26.42 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Sodium | 36.74 mg | 5.51 mg | 7.14 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Sugars | 1.55 g | 0.23 g | 0.3 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.537 mg | 0.08 mg | 0.1 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Vitamin A | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.393 mg | 0.06 mg | 0.08 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Vitamin C | 0.6 mg | 0.09 mg | 0.12 mg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Vitamin D | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #4528 | C |
| Vitamin E | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Vitamin K1 | 3.675 µg | 0.55 µg | 0.71 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Water | 6.804 g | 1.02 g | 1.32 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Zinc | 4.738 mg | 0.71 mg | 0.92 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per serving | Per 100 calories | How | Source | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beta-carotene | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Copper | 1.344 mg | 0.2 mg | 0.26 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Energy (Atwater general) | 545.084 kcal | 81.76 kcal | 105.96 kcal | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Energy (Atwater specific) | 514.443 kcal | 77.17 kcal | 100 kcal | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Nitrogen | 3.403 g | 0.51 g | 0.66 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Ash | 3.525 g | 0.53 g | 0.69 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Sucrose | 1.15 g | 0.17 g | 0.22 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Glucose | 0.4 g | 0.06 g | 0.08 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Fructose | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Maltose | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Alcohol, ethyl | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Caffeine | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Theobromine | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Energy | 2,234 kj | 335.1 kj | 434.26 kj | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Galactose | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Vitamin A, IU | 0 iu | 0 iu | 0 iu | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Carotene, alpha | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Cryptoxanthin, beta | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Lycopene | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Tocopherol, beta | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Tocopherol, gamma | 19.95 mg | 2.99 mg | 3.88 mg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Tocopherol, delta | 0.35 mg | 0.05 mg | 0.07 mg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Tocotrienol, alpha | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Tocotrienol, beta | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Tocotrienol, gamma | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Tocotrienol, delta | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Biotin | 33.8 µg | 5.07 µg | 6.57 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Vitamin K (Dihydrophylloquinone) | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Folic acid | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Folate, food | 87 µg | 13.05 µg | 16.91 µg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Folate, DFE | 87 µg | 13.05 µg | 16.91 µg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Betaine | 3.1 mg | 0.47 mg | 0.6 mg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Tryptophan | 0.301 g | 0.05 g | 0.06 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Threonine | 0.931 g | 0.14 g | 0.18 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Isoleucine | 0.938 g | 0.14 g | 0.18 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Leucine | 1.38 g | 0.21 g | 0.27 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Lysine | 0.933 g | 0.14 g | 0.18 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Methionine | 0.403 g | 0.06 g | 0.08 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Cystine | 0.34 g | 0.05 g | 0.07 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Phenylalanine | 1.116 g | 0.17 g | 0.22 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Tyrosine | 0.573 g | 0.09 g | 0.11 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Valine | 1.138 g | 0.17 g | 0.22 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Arginine | 2.211 g | 0.33 g | 0.43 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Histidine | 0.514 g | 0.08 g | 0.1 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Alanine | 1.085 g | 0.16 g | 0.21 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Aspartic acid | 2.311 g | 0.35 g | 0.45 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Glutamic acid | 4.846 g | 0.73 g | 0.94 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Glycine | 1.386 g | 0.21 g | 0.27 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Proline | 0.873 g | 0.13 g | 0.17 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Serine | 1.138 g | 0.17 g | 0.22 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Hydroxyproline | 0.191 g | 0.03 g | 0.04 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Cysteine | 0.553 g | 0.08 g | 0.11 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Vitamin E, added | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Vitamin B-12, added | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| SFA 4:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| SFA 6:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| SFA 8:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| SFA 10:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| SFA 12:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| SFA 14:0 | 0.008 g | 0 g | 0 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| SFA 16:0 | 1.906 g | 0.29 g | 0.37 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| SFA 18:0 | 1.186 g | 0.18 g | 0.23 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| SFA 20:0 | 0.052 g | 0.01 g | 0.01 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| MUFA 18:1 | 7.359 g | 1.1 g | 1.43 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| PUFA 18:2 | 5.903 g | 0.89 g | 1.15 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| PUFA 18:3 | 22.813 g | 3.42 g | 4.43 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| PUFA 20:4 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| SFA 22:0 | 0.052 g | 0.01 g | 0.01 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| MUFA 16:1 | 0.024 g | 0 g | 0 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| PUFA 18:4 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| MUFA 20:1 | 0.067 g | 0.01 g | 0.01 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| MUFA 22:1 | 0.013 g | 0 g | 0 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Stigmasterol | 11 mg | 1.65 mg | 2.14 mg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Campesterol | 45 mg | 6.75 mg | 8.75 mg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Beta-sitosterol | 90 mg | 13.5 mg | 17.49 mg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 5.944 g | 0.89 g | 1.16 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 24.73 g | 3.71 g | 4.81 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| SFA 15:0 | 0.005 g | 0 g | 0 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| SFA 17:0 | 0.018 g | 0 g | 0 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| SFA 24:0 | 0.031 g | 0 g | 0.01 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| MUFA 24:1 c | 0.064 g | 0.01 g | 0.01 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| PUFA 20:2 n-6 c,c | 0.007 g | 0 g | 0 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| MUFA 18:1 c | 5.761 g | 0.86 g | 1.12 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| PUFA 18:2 n-6 c,c | 5.265 g | 0.79 g | 1.02 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Daidzein | 20.16 mg | 3.02 mg | 3.92 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Genistein | 0.013 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| PUFA 18:3 n-3 c,c,c (ALA) | 19.42 g | 2.91 g | 3.77 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| MUFA 20:1 c | 0.158 g | 0.02 g | 0.03 g | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Daidzin | 30.18 mg | 4.53 mg | 5.87 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Genistin | 1.947 mg | 0.29 mg | 0.38 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Glycitin | 31.55 mg | 4.73 mg | 6.13 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Lactose | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 651 µg | 97.65 µg | 126.54 µg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Manganese | 2.405 mg | 0.36 mg | 0.47 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Niacin (B3, preformed) | 3.756 mg | 0.56 mg | 0.73 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA Foundation Foods) #2262075 | C |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 0.985 mg | 0.15 mg | 0.19 mg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
| Retinol | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | from SR Legacy used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169414 | C |
Change the amount to rescale the first column. Nutrients a database doesn't list are missing, not zero.
Absorption studies
Studies of how much of a nutrient gets in; those done in animals are marked. This page quotes a figure only from a study that passes our screen: adults, graded A, of this food in this preparation, with a test dose on record and a source that has passed our evidence check. The exception is calcium on our calcium card: its figure comes from the card’s own study, checked with the card, and is marked “used” even where that study misses a step of this screen. The others are listed so nothing is hidden, each with the first check it fails.
No study of this food passes the screen yet, so no absorption figure is quoted.
| Study | Nutrient | Absorbed | Test dose | People | Grade | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goncalves de Oliveira 2012, FS group: apparent total-tract energy digestibility of the whole diet on 70 g/day flaxseed (diet-level) not stated · flaxseed ground in a blender, baked into muffins (breakfast menu: 'Muffins Control or with flaxseed oil or flaxseed or flaxseed flour'); intact seeds seen in stools · 70 g flaxseed/day (seed, not nutrient mg) in muffins; load of energy from flaxseed alone not reported full text read | Energy | 91.1 % | not reported | 8 | C | Not used: not graded A, so not a direct human study of this food and preparation. |
Hazard rows as the dataset rates them
- Cadmium · Nothing to watch: under the limit · A daily serving adds 31% to an average adult's cadmium intake (EFSA 2012 adult median, 1.77 µg/kg body weight/week; Canadian adults in 2007: 1.2-1.75), far from doubling it, so no cap. · CFIA 2018 · A
- Cyanogenic glycosides · Go easy: can push past the limit · May exceed: EFSA's acute reference dose for cyanide is 20 µg/kg body weight, 1,400 µg for 70 kg in one sitting, and for ground linseed EFSA counts a third of the cyanide against it. About 21.9 g in one sitting reaches it at EFSA's mean (192.1 mg total cyanide/kg, 58 samples) and 14 to 15 g at the Canadian Grain Commission's two means, so Health Canada's 15 g serving is 69% of the dose on EFSA's mean and 97% to 106% on the Commission's, and a tablespoon (8 g) 37% to 56%. Two servings in one sitting pass it on every mean. · EFSA 2019 · A
- Flax allergy · Context · Shown as context: person-specific. Flax is not on Health Canada's list of priority food allergens. · Health Canada 2024 · B
- Flaxseed in pregnancy and breastfeeding · Context · Person-specific flag, not rated. HealthyFlax.org (Flax Council of Canada, 12 Dec 2017, industry) says Health Canada's Natural Health Products Division 'does not advise of any contraindications during pregnancy or lactation' for flaxseed up to 45 g/day; secondary reviews and the EMA list lignan estrogenic activity as a reason for caution (hormone-dependent tumours). · Health Canada 2024 · B
- Flaxseed: take with fluid · Worth knowing · Person-specific flag, not rated: 'For each dose, drink at least 250 ml of liquid'; 'Do not use if you have difficulty swallowing'; 'Take a few hours before or after taking other medications or health products' (EMA: may block throat or oesophagus without fluid). · Health Canada 2024 · B
- Lead · Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake · All eight CFIA samples report 0 (not quantified), so only a lower bound exists; the detection limit for flax is not given. CFIA's general limit range is 0.0005-0.02 ppm: at the top of it, 15 g carries 0.3 µg, under 1% of the average adult's 35 µg/day, so no cap. · CFIA 2018 · A
Oxalate, phytate and gut-tolerance measurements
- fodmap fructan: 0.64 ± 0.22 (table header: 'Fructan and Galactooligosaccharides') g/100 g dry matter · g/100 g sample dry matter (as the table states); as-eaten basis not given · flax seeds ground in a coffee grinder to <500 um (raw) · grade A · Rados 2022
- histamine: none found not stated in the draft · not stated · not stated · grade C · Searches for measured FODMAP and histamine values in flaxseed: none…
- oxalate total: 9 per 100 g (compiled list); flaxseed meal 8 mg/100 g · as listed; method unstated · seeds, flax (linseed); and 'Flour, Flaxseed meal or ground Flaxseed' 8 · grade C · Oxalosis and Hyperoxaluria Foundation 2024
- phytate: 770-920 (quoted literature range) mg/100 g · not stated · not stated · grade C · Duarte 2025
- phytate: 997 ± 141 (787-1,232) mg phytate/100 g dry matter (phytic acid basis: the paper uses 660.3 g/mol for its molar ratios) · dry matter · flaxseeds boiled 5 min as porridge, defatted for the phytate analysis, dried 60 C · grade A · Castro alba2019
- phytate: mean 103.94 across 8 varieties mg/100 g (wet base as the paper states) · as stated 'wet base' · whole-seed flour, Ethiopian linseed varieties · grade B · Deme 2017
Sources
- Castro-Alba V, Lazarte CE, Bergenstahl B, Granfeldt Y. Phytate, iron, zinc, and calcium content of common Bolivian foods and their estimated mineral bioavailability. Food Sci Nutr 2019;7(9):2854-2865 · doi:10.1002/fsn3.1127 · PMID 31572579
castro-alba2019· full text read · CC BY (Wiley OA) - CFIA. Pesticides and Metals in Selected Foods, April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2019 (open.canada.ca dataset e4194282-102a-40ec-ac4c-0ce20e9a33cf, resource 35516ebc-f2f1-4e4b-9843-f57e8fa36ce6, product 'Seed - Flax', 8 samples)
cfia-2018-19-pesticides-metals· secondary source · Open Government Licence - Canada - Health Canada, Canadian Nutrient File 2026 (14th edition)
cnf-2026· dataset · Open Government Licence – Canada 2.0 - Deme T, Haki GD, Retta N, Woldegiorgis A, Geleta M. Mineral and anti-nutritional contents of niger seed (Guizotia abyssinica), linseed (Linum usitatissimum) and sesame (Sesamum indicum) varieties grown in Ethiopia. Foods 2017;6(4):27 · doi:10.3390/foods6040027
deme2017· full text read · licence not recorded - Duarte S, Shah MA, Sanches Silva A. Flaxseed in diet: a comprehensive look at pros and cons. Molecules 2025;30(6):1335 · doi:10.3390/molecules30061335 · PMID 40142110
duarte2025· full text read · CC BY (MDPI) - EFSA CONTAM Panel (2019). Evaluation of the health risks related to the presence of cyanogenic glycosides in foods other than raw apricot kernels. EFSA Journal 17(4):5662 · doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2019.5662
efsa-2019-cyanogenic-glycosides· full text read · EFSA Journal: CC BY-ND 4.0 (per EFSA policy; not checked on the page) - USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30
fdc-foundation-2026-04-30· dataset · CC0 1.0 (public domain) - USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, 2018-04
fdc-sr-legacy-2018-04· dataset · CC0 1.0 (public domain) - Searches for measured FODMAP and histamine values in flaxseed: none found
flaxseed-gut-search· secondary source · n/a - Health Canada. Natural Health Product: Flaxseed - Linum usitatissimum (monograph, 26 July 2024)
hc-nhp-flaxseed-2024· full text read · Government of Canada terms - Oxalosis and Hyperoxaluria Foundation. Oxalate list (022724), 2024
ohf-oxalate-list-2024· full text read · copyright OHF - Rados K, Sukelj Mustac N, Varga K, Drakula S, Voucko B, Curic D, Novotni D. Development of high-fibre and low-FODMAP crackers. Foods 2022;11(17):2577 · doi:10.3390/foods11172577 · PMID 36076763
rados2022· full text read · CC BY (MDPI) - Goncalves de Oliveira C, Rodrigues Ferreira Cruz AC, Mayumi Nakajima V, Bressan J, Goncalves Alfenas RC, Mattes RD, Brunoro Costa NM. Flaxseed energy and macronutrients balance. Nutr Hosp 2012;27(5):1598-1604 · doi:10.3305/nh.2012.27.5.5907 · PMID 23478711
scielo-goncalves2012· full text read · CC BY (journal statement)
Body map 2026-10-25.1: each nutrient’s job comes from an agency fact sheet, linked beside it under Good for.
The plain words: “a lot” means one serving (100 g when the food has no serving size) gives at least 20% of the daily amount (the reference intake), “some” at least 10%, “a little” at least 2% (the cut-offs are ours, one set for every page: 20% and 10% are borrowed from the US labelling terms “high” and “good source” and applied to Health Canada’s daily amount, whereas Health Canada’s own shopper rule says 15%; provisional: they may change in a later method version). The daily amount is Health Canada’s Dietary Reference Intake for adults 19–30; where men and women need different amounts we use the higher one (protein: 56 g for men, 46 g for women). The percentage printed under each nutrient is the printed amount as a share of that daily amount, rounded to the nearest whole number, and the word is read from that percentage, so the amount, the percentage and the word always agree. Calcium with a measured absorption is scaled by how well it gets in compared with milk.
The scale: “Nothing to watch” means a serving a day stays under the limit at ordinary amounts; “Go easy” means a serving a day can push past the limit for adults who already take in the most, or fewer than 2 servings reach it; “Limit it” means once a week or less. The dataset’s own rating is under “How we got this”. Provisional: the scale may change in a later method version.
Measured absorption under Good for: grade-A studies in adults that tested this preparation of this food, as a share of the listed amount (the share digested, for protein), quoted once each source has passed our evidence check; animal studies and other variants stay in the table above. Provisional: this screen may change in a later method version.