Flax (scientific name: Sesamum indicum), alias sesame, Zhi Ma, Yau Ma Tei, is Pedaliaceae Sesamum plants. Although its cousin appeared in Africa, but the natural origins of species still unknown. It is all over the tropical regions of the world. Also cultivated in temperate regions, such as China's Shanxi. Because of its high oil content and seed is edible, so it was a lot of planting.
Flax is an annual plant, plant height of about 50-100 cm high, the whole plant is erect hairs, stems, four prism, alone or branched. Leaves opposite or alternate, margin entire, 4-14 cm long leaves, leaves lanceolate, heart-shaped or oval, leaves in plants at the base of the wider width of about five centimeters; the leaves on the stems of narrow width of about one centimeter. Flowers are generally cylindrical four, and about 3-5 cm, the color is white to purple. Seeds flat oval, white, yellow, reddish brown or black. Thermophilic drought, frost intolerant of waterlogging.
Uses: mainly sesame nutrients fat, protein, carbohydrates, and rich in dietary fiber, vitamin B complex, E and magnesium, potassium, zinc, and a variety of trace minerals.
According to "Compendium of Materia Medica", sesame sweet nature, belongs to nourish strong drugs, there are soothing, blood, eyesight, blood tonic, moistening Hua Chang, Sheng Jin role. Can reduce blood sugar, increase liver and muscle glycogen content, but also can reduce blood cholesterol levels. Due to lack of suitable liver caused by hair loss, dry skin, constipation, weak after the illness, dizziness embolism in the elderly eat. Sesame or treatment of hair loss, hemorrhoids ingredients, often eat sesame make the hair black. "Herbal truth," said: "flax blood, warm the spleen, where the hair is not black anti-hunger to vote."
After frying sesame seeds, ground Serve sesame; sesame oil extraction is the sesame oil。