How to Make Flaxseed Tea (Linaza) With Whole or Ground Seed

Flaxseed tea is not really a tea. Nothing in it comes from a tea leaf, and the finished drink is thicker than water, closer to a light syrup. That thickness is the whole point. If you searched for how to make flaxseed tea, you probably want a simple recipe and a straight answer about what it does. Here are both.

In Peru this drink is called agua de linaza. Before sunrise, street vendors known as emolienteros park their carts on Lima corners and ladle it from steaming pots into glasses of emoliente. Commuters drink it standing up. The recipe below is the home version.

Why the water turns thick

Flaxseed, Linum usitatissimum, has a thin outer coat packed with mucilage. Mucilage is a soluble fiber that swells and turns slippery in hot water. Simmer the seeds for a few minutes and the water takes on a silky, gel-like body.

That gel is what most people are after. The seed's other famous parts, the omega-3 oil and the rough insoluble fiber, mostly stay inside the seed. This matters for which method you pick.

Method 1: whole seeds, simmered and strained

This is the classic method. It gives a smooth drink with the gel and very little grit.

1. Add 1 tablespoon of whole flaxseed to 2 cups of water in a small pot.
2. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. Stir now and then.
3. Watch the texture. When the water coats a spoon lightly, it is ready.
4. Strain right away through a fine sieve. The gel thickens as it cools and becomes hard to strain.
5. Drink warm. Add a squeeze of lime, the Peruvian way.

What you get: the soluble fiber. What you leave behind: most of the oil, the lignans and the insoluble fiber, which stay in the strained seeds.

Method 2: ground flaxseed, stirred and not strained

This is faster, and you drink the whole seed.

1. Heat 1 cup of water until it is hot but not boiling.
2. Stir in 1 teaspoon of ground flaxseed. Work up to 1 tablespoon over a week or two.
3. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then stir again. The powder settles fast.
4. Drink it all, including what sinks to the bottom.

The texture is cloudy and a little grainy, like thin porridge. In exchange you take in the fiber, the oil and the lignans together. For more on amounts through the day, see our guide on how to use flaxseed powder.

Which method should you choose?

• Smooth drink, gentle on the stomach: whole seeds, strained.
• More fiber per cup: ground, unstrained.
• Short on time: ground. It takes five minutes and no pot.
• You dislike texture: whole seeds. The ground version never goes fully smooth.

Flavor additions that work

Plain flaxseed tea tastes mild and slightly nutty. Peruvian kitchens rarely serve it plain.

• Lime juice, added after cooking
• A cinnamon stick or two cloves in the pot
• A slice of fresh ginger
• A small spoon of honey
• A strip of pineapple peel or a slice of quince, as the emoliente carts do

What the research says, and what it does not

Most people drink flaxseed tea for constipation. The human studies are encouraging, but they tested eaten flaxseed, not strained tea.

• A 2020 trial in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition gave 90 adults with constipation either 50 grams of flaxseed flour a day or a standard laxative syrup for four weeks. Bowel movements in the flaxseed group rose from a median of 2 a week to 7.
• A 2019 trial in Clinical Nutrition ESPEN studied 77 people with type 2 diabetes and constipation. Those who ate 10 grams of flaxseed baked into cookies twice a day for 12 weeks had fewer symptoms than the placebo group.

Notice the amounts. Fifty grams is about seven tablespoons, far more than a cup of tea holds. A strained cup gives you some soluble fiber and plenty of fluid, which helps on its own. It has not been tested in a trial. The ground method is closer to what the studies used, at a smaller dose.

Claims about weight loss, hair growth and hormone balance from flaxseed tea go beyond the evidence we could find.

Cautions before you start

• Drink extra water. Fiber without enough fluid can make constipation worse. Have a full glass of water alongside.
• Start small. Gas and bloating are common in the first week. Begin with a teaspoon.
• Space out your medicines. The gel can slow how the body absorbs pills. Leave an hour or two between flaxseed and any medication.
• Skip it if you have a bowel blockage, a narrowed esophagus or intestine, or trouble swallowing.
• Ask your doctor first if you take blood thinners or diabetes medicine, or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding and plan to use it daily. Flaxseed contains plant compounds that act a little like estrogen.
• Do not eat large amounts raw. Raw flaxseed carries small amounts of natural cyanide compounds. Heat lowers them, and normal food portions are considered safe.

Constipation that lasts more than two weeks, or comes with blood, pain or weight loss, needs a medical visit.

Common questions

Can I drink flaxseed tea every day?

Most healthy adults can, in food amounts of one to two tablespoons of seed a day, with plenty of water. Daily cups of agua de linaza are an ordinary habit in Peru.

When is the right time to drink it?

Morning on an empty stomach is the traditional Peruvian timing. Evening works too. Pick a time that keeps it an hour or two away from your medicines.

Can I use ground flaxseed instead of whole seeds?

Yes. Stir it into hot water and drink it unstrained. Do not try to strain ground flaxseed, since the sieve clogs and you throw away the fiber.

How long does flaxseed tea keep?

Up to two days in the refrigerator in a closed jar. It thickens as it sits. Thin it with warm water before drinking.

A simple way to begin

Flax is not native to Peru. It came from the Middle East by way of Spain, and Andean farmers have grown it for centuries since. Try the ground method for a week with a teaspoon each morning and see how your body responds. You can find more fiber and gut options in our digestive health collection.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This article is for education and does not replace advice from a qualified health professional.