I know this information is available elsewhere, but English-major-turned-baker PJH explains things in a way that I always understand and can retain and sometimes can repeat intelligently to others. So: What is flax anyway? Is it wheat? I don't get it. How does it differ from bran? And I don't know what "bran" as in "bran muffin" is either, actually. Are both of these primarily geared to maintain digestive health? If I made flax blueberry muffins for a gathering of people, do I need to tell people about the flax? Or do I just know in my heart it is excellent food for people, just the way I cook everything else, and say nothing? Is flax good universally for nearly everyone? Hi there, These are excellent questions. Here's some more info for you. Per Wikipedia: Flax is grown both for its seeds and for its fiber. Various parts of the plant have been used to make fabric, dye, paper, medicines, fishing nets, hair gels, and soap. Flax seed is the source of linseed oil, which is used as an edible oil, as a nutritional supplement, and as an ingredient in many wood finishing products. Flax is also grown as an ornamental plant in gardens. As far as bran, grains are comprised of different parts, including the bran and germ. You can see a diagram of a wheat berry on our grain page. It will show the bran (the outer coat of the berry) the endosperm (the part we mill flour from) and the germ (the embryo of a new wheat berry). The fiber in bran is insoluble, so it passes through the body as more easily. As far as letting your guests know about different ingredients, it's always nice for folks to be aware of ingredients in a more allergy-prone world, that way each person can decide for themselves what to eat to maintain their particular diet. Hope this helps! ~ MaryJane

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