Flaxseed, anticancer and many other benefits
Submitted by Dr Hemingway
Flax seeds (also known as linseed) come in two basic varieties; brown and yellow (also referred to as golden). Although brown flax can be consumed and has been for thousands of years, it is better known as an ingredient in paints, fibre and cattle feed. Brown and yellow flax have similar nutritional values and equal amounts of short-chain omega-3 fatty acids. The exception is a type of yellow flax called solin which is very low in omega-3 and has a completely different oil profile. A number of studies have shown that people have a very hard time absorbing the Omega-3 from flaxseed oil compared to oily fish or even hempseed oil.
Composition
Flax seed is one-third oil, the remainder consisting of fiber, protein and mucilage. Flax oil, when extracted with care, is one of the greatest sources of essential fatty acids. The protein in flax seeds is easily digested and contains all the amino acids needed for building a strong body. The fiber in flax acts as a broom sweeping the colon of toxic material, metabolic waste and dried mucus. Flax fiber is an excellent food for friendly bacteria in the intestine which keeps disease-causing organisms in check.
Twelve percent of flax seeds is mucilage which makes it a gentle, non-irritating, natural laxative. Flax mucilage is perfect for those who have a sensitive stomach, acting as a buffer for excess stomach acids, soothing ulcers or irritable bowel disorders. Flax expands 20 times in volume and should be taken with a generous amount of water.
Flax seed slowly releases its mucilage through the fiber wall. After half an hour of soaking the little seeds, a slippery mucilage forms. The flax seeds act as a tiny mucilage release capsule. This release continues, changing the water to a slippery consistency similar to a light oil. Flax seed is God’s gift for a toxic colon! It lubricates and absorbs toxins perfectly.
Flax seed contains lignans that have anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-cancer properties. Flax seeds have the richest source of lignans, 100 times more than the next best source, wheat bran. Flax seed also contains lecithin which emulsifies fat and cholesterol. These little seeds improve digestion, help stabilize blood glucose levels, fight tumor formation and enhance cardiovascular health.
Nutritional value
| Flax seed Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy 530 kcal 2230 kJ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient database |
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One tablespoon of ground flax seeds and three tablespoons of water may serve as a replacement for one egg in baking by binding the other ingredients together. Ground flax seeds can also be mixed in with oatmeal, yogurt, water (similar to Metamucil), or any other food item where a nutty flavour is appropriate. Flaxseed oil is most commonly consumed with salads or in capsules. Flax seed owes its nutritional benefits to lignans and omega-3 essential fatty acids. Omega-3s, often in short supply in populations with low-fish diets, promote heart health by reducing cholesterol, blood pressure and plaque formation in arteries. In addition, flaxseed oil is often recommended as a galactagogue.
Health Benefits of Flax Seed
Flax Fights Cholesterol
The consumption of flaxseed is associated with a reduction in total cholesterol, including the LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides. Study after study has shown a positive response to eating ground flax seed daily. Eating low fat foods, increasing your exercise, limiting the salt, sugar and eating flax seed daily are a few ways that you can win the battle against high cholesterol.
Flax Fights Diabetes
Nutritionists are instructing their diabetic patients to eat flax daily. It has been discovered that the omega-3 fat and high fiber in flax may play a role in the fight against diabetes. In a study conducted by the University of Toronto, participants who ate flaxseed bread had blood sugar levels 28% lower an hour after eating than their counterparts who ate bread made with wheat flour!
Flax Fights Cancer
Flaxseed is high in lignans, up to 800 times the amount as in any tested plant food. Lignans (a phytoestrogen) have been called by H. Adlercreutz (in his article “Phytoestrogens: Epidemiology and a Possible Role in Cancer Protection”), natural cancer-protective compounds. Flax seed is also high in alpha linolenic acid (ALA) which has been found to be promising as a cancer fighting agent. The American National Cancer Institute has singled out flaxseed as one of six foods that deserve special study. Flax seed’s high fiber aspect is also beneficial in the fight against colon cancer. Epidemiological studies note that diet plays a major role in the incidence of colon cancer. Research has shown that increasing the amount of fiber in your diet reduces your colon-cancer risk. Flax seed, high in fiber, lignans, alpha linolenic acid, is a key player in the fight against cancer, particularly breast and colon cancer.
Flax Fights Constipation
Flax is high in both soluble and insoluble fiber. One ounce of flax provides 32% of the USDA’s reference daily intake of fiber. Flax promotes regular bowel movements because it is high in insoluble fiber. Flaxseed’s all natural fiber helps to absorb water, thereby softening the stool and allowing it to pass through the colon quickly. When adding fiber to your diet, it is important to make sure that you are drinking at least eight glasses of water daily. Without enough liquids, fiber can actually cause constipation! In the fight against constipation exercise, eat fruits and vegetables, drink eight glasses of water daily and add two to four tablespoons of flax to your daily regime!
Flax Fights Inflammation
Flax is high in Omega 3 essential fatty acids. That’s good news for people who suffer from inflammatory disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis. Health experts, such as former Surgeon General C. Evertt Koop, recommend eating foods high in Omega 3’s for people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. It is the inflammation within the joints that cause so much of the pain associated with arthritis. The January 1996 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that the participants in a study that took flax oil daily reduced inflammatory responses by as much as 30%.
Flax Fights Menopausal Symptoms
Hot flashes, night sweats, irritability, moodiness…ah, the joys of menopause. Can flax really help? Yes it can! Flax, like soy, is a phytoestrogen. Phytoestrogens are estrogen-like substances that are found in plants. Flax is the richest known plant source of phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens act as a natural hormone therapy and help to stabilize hormonal levels. This stabilization of hormonal levels helps to lesson the symptoms of menopause.
Flax fights Heart Disease
Heart disease, the number one killer in America, has claimed the lives of too many of our family and friends. Years of a sedentary lifestyle, super size meals and processed foods has finally caught up with us. Can flax help? Yes it can. Numerous studies have been done on the effect of flax on heart disease, yielding many positive findings. Flax has been found to help reduce total cholesterol, LDL levels (the bad cholesterol), triglycerides. Flax helps to reduce clotting time and thereby reduces the chance for heart attacks and strokes. Regular intake of flax protects against arrhythmias and helps keep the arteries clear and pliable!
Flax and the Immune System
Across the table, your co-worker sneezes, no tissue in sight, you feel a light spray hit your face and shudder. Standing in a crowded elevator, in a busy mall, or in an airplane, you sometimes feel like you can’t escape getting at least one or two colds each year…or can you? Research has found that eating flax daily favorably affects immunity, the body’s ability to defend itself successfully against bacteria and viruses. Two components of flax, lignans and ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), have been found to affect immune cells and compounds that control immune reaction.
Flax fights “The Blues”
It’s that tired feeling that a good night’s rest won’t shake… that listless down in the dumps feeling that you just can’t get rid of. We call it “the blues”, otherwise known as atypical depression, the most common form of depression. Preliminary research suggests that eating a diet rich in flax could slash your risk of ever feeling “down in the dumps”. Follow up studies show that just 2-3 tablespoons of flax daily can help up to 2/3rds of severely depressed women bounce back within eight weeks. Flax, says Udo Erasmus, PhD, has a mood boosting ingredient: docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that is essential for the proper function of brain cells, yet up to 85% of women aren’t getting enough of it. Early research conducted by Dr. Martha Clare Morris of Chicago’s Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center notes that a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids is believed to be important for brain development. She stated that some participants in the study saw a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s from eating a diet high in Omege-3 fatty acids(Flax is the richest source of Omega 3’s in the plant kingdom). More research is needed in the area of flax and its relation to depression and brain function, however preliminary research is very promising.
Latest anti cancer effects
Flaxseed May Curb Prostate Tumor Growth
June 4, 2007 (Chicago) — A diet rich in flaxseed may help curb the growth of prostate tumors, preliminary research suggests.
Reducing fat in the diet, however, does not appear to have any effect on prostate cancer growth, says researcher Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, PhD, a professor in the school of nursing and the department of surgery at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C.
The researchers studied 161 men with prostate cancer scheduled to have their tumors surgically removed.
In the month prior to surgery, they were divided into four groups: one followed their regular diets, one took 30 grams of flaxseed a day, one restricted their dietary intake of fat to less than 20% of total calories, and one took flaxseed and restricted their dietary fat.
Prostate Tumor Growth Slows
As measured by how fast their cancer cells were dividing, tumors grew about 30% to 40% slower in the men taking flaxseed whether or not they followed a low-fat diet.
“It’s reasonable to suspect that reducing cell proliferation — the rate at which cancer cells divide — is a good thing and likely to be associated with relief of symptoms and better survival,” Ted Gansler, MD, director of medical content at the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, tells WebMD. Gansler was not involved with the research.
Demark-Wahnefried notes that flaxseed didn’t cause side effects such as nausea or vomiting.
The research was presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Flaxseed Rich in Omega-3s
An edible seed, flaxseed has been used in breads and cereals since the Middle Ages, says Demark-Wahnefried.
Sold in health food stores as well as many grocery stores, it’s available in whole seed, ground meal, and seed oil forms.
In the study, the men took powdered flaxseed, which was ground and mixed into food or drink.
Demark-Wahnefried says her team decided to study flaxseed because it is rich in disease-fighting omega-3 fatty acids. Whole and powdered flaxseed are also chock full of lignans, a type of plant estrogen that is thought to curb the out-of-control cell growth that fuels cancer. Flaxseed oil does not contain lignans.
In previous studies, lignans slowed the growth of prostate cancer cells that were grown in laboratories, and flaxseed shrunk prostate tumors in mice, she says.
Based on animal and smaller studies, the researchers thought a low-fat diet, too, would have cancer-fighting effects. But in this study, the low-fat diet did not curb tumor growth.
Flaxseed a Healthy Food
Both Gansler and Demark-Wahnefried stressed that while promising, the results are preliminary. But unlike many other alternative products, there doesn’t seem to be any downside to taking flaxseed, they say.
“At this point, we can’t yet say flaxseed protects against prostate cancer,” Demark-Wahnefried tells WebMD. “But it’s a healthy, nutritious food, rich in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, that is likely to offer health benefits.”
Based on these and other promising findings, researchers plan further study of flaxseed in men with prostate cancer as well as in women with breast cancer, she says.
Sources: wikipedia, WebMD, flaxhealth
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