* Please Note: This information is based partly on Traditional Medicine which uses natural materials to support health. This information has not been evaluated or approved by the FDA. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor.
Description
Flaxseed is a rich source of alpha-linolenic acid and long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, fibre(4,12), and lignans(13). Lignans are plant compounds also found in other seeds, grains, and legumes that are converted by beneficial gut flora into two hormone-like substances called enterolactone and enterodiol. Consuming flaxseed as a bulk-forming laxative might relieve constipation(5). In addition, ground flaxseed preparations used in bread and muffins seem to significantly reduce total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in people with normal cholesterol levels (5,10,14) and in people with hypercholesterolemia.(15,16)
The omega-3 fatty acid EPA is credited with lowering the propensity to blood clot. This is usually a desirable condition, since most heart attacks are caused by inappropriate blood clotting. A faithful use of flaxseed oil would be beneficial in this regard, and would be a natural answer to those who advocate that everyone should use ASA as protection against heart attack. This is demonstrable in the Inuit people, who follow an EPA-rich diet of fish and marine mammals.
The Inuit are known to be "bleeders", while North Americans, who consume high quantities of omega-6 oils, are known to be "clotters". EPA is associated with reduced platelet stickiness and reduced fibrinogen production.(17) The addition of flaxseed to the diet is used for atherosclerosis because of its ability to reduce platelet aggregation and serum cholesterol, therefore potentially lowering atherogenic risks.(16) The lipid-lowering effects of flaxseed are thought to be attributed to its fibre content. Diets high in fibre increase fecal elimination of bile acids, which increases primary bile acid synthesis.(15,16)
Ground flaxseed, meal and flour have been studied quite extensively for their beneficial protective effects on women's health. Enterolactone and enterodiol are hormone-like agents derived from lignans that demonstrate protective effects against breast cancer and are believed to be one reason a vegetarian may have a lower risk of breast cancer. Lignans are phytoestrogens with weak estrogenic effects and possible anti-estrogenic effects. Studies show that women with breast cancer typically excrete much lower levels of lignans in their urine than women without breast cancer.(18,19,20) Preliminary research may indicate that ground flaxseed has beneficial effects on estrogen-dependent breast cancer cells.
Enterolactone and enterodiol have demonstrated inhibition of mammary tumor growth in vitro (21,22) and further preliminary evidence shows these compounds may inhibit each other's proliferative effect on estrogen-dependent breast cancer cells. This competition may prevent endogenous estrogen from binding to estrogen receptors, for anti-estrogen effect.(20,23)
One study involved 29 postmenopausal women who had suffered from at least 14 hot flushes each week for at least one month. After taking 40 grams of ground flaxseed each day for six weeks, the frequency of hot flashes decreased 50%, and the overall hot flash score decreased an average 57% for the 21 women who completed the trial.(24) Further research has shown that taking flaxseed orally 40 grams per day seems to be similar to hormone therapy for improving mild menopausal symptoms.(11)
Flaxseed might also have hypoglycemic effects. A study observed participants' postprandial glucose response to a 50 gram carbohydrate load given as flaxseed bread. Test meals containing 50 g carbohydrate from flaxseed or 25 g flaxseed mucilage each significantly decreased postprandial blood glucose responses by 27% compared with regular white bread.(10) Another study involving 25 menopausal women demonstrated that ground flaxseed appears to lower glucose and insulin levels.(11)
Added to the diet, flaxseed may help slow or halt prostate tumor growth. A group of 40 men were given 30 grams of flaxseed daily for a month before surgery to treat their prostate cancer. The 40 men taking flaxseed, either alone or along with a low-fat diet, were compared to 40 men who followed a low-fat diet without flaxseed, and 40 men in a control group who did not alter or supplement their usual diet. The men who took flaxseed, and those who took flaxseed combined with a low-fat diet, fared the best.(25,26)
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Directions
2-3 tablespoons daily or as directed by a health care professional
Cautions
ADVERSE SIDE EFFECTS
Flaxseed is not normally associated with adverse or toxic effects.(1, 2, 3) In some individuals, flaxseed can cause digestive symptoms, similar to those caused by other sources of dietary fiber, including bloating, flatulence, abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, dyspepsia, and nausea.4 Ingesting flaxseed daily can significantly increase the number of bowel movements and the risk for diarrhea.(5, 6)
Occasionally, allergic and anaphylactic reactions have been reported after ingestion of flaxseed and flaxseed oil.(7, 8)
INTERACTIONS
Diabetics using ground flaxseed may experience better blood sugar control (10, 11) and a gradually reduced need for their insulin requirement. Anyone with diabetes should be aware that these changes can occur, in order to avoid hypoglycemic episodes. Monitor blood glucose levels closely.
PRECAUTION / CAUTIONS
Do not take within 2 hours of medications.(9)
CONTRAINDICATIONS
Large amounts of flaxssed oil can increase endogenous levels of EPA and, since EPA eicosanoids can thin blood and reduce blood clotting, it may interfere with anticoagulation therapy.
Do not use if you have abdominal pain, fever, nausea or vomiting or if you have a chronic gastrointestinal disorder.(9)
Additional Information
References
1. Murray, Michael T., Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplementation, Prima Publishing, Rocklin ,CA, 1996. 2. Simopoulos, Artemis P., Robinson, Jo, The Omega Plan, HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 1998. 3. Erasmus, Udo, FatsThat Heal Fats That Kill, Alive Books, Burnaby, BC, 1993. 4. Dodin S, Lemay A, Jacques H, et al. The effects of flaxseed dietary supplement on lipid profile, bone mineral den-sity, and symptoms in menopausal women: a randomized, double-blind, wheat germ placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2005;90:1390-7. 5. Cunnane SC, Hamadeh MJ, Liede AC, et al. Nutritional attributes of traditional flaxseed in healthy young adults. Am J Clin Nutr 1995;61:62-8. 6. Clark WF, Kortas C, Heidenheim P, et al. Flaxseed in lupus nephritis: a two-year nonplacebo-controlled crossover study. J Am Coll Nutr 2001;20:143-8. 7. Leon F, Rodriguez M, Cuevas M. Anaphylaxis to Linum. Allergol Immunopathol (Madr) 2003;31:47-9. 8. Alonso L, Marcos ML, Blanco JG, et al. Anaphylaxis caused by linseed (flaxseed) intake. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1996;98:469-70. 9. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications & Drug Interactions, 3rd edition. Sandy (OR): Eclectic Medical Publications; 2001. 10. Cunnane SC, Ganguli S, Menard C, et al. High alpha-linolenic acid flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum): some nutritional properties in humans. Br J Nutr 1993;69:443-53. 11. Lemay A, Dodin S, Kadri N, et al. Flaxseed dietary supplement versus hormone replacement therapy in hypercho-lesterolemic menopausal women. Obstet Gynecol 2002;100:495-504. 12. Lampe JW, Martini MC, Kurzer MS, et al. Urinary lignan and isoflavonoid excretion in premenopausal women con-suming flaxseed powder. Am J Clin Nutr 1994;60:122-8. 13..Thompson LU, Rickard SE, Cheung F, et al. Variability in anticancer lignan levels in flaxseed. Nutr Cancer 1997;27:26-30. 14. Demark-Wahnefried W, Robertson CN, Walther PJ, et al. Pilot study to explore effects of low-fat, flaxseed-supplemented diet on proliferation of benign prostatic epithelium and prostate-specific antigen. Urology 2004;63:900-4. 15. Bierenbaum ML, Reichstein R, Watkins TR. Reducing atherogenic risk in hyperlipemic humans with flaxseed sup-plementation: a preliminary report. J Am Coll Nutr 1993;12:501-4. 16. Jenkins DJ, Kendall CWC, Vidgen E, et al. Health aspects of partially defatted flaxseed, including effects on serum lipids, oxidative measures, and ex vivo androgen and progestin activity: a controlled, crossover trial. Am J Clin Nutr 1999;69:395-402. 17. Radack, K., et al, "Dietary supplementation with low-dose fish oils lowers fibrinogen levels: A randomized, double-blind controlled study", Annals of Internal Medicine, 11(9): 757-758, 1989. 18. Adlercreutz H, Heikkinen R, Woods M, et al. Excretion of the lignans enterolactone and enterodiol and of equol in omnivorous and vegetarian postmenopausal women and in women with breast cancer. Lancet 1982;2:1295-9. 19. Adlercreutz H, Fotsis T, Bannwart C, et al. Determination of urinary lignans and phytoestrogen metabolites, potential antiestrogens and anticarcinogens, in urine of women on various habitual diets. J Steroid Biochem 1986;25:791-7. 20. Rose DP. Dietary fiber and breast cancer. Nutr Cancer 1990;13:1-8. 21. Sung MK, Lautens M, Thompson LU. Mammalian lignans inhibit the growth of estrogen-independent human colon tumor cells. Anticancer Res 1998;18:1405-8. 22. Serraino M, Thompson LU. The effect of flaxseed supplementation on the initiation and promotional stages of mammary tumorigenesis. Nutr Cancer 1992;17:153-9. 23. Mousavi Y, Adlercreutz H. Enterolactone and estradiol inhibit each other's proliferative effect on MCF-7 breast can-cer cells in culture. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 1992;41:615-9. 24. Pruthi S, Thompson SL, Novotny PJ, Barton DL, Kottschade LA, Tan AD, Sloan JA, Loprinzi CL. Pilot evaluation of flaxseed for the management of hot flashes. J Soc Integr Oncol. 2007 Summer;5(3):106-12. PMID:17761129. 25. S. L. George, T. J. Polascik, D. M. Albala, P. J. Walther, J. Moul, J. F. Madden, D. C. Snyder, V. Hars, B. R. Switzer, R. T. Vollmer, W. Demark- Wahnefried. Impact of flaxseed supplementation and dietary fat restriction on prostate cancer pro-liferation and other biomarkers: Results of a Phase II randomized controlled trial (RCT) using a presurgical model. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2007 ASCO Annual Meeting Proceedings Part I. Vol 25, No. 18S (June 20 Supplement), 2007: 1510. 26. Demark-Wahnefried W, Robertson CN, Walther PJ, et al. Pilot study to explore effects of low-fat, flaxseed-supplemented diet on proliferation of benign prostatic epithelium and prostate-specific antigen. Urology 2004;63:900-4.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor. The essence of the current American rule on Traditional Uses is, as stated by FTC, "Claims based on historical or traditional use should be substantiated by confirming scientific evidence, or should be presented in such a way that consumers understand that the sole basis for the claim is a history of use of the product for a particular purpose."
