Flaxseed oil and cancer - Can you use flaxseed oil to prevent or reduce your risk for cancer?

Flaxseed and its oil are a plant-source of the omega 3 fatty acid, alpha linolenic acid. Why would you want to take this healthy fat? Well, some of the health benefits of omega 3 fatty acids are fighting inflammation, boosting the immune system, reducing blood clots and improving your mood. With benefits like these, researchers are investigating if flaxseed and flaxseed oil can play a role in fighting cancer, or reducing your risk for it. There are limited studies done on human subjects, but the results of these animal tests look promising.

First, we'll look at the research on ground flaxseeds, followed by flaxseed oil.

1. Ground Flaxseeds and Cancer

Researchers in Toronto, Canada discovered when rats ate a flaxseed diet they reduced certain types of genetic damage up to 30%.

Another study from South Dakota had rats eat corn meal or flaxseed diets. Scientists compared the incidence of colon tumors and tumor size in both diets. Researchers found the flaxseed diet reduced the appearance of colon tumors from 83% down to 29% and the tumors shrank from 44 mm. down to 5 mm.

Breast Cancer and Ground Flaxseed Study

Here's an interesting study looking at ground flaxseeds and breast cancer. Researchers at the University of Toronto gave breast cancer patients, awaiting treatment, muffins with 25 grams of ground flaxseeds. Another group of women who were also awaiting treatment were given muffins without flaxseeds.

The results were: Women who received the flaxseed muffins showed slower growing tumors. There was no change in the size or growth of the tumors in women who didn’t get the flaxseed muffins.

2. Flaxseed Oil and Cancer

What about using flaxseed oil on cancer? Can this oil be used to help prevent certain types of cancer?

Researchers at The Department of Nutritional Sciences at University of Toronto conducted an experiment to see if a corn meal, flaxseed or flaxseed oil diet would have any effect on rats with cancer. The test subjects were divided into 3 groups and given one of the three diets for 7 weeks. The rats eating flaxseed and flaxseed oil displayed an average tumor volume over 50% smaller than rats eating the corn meal diet. The group eating flaxseeds had the lowest amount of new tumor growth. Doctors believe this is due to the lignans found in the hull of ground flaxseeds.

Side Note Lignans are phyto-estrogens (a plant-like estrogen) and an antioxidant. The main flaxseed lignan is called secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG), found in the hull. Flaxseed oil has small amounts of lignans. According to research, you need a minimum of 50 mg. of SDG per day to benefit from these healthful ingredients. The Flax Council of Canada says one rounded table-spoon of ground flaxseed can contain 50 mg. to 150 mg. of lignans. Want to learn more about lignans? Check out the Flax Lignan Information Bureau for more info on how you can benefit from flaxseed lignans.

Flaxseed Oil and Cancer of the Colon

What effect does flaxseed oil have on colon cancer? Scientists at the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences in South Dakota took a group of rats and put colon tumor cells into them.

They fed one group of rats corn oil and the other group received flaxseed oil. The rats on the flaxseed oil diet had a 50% decrease in the appearance of new tumors and the rats fed corn oil displayed larger tumors.

Comments:

The test results from using flaxseed oil on cancer cells looks promising. However, more human studies are needed before any definite conclusions can be made.

Flaxseeds are an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids, fiber and lignans. These ingredients will support healthy immune function, provide antioxidant protection and fight inflammation. Flaxseeds and flax seed oil aren't a magic cure, but they can play an important part in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

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