Nrt 302 Research Paper

Brittany Ellis 000-23-1487 Nutrition 302 February 24, 2009 Flaxseeds Possible Anti-cancer Effects Advances in medical technology have allowed society to increase life expectancy. Due to life expectancy increasing, people are living longer and their chances of acquiring a disease or illness is more likely. In fact, the second the leading cause of death in the United States is cancer (5). With only a few medical treatment options available some are turning to alternative treatments to prevent or delay the diseases’ effects. One alternative treatment being studied is flaxseed and its oil. The idea of flaxseed as an anti-cancer alternative for breast, prostate and skin cancer is relatively new and not widely studied. Flaxseed’s common names are flaxseed oil, linseed, lint bells, and linum. Flaxseed originates from the annual blue flowering plant, flax. Flaxseed’s composition is one third oil, two thirds fiber, protein and mucilage. Flaxseed is a rich source of essential fatty acids. The seed contains: alpha linolenic acid and linoleic acid. Omega-3 and omega-6 play an important role in the central nervous system and supports healthy growth and development. One can obtain flaxseed in their diet in several forms. Flaxseed can be ingested in several forms: powder, meal, seed, liquid, and capsules. Flaxseed is usually not found in food sources. Some products that may have flaxseed powder or meal added to them are: multi-grain breads, cereals, breakfast bars, and muffins. The seeds are sometimes added to salad dressings, salads, dough of bread, and yogurt. It is important to note that, ingesting the immature pods of flaxseed are

1

poisonous and should never be used (6). However, all the other forms of flaxseed are assumed to be safe if the correct dose is consumed. If one chooses to ingest a form of flaxseed, it is suggested that one should consume no more than one of the following: two to four tablespoons of powder, two tablespoons of oil, or one to two capsules of flaxseed daily. Flaxseed can be used [as a] substitute for fish oil; a dose of 7.2 grams of flaxseed is approximately equivalent to 1 gram of fish oil (7). The recommended dosages are intended for adults only. There has been conflicting evidence if children should consume flaxseed. Due to the uncertainty of whether or not flaxseed is beneficial to children the only population that has the greatest ability to benefit from flaxseed consumption is anyone around the age of thirty or greater. This age population has the ability to benefit from flaxseed consumption because they have the greatest potential to develop chronic illnesses and problems. Herbalists recommend flaxseed because it is thought to alleviate many symptoms and diseases. For example, the American Cancer Society recommends flaxseed for: constipation, abdominal problems, breathing problems, sore throat, eczema, menstrual problems, and arthritis. However, flaxseed is now currently being researched to examine its anti-cancer effects. Some of the cancers that flaxseed is thought to play a preventative role in is breast cancer, prostate cancer, and skin cancer. Flaxseed research still needs to be done to find out all its health promoting aspects. Despite this fact herbalists and others have been recommending and taking flaxseed for many centuries. Flaxseed oil is thought to have been first discovered in Egypt. Egyptians used flaxseed for medicinal purposes, especially for its laxative effects. However, it is not until recently that flaxseed oil was first discovered as an alternative form for other

2

medicinal treatments in the 1950s by German biochemist Johanna Budwig. She has a Ph.D. in Natural Science, has undergone medical training, and was schooled in pharmaceutical science, physics, botany and biology (5). She is best known for her extensive research on the properties and benefits of flaxseed oil combined with sulphurated proteins in the diet (5). In Johanna Budwig’s studies she changed cancer patients’ diets, making them low in fat and supplemented flaxseed oil to patients’ cottage cheese and milk. She claimed that within three months, some patients on this diet had smaller tumors, some had no tumors left, and all felt better (3). Her theory is based on the idea that commercial dietary fat companies produce products like margarine, meat, vegetable oils, and hard shortening that people who consume them in large amounts can be quite harmful to ones health. This is due to the bonds that trans-fat products contain in order to extend the shelf life of products. The way in which they process the food not only adds trans-fats but, any of the beneficial oxydase ferments they once contained are now destroyed by heat, especially if nitrates are used. In flaxseed, the linol acids produce oxydase, which helps prevent cancer growth and many other chronic disorders. The theory is: the use of oxygen in the organism can be stimulated by protein compounds of sulphuric content, which make oils water-soluble and which is present in cheese, nuts, onion and leek vegetables such as leek, chive, onion and garlic, but especially cottage cheese (5). Cell respiration is connected with unsaturated fatty acids. So, by combining flaxseed oil and cottage cheese for example the mixture contains the right amount of proteins and linolic content to have a positive affect on the body.

3

Other studies have been done on flaxseed and its anti-cancer effects in cell cultures, mice, and humans. The three types of cancers that have been studied are breast, prostate, and skin cancer. What some of the studies have found is that flaxseed is a rich source of lignans. Lignans are important because the compounds can act as antiestrogens or as weak estrogens. So, lignans may be important in cancers which are dependent of estrogens an example of this would be breast cancer. Lignans may also function as antioxidants and may slow cell growth by mechanisms not yet understood (4). Researchers have found that from the flaxseed plant, its lignans are converted to enterolactone and enterodiol which are mammalian lignans. The lignans are fermentation by bacteria in the colon and they can then act as estrogens (2). In a particular study the lignans reduce breast cancer cells by decreasing the stickiness and movement of breast cancer cells. Lillian Thompson's research group studied mice that they injected with human breast cancer cells. After the injection the mice were fed a lab mouse chow feed for eight weeks and allowed the tumors to grow. The first group continued the mouse chow diet while a second group were fed a ten percent flax seed diet. The flax seed reduced the tumor growth rate and reduced metastasis by forty-five percent (1). Thus proving that a diet supplemented with flaxseed may reduce the formation, growth, or spread of breast cancer in mice. Studies examining flaxseed in regards to cancer research have impacted other areas of cancer study besides breast cancer. Another important cancer that impacts one in six men during their lifetime is prostate cancer. A study was conducted by several individuals using flaxseed to examine the possibilities that consumption of the plant may be beneficial for men with prostate cancer. Findings suggest that flaxseed is safe and associated with biological alterations

4

that may be protective for prostate cancer (2). Lignans were proven to play an important role in prostate cancer because; they may inhibit the cell proliferation in the prostates of men, which demonstrates the biological alteration of cells. [The] pilot study of 25 men were scheduled for prostatectomy surgery were instructed to eat a low-fat diet (20% or less of energy intake) and to supplement it with 30 g of ground flaxseed per day (1). After a certain number of days there were significant changes in serum cholesterol and total testosterone indexes. The study found that ligans inhibit the enzyme aromatase, involved in the conversion of testosterone to estrogen in men. This is why estrogen level plays an important role in sex hormones and multigenic diseases (7). Flaxseed oil has also been proven affective in other fields of cancer research. Lillian Thompson at the University of Toronto has conducted several studies using mice to test flaxseed’s anti-cancerous effects. One of the most recent studies was examining skin cancer. Her team feed mice flaxseed for two weeks supplementing flaxseed in two point five, five, and ten percent of their diet intake before injecting them with melanoma cells. The result was a 32, 54, and 63 percent reduction in the number of tumors, compared to the control group (1). Lillian Thompson’s research on breast and skin cancer using flaxseed has shown great promise with combating cancer. As beneficial as flaxseed is against fighting and inhibiting breast, prostate and skin cancer flaxseed is yet to be regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA also does not recommend or advise the correct amount for consumption. There is much positive literature circulating which promotes the use of flaxseed however, as with many vitamins and minerals if taken too much it can have adverse effects. Possible side effects from consuming too much flaxseed are: gas, diarrhea, and nausea. It also should

5

not be ingested if one has inflammatory disease or narrowing of the intestine, esophagus, and stomach. Flaxseed is also not recommended by some doctors for people with diabetes (8). Also important to note is the use of flaxseed with other medications. Some of the flaxseed supplements have not been tested to find out if they interact with medicines, foods, or other herbs and supplements (4). Proper absorption of certain medicines and supplements may be inhibited if taken at the same time as flaxseed. Some doctors recommend taking medications one to two hours before or after flaxseed consumption. Also severe allergic reactions to flaxseed have been reported. Those allergic to other plants may be more likely to be allergic to flax (5). Caution is suggested if consuming flaxseed for the first time. Although, flaxseed does have a few adverse effects if not taken properly research is beginning to show that the benefits of flaxseed can outweigh the negative if consumed correctly. The various studies presented earlier proved that including flaxseed in a mouse’s diet has the ability to reduce the formation, growth, and spread of breast, prostate, and skin cancer. In each of the studies lignans have been shown to play a major role in biological alterations of cells in the prevention of cancer. Researchers believe that their findings with mice can be applied to human diets. There have been only a few studies on humans and the number of individuals has been small. Much more research needs to be done to maximize the knowledge of flaxseeds’ anti-cancer affects. Flaxseed research has begun to try to understand the phytochemical properties and the biological activity of such a powerful seed. In select studies flaxseed has been proven to reduce high blood cholesterol concentrations, promote health, protect against chronic diseases,

6

and stimulate the immune system (4). Within more time most likely more will be known about such a health promoting herb.

7

Works Cited 1. Donaldson, Michael S. “Nutrition and cancer: A review of the evidence for an anti-cancer diet.” Nutr J. 2004;3:19. Winston J Craig. “Health-promoting properties of common herbs.” Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, 1999; 70: 491S - 499S. Demark-Wahnefried W, Polascik TJ, George SL, Switzer BR, Madden JF, Ruffin MT 4th, Snyder DC, Owzar K, Hars V, Albala DM, Walther PJ, Robertson CN, Moul JW, Dunn BK, Brenner D, Minasian L, Stella P, Vollmer RT. “Flaxseed supplementation (not dietary fat restriction) reduces prostate cancer proliferation rates in men presurgery.” Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2008; (12):3577-87. American Cancer Society. Flaxseed. 2007. Available at: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3X_Flaxseed.asp? sitearea=ETO. Accessed February 20, 2009. The Cancer Cure Foundation. Budwig Diet. 1998. Available at: http://www.cancure.org/budwig_diet.htm. Accessed February 21, 2009. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Average Number of Deaths by Cause. 1992. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/misc/atlasres.pdf. Accessed February 21, 2009. Pennsylvania Department of Health. Men’s Health. 2007. Available at: http://www.dsf.health.state.pa.us/health/cwp/view.asp?A=174&Q=2466. Accessed February 20, 2009. Katz, David. Could a Seed Fight Cancer? The Oprah Magazine. Jan 2007. Available at: http://www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/200811_omag_katz_flaxseed. Accessed February 28, 2009.

8