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

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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

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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.

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 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 anti-

estrogens 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

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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

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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,

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and stimulate the immune system (4). Within more time most likely more will be known

about such a health promoting herb.

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 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.