Flaxseed Oil Question to all?

[Jean]

Good Day everyone,
I am interested to know how many of us are taking Flaxseed oil, and of those taking flaxseed - are you estrogen positive or negative.

Link below is from Mayo clinic which states, "There is currently no information from human studies that flaxseed is effecitve in preventing or treating breast cancer.

http://mayoclinic.com/health/flaxsee...tient-flaxseed

Now, I do believe that flaxseed has health benefits, what I am interested in, is learning the estrogen factor - there is a controversy regarding flaxseed and it's effects on estrogen levels....Okay my wise beautiful ladies...need and want your thoughts and 2 cents worth.

Hugs,
Jean

[Verna]

Jean,
I use a tablespoon a day of crushed flaxseeds. I usually sprinkle them on a bananna, in cereal, you can bake with them, or in a drink. I'm Her 2+.

I used to use the flaxoil, but have come to enjoy the light nutty taste of the seeds. I'm a firm believer that they have helped me through my fight against the b/c monster. I'm currently NED after 2 years, and praise God everyday!

Hope this helps.

Verna

Here is a posting on the Muffin a Day flaxseed study. There are other studies as well that have shown flaxseed oil helps to suppress breast cancer, and in particular HER2 positive cancers. Most of these studies were conducted outside the United States!

I've fallen off the supplement wagon since moving to Maine. But next week I plan to go back to taking three large tablespoons of ground flaxseed in my morning oatmeal.
A Muffin a Day for Breast Cancer?


WebMD Medical News

Dec. 8, 2000 -- If you had just been diagnosed with breast cancer, you would be willing to do anything to slow tumor growth before your surgery, wouldn't you? Well, here's something that may get the job done, and it won't feel like work: eat a muffin (or something) that contains flaxseed oil.

If the data from a small Canadian study hold true, flaxseed oil may slow tumor growth.

Breast cancer activists have been interested in the potential benefits of flaxseed oil for some time. This substance is particularly rich in phytoestrogens. These are the plant precursors of estrogens and are being looked at on several fronts as a natural source of so-called "designer estrogens" or selective estrogen receptor modifiers (SERMs). Tamoxifen, which is used to reduce the risk of recurrence in women who have had breast cancer, is an example of a SERM.

At the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium this week, Canadian investigators presented findings that indicate flaxseed may be a helpful complement to conventional treatment for breast cancer. In their study, the investigators found that flaxseed oil's ability to reduce tumor growth is comparable to tamoxifen.

"This is the first time ever that a dietary substance has been shown to have a direct impact on the biology of human breast cancer," co-investigator Paul Goss, MD, tells WebMD. "We have [shown] a direct effect on human tumor cells from a dietary component. All the evidence is that eating brown flaxseed in your diet is a healthy thing to do. It is likely to be preventive of breast cancer and may also be preventive of colon cancer." He is the director of the breast cancer research program at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto and professor of medicine at University of Toronto. Collaborating on the study with him was Lillian Thompson, PhD, professor of nutritional sciences at University of Toronto.

Consumers have been buying flaxseed oil capsules at health food stores in North America for years, says Goss. However, more benefits are seen from eating ground flaxseed than from either using flaxseed oil capsules or from eating whole seeds.

While people in North America do not typically include flaxseed in their diets, it is commonly found in the diets of people in several parts of Europe, such as Scandinavia, and epidemiologists have seen its advantages from European-based studies, says Goss.

The 39 patients in the study ate a muffin daily. They were randomized to receive either a muffin containing 25 grams of flaxseed oil or a plain muffin for an average of five-and-a-half weeks.

Among 29 of the 39 women who ate both kinds of muffins, there were reductions in tumor cell growth in the flaxseed group compared to the group that ate plain muffins. All 29 women had gone through menopause. Urine tests after the study showed that the women taking flaxseed oil excreted a level of phytoestrogens higher than the group that ate the plain muffin, and higher than the overall group excreted at the beginning of the study. They saw no significant differences between the two groups' caloric and nutritional intake, and they observed no significant adverse effects.

[R.B.]

If you search on this site on flaxseed and flaxseed you will find quite a number of discussions on the arguments on flaxseed v oil etc.

From my recollection there are trials looking at flaxseed and BC.

Flaxseed works in a number of ways like most things. Factors include

It is high in omega three.

It is a good source of roughage soluble and insoluble.

It contain weak phyto oestrogens which some suggest may have a beneficial effect.

RB

[jhandley]

There seems to be confusion about this. The muffins contain flaxseed meal not oil (which is destroyed by heat) and the active ingredient is lignan not omega 3.
The oil (active ingredient ALA omega 3) also has anti cancer effects.

Both are good for her 2+.

There is a wealth of studies on both available.

Regards
Jackie (muffin girl)

[Jean]

Jackie, RB, Verna, Grace,
'
Thanks for your response...yes, I am aware of the positive points of Flaxseed oil/but/ needed to know and understand if it raises estrogen
levels, since I am estrogen positive I am concerned.

Anyone know anything about this?

Thanks,
Jean

Hi Jean,

I thought you might not know about the Canadian study because of your quote from the Mayo Clinic.

I agree, Jackie, it was ground flaxseed (brown) that was used in the muffins. And for my taste buds much more tolerable than the oil, which I find impossible to take no matter how I try to disguise its taste. I posted a recipe a while ago for pumpkin flaxseed muffins if anyone is interested.

Jean, sorry, I don't know the answer to your question although I recall reading something on this subject not long ago. It may have been on this site. I did speak to my oncologist about ground flaxseed and the Canadian study, and he raised a similar concern about flaxseed increasing estrogen levels, but since my BC was estrogen negative I didn't follow through with questions. Also, he doesn't believe in taking any supplements or vitamins, which I think is somewhat shortsighted.

[harrie]

If it is true flaxseed is rich in phytoestrogens, I would be careful about the overconsumption of it for those who are ER+. I had previously consumed tofu like crazy thinking it was a good substitute for meat and then I had this past occurrance and my tumor was ER and PR positive. Now I limit my soy consumption considerable. i just don't want to take any chances.
Maryanne

[R.B.]

There are previous discussions of the oestrogenic implications of flax.

Here is a link, with links to other links in the last post.

RB



http://her2support.org/vbulletin/sho...ight=flax+seed

[Jean]

In searching back on this topic, Lani has attended conference with this topic, and it is still unknown, for those of us who are ER+, Her2, it is still questionable if the flaxseed is not in fact negating/or/worse yet, feeding our estrogen levels.

This is still unknown, and much in question. So, therefore for those who are ER positive you may wish to use some caution/and of course check with your dr. One of my dr. had said no Soy/flaxseed.

If you are er positive and still wish to take flaxseed, maybe you would want to use small amounts. There are other natural food choices to
get Omega 3, and of course the other good benefits.

Still much research need to be done.
Kind Regards,
Jean