Flax seeds lower oestrogen levels

Not just any seed, mind you...

    But scientists believe flax seed may pack a powerful punch to knock out oestrogen-dependent cancers including breast and prostate cancer.

    A literature review by the American Institute for Cancer Research found that just a few tablespoons of ground flax seeds daily can alter oestrogen levels in a way that may protect you from this deadly disease. That modest dose was enough to reduce tumour formation.

 

    Specifically, the compound called lignans—a phytoestrogen found in flax, wheat and vegetables—seems to provide some top-notch cancer protection.

    And according to a 2011 study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, boosting lignan intake may improve survival rates in postmenopausal women who've had breast cancer.

    A research team from the German Cancer Research Centre in Heidelberg said this could be because lignans are about the same shape as those oestrogen's in the body that are associated with a higher risk of breast cancer.

    Their shape enables lignans to bind up oestrogen receptors—which blocks stronger forms of oestrogens from doing so. It's as if lignans take up all the available seats in a theatre, and there's nowhere for estrogens to sit.

    Some types of cancer cells need oestrogen in order to multiply and form tumours. Because lignan prevents these hormones from binding to oestrogen receptors, cancer cells can't grow.

    Lead researcher Jenny Chang-Claude said that the study provided "clear evidence showing that lignans lower not only the risk of developing postmenopausal breast cancer, but also the mortality risk."

 

    Lignans, isoflavones and coumestans are the three major classes of compounds that are collectively known as phytoestrogens.

    These compounds are known to play a role in everything from keeping your arteries healthy and your brain sharp to sexual maturation and reproduction.

     Another  lignan called podophyllotoxin, is so effective at targeting and destroying cancer cells—the medical establishment has even modified it for use in chemotherapy.

  Semi-synthetic derivatives—etoposide, teniposide, and etoposide phosphate—are used regularly to battle deadly lung cancer.

Scores of studies showcase lignans' promising performance!

    Scientists have produced some impressive study results that demonstrate the beneficial health results of a diet rich in flax seed lignans.

    Consider just a few examples:

• Flax seed curbs hot flashes!—a pilot study conducted by Sandhya Pruthi, M.D., of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota found that 28 women who consumed four tablespoons of ground flax seed daily for six weeks experienced a decrease in hot flashes, from 7.3 to 3.6 a day.
• Diabetes is decimated!—Animal study results published in Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry showed that the SDG component of flax seed is an antioxidant that was found to help reduce by 75 percent the development of diabetes in rodents.
• Provides superior prostate protection!—A recent study found that Scottish men with the highest intake of lignans have the lowest incidence of prostate cancer.
• Colon cancer is crushed!—A Dutch study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention associated a high intake of lignans with a reduced risk of colorectal adenomas—growths that are precursors to colon cancer.

    These are just a few of the studies that highlight some of the health-restoring benefits of lignans.

    So if you're ready to get your hands on some of this stuff—look no farther than your local grocery store!

    I eat oatmeal four or five mornings a week, and I make a point of adding several tablespoons of fresh, ground flax seeds. Flax seeds are by far the richest source of healthy lignan nutrients.

    I grind them in a coffee grinder. (You don't want to use the same grinder for actually grinding coffee beans; I don't think you'll care for flax seed-flavoured coffee). And just to be clear — you don't cook the flax seed in the oatmeal. You add it raw after the oatmeal is cooked.

    Of course you can add ground flax seed to anything you want — yogurt, for example. I just happen to be a regular oatmeal eater.

Grocery shopping just became therapeutic

    Although especially rich in lignans, flax seeds aren't the only seeds to provide this nutrient. Sesame and sunflower seeds, as well as cashews and peanuts, provide a healthy dose of lignans.  

    You can also buy whole grain flax seed bread as another tasty spin on boosting your lignan intake.

    Not only can you add a crunchy taste to some of your favourite foods—but you'll also find that flax seeds can help reduce constipation to give you a "smooth move."

    Although foods that are high in lignans have been shown to play a positive role in breast cancer prevention, the truth is that many women do not eat enough of the types of foods that provide a significant amount of this cancer-fighting nutrient.

    Because these nutrients pass through your system within 24 to 48 hours, it's important to eat enough daily to enjoy their protective benefits.

    Considering the anti-cancer benefits that lignans provide, you might think it's well worth the time to add some lignan-rich foods to your next grocery shopping list.

Courtesy Lee Euler

Tumeric studies show amazing results for Alzheimer's Disease

This is amazing. Within 24 hours, another study is released to show the remarkable benefits of turmeric.

The recent findings of three independent case studies shows that turmeric, whose primary active ingredient is curcumin, has the power not only to heal both the behavior and psychological symptoms associated with dementia, but also help lead to full recovery of the disease in as little as just a few months.

The chief physician at Kariya Toyota General Hospital in Kariya City and his colleagues evaluated three separate case studies involving turmeric and came to some fascinating conclusions about the herb's therapeutic value. In each case, turmeric was shown to both relieve dementia symptoms and improve overall cognitive function. "In a study involving three patients with Alzheimer's Disease, whose cognitive decline and Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia were severe, exhibiting irritability, agitation, anxiety, and apathy, supplementation with turmeric powder capsules for over one year was found to be associated with improvement in symptoms," wrote the authors of the study in their summary. Two of the cases were able to recognize their family within 12 months of taking the turmeric.

Taking as little as one gram, or roughly one-quarter of a teaspoon, of turmeric powder or extract daily, it turns out, is enough to produce mind-blowing improvements in dementia symptoms. Earlier research published in the journal Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology back in 2008 corroborates this fact, having found that turmeric's natural antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxifying mechanisms help improve memory in patients with dementia. Simply consuming more of this flavorful spice as part of one's normal diet, in other words, has the potential to completely transform brain health and alleviate even the worst dementia symptoms. "Curcumin as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and lipophilic action improves the cognitive functions in patients with AD (Alzheimer's Disease)," wrote the authors of this earlier study in their Abstract. "Due to various effects of curcumin, such as decreased Beta-amyloid plaques, delayed degradation of neurons, metal-chelation, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and decreased microglia formation, the overall memory in patients with AD has improved."

Courtesy of Natural News.

Natural supplement study shows to lower PSA in Prostate Cancer

I came across this article and am absolutely amazed at the reception this natural supplement has received from the medical fraternity. Could this possibly now, once and for all, show that natural products play a significant part in health?

Food Supplement Linked to Lower PSA in Prostate Cancer

June 10, 2013

 

CHICAGO, Illinois — A commercially available food supplement that contains pomegranate, broccoli, green tea, and turmeric significantly lowers prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, compared with placebo, in patients with prostate cancer, a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial has shown.

Pomi-T (nature Medical Products)

The study results, presented here at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO^®), made headlines around the world and caused the polyphenol-rich supplement, known as Pomi-T (nature Medical Products), to sell out within hours.

This is a "promising new therapy," said Tomasz Beer, MD, professor of medicine and director of the prostate cancer research program at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, during a "highlights of the day" session.
 

"We have been staggered by the level of interest...from medical professionals and the public," Marcus Williams, owner and director of nature Medical Products, told Medscape Medical News. As soon as the results of this study were released, the company, based in Porthcawl, South Wales, United Kingdom, received a rush of orders from customers in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

"It's awesome," the study's lead investigator, Robert Thomas, MD, a consultant oncologist at Bedford Hospital and Addenbrooke's Hospital, in the United Kingdom, told Medscape Medical News.

"We didn't expect such a big response. People are seeing that this can change practice...because men and their doctors do look at their PSA as a deciding factor in whether to stop active management," he explained.

Previous research has shown that the polyphenols and antioxidants in pomegranate, broccoli, green tea, and turmeric have individual anticancer properties, but "we believe there's a synergistic effect in the supplement," said Dr. Thomas.

In addition, the fact that each ingredient originates from a separate food category (fruit, vegetable, herb, and spice) might prevent potential adverse effects from the overconsumption of one particular type of polyphenol, he noted.

In the lab, polyphenols have been shown to have antiproliferative, antiangiogenic, proadhesion, antimetastatic, and proapoptotic properties, and notably, they have no phytoestrogenic or hormonal effects. "We specifically chose to steer away from anything that might have a hormonal effect."

Because of the supplement's effect is likely not hormonal, future trials will involve men with different stages of prostate cancer and those receiving androgen-deprivation therapy, he said. In addition, the researchers hope to look at the impact of the supplement on other slow-growing cancers and even on cancer prevention.

The study received no funding from the manufacturer of the supplement; however, the company worked very closely with the research team to develop the product, said Williams. "Unlike other nutritional supplement products, the manufacture of this supplement was significantly more time-consuming because Dr. Thomas and colleagues, for whom this was initially made, insisted on a great deal of quality assurance, over and above that normally required by the US Food and Drug Administration or European Commission, particularly in terms of purity and authenticity."

He said the study signals "a new era for the nutritional supplement industry, which has previously relied on advertising and marketing rather than evidence of benefit. Clearly, it's the latter that the public wants."