REPORTING POINT 4-06
HEALTH NEWS
“Live healthy...live well”
Dedicated to providing pertinent information on health, fitness, and nutrition to foster a culture of wellness among Southwest Airlines flight crews and their families.
by Larry Kline
SWAPA Voice Mailbox 4337/email: livehealthy-livewell@cox.net
Past issues of “Health News” are available at http://health.theballfamily.org. It includes a search engine; just enter a key word to find past articles. LK
AVOIDING THE STONES – German researchers found that drinking blackcurrant juice can increase the pH level of urine. The higher the pH, the less likely you are to develop kidney stones. One source of the juice is www.bridgeberries.com. Men’s Health 4/03.
FLAXSEED FACTS – the flax plant yields fiber from which linen is woven, as well as seeds and oil. The oil, also called linseed oil, has many industrial uses – it is an important ingredient in paints, varnishes, and linoleum. Flaxseed oil also comes in an edible form, sold mostly at health-food stores. Like olive, canola, and most other plant oils, it is highly unsaturated and heart-healthy. Flaxseeds also have another component – lignans – that may have anti-cancer properties.
Lignans are a type of fiber, and at the same time a type of phytoestrogen – a chemical similar to the human hormone estrogen. Flaxseeds are the richest source of lignans. When you eat lignans, bacteria in the digestive tract convert them into estrogen-like substances called enterodiol and enterolactone, which are thought to have anti-tumor effects. Lignans and other flaxseed components may also have antioxidant properties meaning that they may reduce the activity of cell-damaging free radicals. Flaxseed oil lacks lignans, but some processors add them to their oil.
Some recent studies of cancer patients who consumed flaxseeds have produced some encouraging results. One study with men with prostate cancer who ate an ounce of ground flaxseeds (almost three tablespoons) a day as part of a very low-fat diet were able to slow the progress of their cancers between the time they were diagnosed and the time of surgery. A similar study of women awaiting surgery for breast cancer found that those who ate a flaxseed muffin daily (with four tablespoons of ground flaxseeds per muffin) had a slower tumor growth rate.
While these studies are promising, scientists do not know what component in flaxseeds may provide these beneficial results. It is important to remember that plant estrogens, like human hormones, are not always benign. At high doses, and no one knows how much is too much, lignans might turn into cancer promoters. Some animal studies show that high doses of plant estrogens can cause cancer cells to proliferate.
Besides lignans, flaxseeds and their oil are also the best food sources of an essential fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid. “Essential” means we must consume it because our bodies cannot manufacture it. Essential fatty acids are important for cell membranes, blood pressure regulation, and other functions. Alpha-linolenic acid is an omega-3, similar to some of the fatty acids in fish oil. Like aspirin, omega-3s may reduce blood clotting, thus lessening the chance of a fatal heart attack. Flaxseeds and their oil may also lower total blood cholesterol, as well as LDL “bad” cholesterol as any unsaturated fat will do, especially when substituted for saturated fats. The fiber in flaxseeds may also help against cholesterol, since it soluble – similar to the fiber in oats.
Several population studies have linked a high intake of alpha-linolenic acid with a reduced risk of heart disease and/or death from heart disease. A French study found that a diet relatively rich in alpha-linolenic acid greatly reduced the risk of second heart attacks. Alpha-linolenic acid is also found in canola oil, soybean oil and walnuts.
All plant food, including flax, have good things to offer. Garlic, onions, tomatoes, broccoli, legumes, and whole grains all have a range of beneficial chemicals. But if your diet consists mainly of processed foods and proteins sources laden with saturated fats, adding flax will not help much.
Flaxseeds have a pleasant, nutty flavor and taste good sprinkled on salads, cooked vegetables, or cereals and smoothies.
Ground flaxseeds or else chew very well as whole seeds will pass through the body undigested.
