How To Find Your Way Out of the Hormone Trap Part 3

[Guest guest]

http://askbillsardi.com/reports/hr.pdf

 

because of its potential to over-thin the blood or interfere

 

with drugs, its widespread use may be unwise.

 

In one study, dong quai and ginseng induced the

 

growth of human breast cancer cells in the laboratory

 

dish, while black cohosh and and licorice root did not.

 

[Menopause 9: 145-50, 2002]

 

Red Clover

 

Red clover sprouts

 

(International Sprout Growers Assn)

 

Red clover extract, widely marketed in the USA as

 

Promensil or Rimostil, has been shown to reduce hot

 

flushes among menopausal women. [Maturitas 42:

 

187-93, 2002] Though a recent study of Rimostil

 

(57 mg plant estrogens) and Promensil (82 mg plant

 

estrogens ) did not provide evidence for relief from hot

 

flushes among postmenopausal women experiencing

 

35 or more hot flushes per week. [J Am Med Assn 290:

 

207-14, 2003]

 

Red clover does not seem to have a protective effect

 

upon uterine tissue. [Menopause 8: 338-46, 2001]

 

Red clover has a higher affinity to block androgens

 

and progesterone receptors than soy products. For

 

comparison, black cohosh exhibits very little if any

 

ability to block androgens and progesterone. [J Steroid

 

Biochem Mol Biol 84: 259-68, 2003; Reproductive

 

Fertility Dev 13: 325-29, 2001]

 

Red clover isoflavones are capable of reducing an

 

enlarged prostate gland. [Prostate 56: 54-64, 2003] In

 

one study, men with prostate cancer who were given

 

160 mg per day of red clover extract did not exhibit

 

improved PSA, Gleason scores or serum testosterone

 

levels, but the supplement did halt the progression of the

 

tumors by increasing cell death. [Cancer Epidemiology

 

Biomarkers Prevention 11: 1689-96, 2002]

 

A test conducted in Australia shows that red clover

 

extract taken in doses ranging from 28 to 85 mg per

 

day significantly raised HDL cholesterol and improved

 

bone mineral density by 4.1 percent. [Menopause 8:

 

259-65, 2001]

 

However, in another study, an 86-mg extract of red

 

clover was not found to exhibit cholesterol-lowering

 

properties. [british Journal Nutrition 89: 467-74, 2003]

 

But while red clover may or may not alter cholesterol

 

profiles, it appears to improve the elasticity of large

 

arteries and prevent high blood pressure. [J Clinical

 

Endocrinol Metab 84: 895-98, 1999]

 

Molecules called coumarins in red clover raise concerns

 

over blood clotting effects. [Atherosclerosis 152: 143-

 

37, 2000; Menopause 8: 333-37, 2001] For this reason,

 

widespread use of red clover extract may not be wise.

 

When millions of women are likely to be involved, the

 

potential for side effects, particularly serious ones like

 

blood clotting problems, must be almost nonexistent.

 

Soy Phytoestrogens

 

Phytoestrogens from soy (genistein, equol, daidzen) are

 

widely promoted as cancer fighters. Much more can be

 

said about soy than in this short report. Suffice to say

 

that there is a royal battle going on in scientific circles

 

over the use of soy to combat symptoms of menopause

 

and prevent breast cancer.

 

There is also cause for concern. Soy phytoestrogens

 

may stimulate growth of breast cancer cells under

 

certain circumstances. [Journal Nutrition 133: 1983-

 

86S, 2003]

 

A world authority on soy, Mark Messina, says " The

 

available data justify the recommendation that patients

 

with frequent hot flushes consider trying soyfoods or

 

isoflavone supplements for the alleviation of their

 

symptoms. " [J Med Food 6: 1-11, 2003] However,

 

another researcher (MS Kurzer) from the University

 

of Minnesota writes that " until safety with respect to

 

breast cancer is established, phytoestrogen supplements

 

(like soy) should not be recommended. " [J Nutr 133:

 

1983-86S, 2003] Other researchers in Finland say

 

" no negative effects of soy on breast cancer have been

 

observed " and that soy may be " slightly protective "

 

against breast cancer. [J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 83:

 

113-18, 2002]

 

Soy provides a unique combination of estrogen-like

 

molecules, iron binders (IP6 phytic acid, and a small

 

amount of omega-3 oils, only exceeded in quantity by

 

flaxseed oil in nature, all three which are anti-breast

 

cancer agents. [J Nutr. 130: 820-6, 2000; Am J Clin

 

Nutr 51:809-14, 1990] The importance of this triad in

 

the prevention of breast cancer will be described more

 

fully below.

 

1 cup miso soup

 

(soybean paste)

 

109.7 per 100,000

 

risk for breast cancer

 

3 cups miso soup

 

(soybean paste)

 

57.2 per 100,000 risk

 

for breast cancer

 

A remarkable study has recently been published which

 

sheds light on why there may be variability in the

 

rates of breast and prostate cancer among populations

 

that consume significant amounts of phytoestrogens.

 

Japanese researchers found no protective effects

 

from soyfoods among 21,852 Japanese females age

 

40-59 years. However, researchers did discover a

 

marked reduction in breast cancer risk with increasing

 

consumption of miso soup, which is made from

 

soybean paste. The incidence of breast cancer dropped

 

from 109.7 to 57.2 per 100,000 Japanese women when

 

they increased their miso soup consumption from one

 

to three cups a day. [Journal Natl Cancer Institute

 

95: 906-13, 2003] It is obvious that the hot water in

 

soup making produced a hot-water extract of the soy

 

isoflavones which produced the health benefits.

 

Genistein

 

Genistein is a principal plant estrogen molecule found

 

in red clover and soy and deserves special attention.

 

Genistein inhibits breast cancer growth at low

 

concentrations and promotes growth of breast cancer at

 

high concentrations. When soy is consumed as a whole

 

food, it doesn’t appear to significantly increase or

 

decrease the risk for breast cancer. [J Nutrition 3095-

 

3108S, 2001; Oncology Reports 6: 1383-87, 1999]

 

In one study, only genistein from soy, and not lignans,

 

were found to be protective for prostate cancer. [Yonsei

 

Med J 43: 236-41, 2002]

 

Phytoestrogen

 

source

 

Botanical or

 

latin (L) and

 

trade names

 

Potential

 

drawbacks

 

Red clover

 

(genistein)

 

Trifolium

 

pratense L;

 

Promensil,

 

Rimostil

 

Blood thinning;

 

may promote

 

tumor growth

 

Chasteberry Vitex agnus

 

castus

 

May promote

 

tumor growth

 

Kudzu Pueraria

 

lobata L

 

May promote

 

tumor growth

 

Hops Humulus

 

lupulus L

 

May promote

 

tumor growth

 

Dong quai Angelica

 

sinensis

 

Blood thinning;

 

may promote

 

tumor growth

 

Licorice root Glycyrrhiza

 

glabra

 

May promote

 

tumor growth

 

Black cohosh Cimicifuga

 

racemosa L;

 

Remifemin

 

Relatively safe

 

(rashes?); may

 

not be a true

 

phytoestrogen

 

Soy isoflavones

 

(genistein,

 

daidzen, equol);

 

provides

 

phytoestrogens

 

with small

 

amounts of ironbinding

 

phytic

 

acid and

 

omega-3 oil.

 

Glycine max;

 

many trade

 

names-

 

Soylife

 

Soy

 

phytoestrogens

 

alone, under

 

certain

 

circumstances,

 

may promote

 

growth of

 

tumors.

 

Flaxseed lignans

 

(enterolactone);

 

highest source

 

of omega-3 oil

 

in nature with

 

ample amount of

 

iron-binding IP6

 

phytic acid and

 

lignans.

 

Linum

 

usitatissimum

 

(linseed)

 

Blocks tumor

 

growth because

 

of omega-

 

3 content

 

and iron

 

binders (IP6

 

phytic acid),

 

countering

 

estrogen-like

 

effects

 

Flax Lignans

 

Lignans started out as unidentified estrogen-like

 

compounds in urine extracts of females which were

 

called Compound X. Their dietary source was only

 

confirmed later. [Nature 287: 738-40, 1980] They are

 

the most promising of all the plant estrogen modifiers

 

and probably the safest.

 

Lignans are estrogen-like molecules found in whole

 

grains, like rye and flaxseed. Very small amounts of

 

lignans are provided in coffee and tea. [brit J Nut 79:

 

37-45, 1998]

 

Flaxseed is an unusually high source of lignans,

 

providing 80 to 700 times more lignans than found in

 

other grains. It does not seem possible to experience

 

estrogen-related adverse effects consuming a diet rich

 

in lignans because they exhibit only 1/10,000th the

 

effect of estrogen. Flaxseed lignans do more than just

 

block the hormone receptor sites on living cells like

 

tamoxifen does. As early as 1993 it was determined

 

that lignans are weak inhibitors of estrogen production

 

by virtue of their ability to inhibit aromatase, the

 

enzyme responsible for estrogen production. [J Steroid

 

Biochem Mol Biol 44: 147-53, 1993]

 

Widespread Health Benefits of

 

Flaxseed and Lignans

 

While the focus of this report centers on breast cancer,

 

the health benefits of lignans are not confined to breast

 

or prostate tissue.

 

Flax Lignans and Heart Disease

 

In a recently published study conducted in Finland,

 

high circulating levels of lignans were associated with

 

reduced coronary heart disease and mortality from

 

heart disease in middle aged men. [Archives Internal

 

Medicine 163: 1099-1104, 2003]

 

Lignans may partly accomplish a reduction in coronary

 

heart disease in males by moderating cholesterol levels.

 

Flaxseed consumption lowers cholesterol. [J Clinical

 

Endodrinol Metabol 87: 1527-32, 2002] While

 

concentrated lignan extracts have not been evaluated

 

for cholesterol profiles, it is known that healthy men

 

with the highest circulating levels of enterolactone, the

 

primary lignan component in flaxseed, exhibit much

 

lower rates of acute heart attacks than with low levels

 

of enterolactone. [Lancet 354: 2112-15, 1999]

 

Almost two decades ago studies were conducted

 

showing that lignans also had some similar properties to

 

digitalis (Lanoxin, Digoxin), a drug used to strengthen

 

heart pump action. [J Hypertension 4: 161-64S, 1986;

 

Biochem Biophys Res Comm 134: 1064-70, 1986]

 

Flax Lignans and Kidney Disease

 

The provision of flaxseed lignans to the diet of animals

 

and humans has been shown to spare the kidneys from

 

assault in autoimmune diseases like lupus. [Lupus.

 

9:429-36, 2000 Am J Kidney Dis. 22:326-32, 1993;

 

Kidney Int. 48:475-80, 1995]

 

Prostate Cancer and Lignans

 

Like other phytoestrogens, enterolactone and

 

enterodiol, two lignans in flaxseed, inhibit the growth

 

of prostate cancer cells. [Anticancer Research 21:

 

3995-99, 2001] In mice genetically engineered to

 

develop prostate cancer, dietary flaxseed reduced the

 

size and aggressiveness of tumors and 3 percent of

 

these animals never developed prostate cancer. Tumors

 

in the group that didn’t get flaxseed in their diet were

 

twice as large as those tumors in animals given flaxseed.

 

[Duke University Med Center, Nov. 11, 2002; Urology

 

60: 919-24, 2002] Men who added ground flaxseed to

 

their diets for 34 days experienced lower PSA levels

 

and a drop in testosterone levels. [urology 58: 47-52,

 

2001]

 

Breast Cancer and Flaxseed Lignans

 

In Finland, Sweden and Australia, low dietary intake

 

levels of dietary lignans is associated with an increased

 

risk of breast, prostate and colon cancer. [baillieres

 

Clin Endocrinol Metab 12: 605-23, 1998] Excretion

 

of lignans is low among women with breast cancer,

 

a fact that has been known for nearly two decades.

 

[Clin Chim Acta 158: 147-54, 1986] This means the

 

consumption of lignan-rich foods is also low in women

 

with breast tumors.

 

Lignans in the diet have been working in the fat cells

 

of the body to inhibit estrogen production by calming

 

down estrogen production. [J Steroid Biochem Mol

 

Biol 50: 205-12, 1994] Essentially, flaxseed lignans are

 

aromatase inhibitors.

 

The addition of ground flaxseed and flaxseed oil

 

to the daily diet increases the circulating levels of

 

enterolactone, the primary phytoestrogen in flaxseed.

 

[European J Clinical Nutrition 56: 157-65, 2002]

 

Generally, very low circulation levels of enterolactone

 

are associated with breast cancer, though sporadic

 

cases can be found among females who have high

 

enterolactone levels. [European J Nutrition 41: 168-76,

 

200] Apparently it’s important to find the right amount

 

for daily consumption.

 

Flaxseed, about three tablespoons a day, appears to

 

slow the growth of breast and prostate tumors once

 

diagnosed. [uS Berkeley Wellness Letter, May 2002]

 

Chemically-induced breast tumors in rats are 67 percent

 

smaller when fed flaxseed powder. But the effect is not

 

consistent. [Nutrition Cancer 17: 153-59, 1992] This

 

is likely attributed to the variable amount of lignans in

 

the flax or other factors discussed below.

 

Bone Strength and Flax Lignans

 

Another compelling potential health benefit from

 

flaxseed is its ability to help maintain bone strength.

 

Women with osteoporosis excrete less enterolactone,

 

the primary estrogen molecule in flaxseed, meaning

 

their dietary consumption of lignans is low. [Clin

 

Endocrinol 56: 321-28, 2002] Flaxseed and flaxseed

 

oil, along with fish oils, inhibit the production of

 

chemicals that lead to loss of bone density. [Alternative

 

Medicine Review 6: 61-77, 2001]

 

In Korea, higher consumption of lignans as evidenced

 

by concentrated urinary excretion, in particular

 

enterolactone, a primary estrogen-like molecule from

 

flaxseed, was found to be related to strong bone mineral

 

density. [Clin Endocrinology 56: 321-28, 2002]

 

Whereas pharmaceutical aromatase inhibitors inhibit

 

the production of estrogen to the point where they

 

compromise bone health, flaxseed supplementation

 

appears to mildly reduce estrogen levels, LDL

 

cholesterol and triglycerides, but does not block agerelated

 

bone loss. [J Clin Endocrinol Metab 87: 1527-

 

32, 2002]

 

In rodents, flaxseed lignans appear to enhance bone

 

mineral content, but in later life this protective quality

 

does not persist. [british J Nut 86: 499-505, 2001] But

 

at least flaxseed lignans do not promote degradation of

 

bone as do pharmaceutical aromatase inhibitors.

 

Antibiotics and Lignans

 

Another confounding factor that increases the risk of

 

breast cancer in developed countries is the overuse

 

of antibiotics. Lignans in the diet convert into

 

protective enterolactone by intestinal bacteria. One

 

study reveals that recent users of antibiotics exhibit

 

lower concentrations of enterolactone in their blood

 

circulation. [Am J Epidemiology 155: 472-77, 2002]

 

Other Benefits of Flaxseed Lignans

 

It has been known for some time that consumption

 

of flaxseed powder, by virtue of its ability to

 

reduce estrogen production, slightly raises relative

 

concentrations of testosterone in women at a certain

 

time during the month. [J Clinical Endocrin Metab

 

77: 1215-19, 1993] Since testosterone drives sexual

 

interest in females (as it does in males), this means

 

that flaxseed lignans may increase women’s desire for

 

midlife sexual activity.

 

While virtually all the studies concerning flaxseed

 

and health involved the provision of whole flaxseed,

 

the emphasis has been solely upon its phytoestrogen

 

lignan content. Yet it is apparent that flaxseed exhibits

 

unusual health benefits not observed in other herbal

 

phytoestrogens such as red clover or black cohosh. A

 

possible explanation of the reasons for the widespread

 

health benefits attributed to whole ground flaxseeds is

 

described below.

 

The recent introduction of the world’s first lignan extract

 

Brevail, Lignan Research) is noteworthy. Brevail

 

assuredly provides 50 milligrams of lignans extracted

 

from flaxseed whereas the lignan content of flaxseeds

 

themselves can vary considerably. The omega-3 and

 

IP6 phytic acid content of this product is currently

 

unknown and the product may be more appropriate for

 

women dealing with symptoms of PMS or the onset of

 

menopause than for breast cancer itself. Many women

 

already report improved well-being, stronger nails,

 

more interest in mid-life bedroom activity, and fewer

 

menopausal symptoms using Brevail. A recent study

 

shows that about a third of women age 18-25 years of

 

age have polycystic ovaries which causes a relative rise

 

in testosterone and the appearance of facial hair and

 

acne. [Clin Endocrinology 51: 779-86, 1999] Brevail

 

may be beneficial to these women.

 

Flax Lignans and Iron Control

 

While the etiology of breast cancer is linked to high

 

life-time exposure to estrogen, there are disparities in

 

studies that attempt to establish this association. [J

 

Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 80: 163-74, 2002] Estrogen

 

alone is not the sole governing factor in breast cancer.

 

If estrogens alone were the primary factor in breast

 

cancer, then why don’t more women get this form of

 

cancer during their fertile years when hormone levels

 

are very high?

 

One answer to this question is that these high hormone

 

levels occur when iron levels are low and metallic

 

minerals like iron are either being lost in the monthly

 

menstrual flow or being donated to a developing baby.

 

It should not be a surprise that precisely when women

 

lose their ability to control iron, when monthly blood

 

loss with accompanying iron depletion ceases, is exactly

 

when the risk of breast cancer rises dramatically. For

 

example, the liver stores iron and iron stores in the liver

 

are higher among women in whom menstruation has

 

stopped before the age of 50. [Ann Internal Med 127:

 

105-10, 1997]

 

When women are still having monthly cycles in their

 

fertile years the likelihood of developing breast cancer

 

is only 1 in 231 up to age 39. But there is an abrupt

 

elevation in risk from age 40 to 59 years to 1 in 25

 

women, and from 60-79 years of age to 1 in 15 women,

 

[breast Cancer Family Foundation] which coincides

 

with the buildup of iron.

 

It is well established that the iron content of cells

 

increases the risk of cancer. [Environmental Health

 

Perspectives 87: 291-300, 1990; Pathobiology 60:

 

2-9, 1992] " Iron has not received much attention in

 

discussions of estrogen-induced carcinogenesis and

 

human hormone-associated cancer. " An elevated

 

dietary intake of iron enhances the incidence of breast

 

tumors in animals. The buildup of iron in the body

 

has been specifically linked to higher mortality rates

 

due to cancer among postmenopausal women. [int J

 

Epidemiology 24: 665-70, 1995]

 

Estrogen administration increases iron accumulation.

 

Current Medical Chemistry 8: 839-49, 2001]

 

Metabolites of estrogen (4-hydroxyestrogens) can

 

induce release of iron from its carrier molecule

 

ferritin) to generate the dreaded hydroxyl radical, the

 

rusting agent that contributes to the initiation of breast

 

tumors via DNA mutation. [Archives Biochemistry

 

Biophysics 346: 180-86, 1997; Mutation Research 475:

 

153-59, 2001; Zentralbl Gynakol 124: 559-65, 2002]

 

The accumulation of iron among postmenopausal

 

women is also attributed to other common health

 

problems among postmenopausal women such as high

 

cholesterol and coronary heart disease. [Arteriosclerosis

 

Thrombosis 14: 857-61, 1994]

 

While iron is necessary for life and the production of

 

hemoglobin in red blood cells, when it is unbound from

 

its carrier proteins (what is called " free iron " ), then it

 

becomes a rusting agent that can induce the hydroxyl

 

radical which is the primary " culprit in cancer. " [stem

 

Cells 12: 289-303, 1994] Metastatic (spreading) breast

 

tumors exhibit a two-fold increase in hydroxyl radical

 

damage compared to non-spreading tumor cells.

 

Proceedings Natl Acad Sci 93: 2557-63, 1996]

 

The role of iron in breast cancer is demonstrated

 

by experiments where animals are given estrogen

 

supplements along with an iron-fortified diet. The

 

incidence of kidney tumors is two to four times higher

 

with an estrogen + iron regimen than when estrogen

 

is given with an iron-poor diet. No tumors are

 

observed in animals treated with low or high-iron diets.

 

Circulating levels of iron are much higher in animals

 

given a high-iron diet plus estrogen. [Carcinogenesis

 

19: 1285-90, 1998] Of particular interest is the fact that

 

breast cancer cells exhibit 5 to 15 times more receptors

 

for iron deposition (transferrin receptors) than normal

 

cells. Iron-carrying proteins like transferrin are

 

growth factors for breast tumors. [Med Oncol Tumor

 

Pharmacotherapy 8: 229-33, 1991]

 

The removal of iron via chelation is

 

believed to be a viable method of

 

preventing and treating cancer.

 

The removal of iron via chelation is believed to be

 

a viable method of preventing and treating cancer.

 

European J Cancer Prevention 5: 19-36, 1996] Bran

 

obtained from whole grains, which contains the

 

iron-binding molecule called IP6, phytic acid, has

 

been shown to inhibit the growth of breast tumors in

 

laboratory experiments and in animals. [Archives

 

Latinoamerica Nutrition 49: 309-17, 1999] IP6 phytic

 

acid, found in relatively high amounts in flaxseed,

 

sesame seed and rice bran, reproducibly inhibits

 

experimental breast tumors in laboratory animals.

 

Carcinogenesis 16: 1055-58, 1995]

 

Conventional medicine is not unaware of the important

 

role iron plays in breast cancer. It’s just the researchers

 

are attempting to develop patentable molecules for use

 

as drugs to treat existing cases of breast cancer rather

 

than study flaxseed which could potentially be used

 

for prevention on a widespread basis. For example,

 

researchers are studying an iron-binding drug to treat

 

mammary tumors. [Anticancer Research 22: 2685-92,

 

2002]

 

It is interesting to note that alcohol consumption

 

is associated with increased risk for breast cancer.

 

Alcohol increases the absorption of iron from the diet

 

and " accumulation of iron coupled with diminished

 

antioxidant defenses in breast tissue with advancing

 

age " which explains the associated between breast

 

cancer and alcohol. [Free Radical Biology Medicine

 

26: 348-54, 1999]

 

Another widely known risk for breast cancer is the

 

increased consumption of animal meat combined with

 

decrease in the consumption of plant foods. Animal

 

meat provides iron in a form (heme iron) that is more

 

readily absorbed than in plant foods (non-heme iron).

 

Oncology Reports 6: 865-70, 1999]

 

The body attempts to withhold iron when tumors,

 

infection or chronic inflammation arise. This appears

 

to be a survival mechanism. [blood Rev 9: 33-45,

 

1995] So the withholding of iron via dietary binding or

 

chelating factors like IP6 phytic acid would also inhibit

 

the growth of tumors.

 

Transferrin is the transport molecule or delivery truck

 

for iron in the blood circulation. Transferrin carries iron

 

back to the liver for storage and transferrin receptors

 

permit transferrin to carry iron into cells. Malignant

 

cells have more transferrin receptors. It would make

 

sense that estrogen increases transferrin receptors in

 

female tissues so as to facilitate the delivery of iron as

 

a growth factor for a developing baby. [Proc Annual

 

Meet Am Soc Clin Oncol 11:A75, 1992]

 

Widely overlooked is that fact

 

that the risk for breast cancer

 

dramatically increases as females

 

cease menstruation and thus lose

 

their ability to control iron via

 

blood loss.

 

Widely overlooked is that fact that the risk for breast

 

cancer dramatically increases as females cease

 

menstruation and thus lose their ability to control

 

iron via blood loss. About 80 percent of the iron in

 

the body is found in red blood cells. The increased

 

stores of iron in postmenopausal females are linked to

 

an increased mortality from cancer. [int J Epidemiol.

 

24:665-70, 1995] The parallel rise in heart disease in

 

postmenopausal females can also be attributed to an

 

increase in iron stores due to cessation of menstrual

 

blood loss. [Arterioscler Thromb. 14:857-61, 1994]

 

Menstruating females exhibit half the stores of iron

 

compared to middle-aged men and have half the rates

 

of heart disease, diabetes and cancer. [Lancet. Jun 13;1:

 

1293-4; 1981; Iron Time Bomb, B Sardi, 2001]

 

It has been known for some time that breast tumors

 

thrive in an environment rich in omega-6 fatty acids,

 

as provided in corn, safflower and sunflower oil for

 

example, compared to a diet rich in omega-3 fatty

 

acids provided in flaxseed. The risk to develop breast

 

cancer is significantly diminished by the consumption

 

of omega-3 fatty acids as provided in flaxseed. [J

 

Nutrition 133:1409-14, 2003]

 

In an animal study, flaxseed inhibited growth in

 

established human breast tumors and inhibited

 

metastasis (spreading), and this effect is partly due to its

 

inhibition of growth factors (insulin-like growth factor

 

I and epidermal growth factor receptor expression).

 

[Nutrition Cancer. 43:187-92, 2002]

 

The consumption of omega-3 oils in a favorable

 

balance over omega-6 oils is attributed to prevention

 

of a variety of diseases seen commonly in populations

 

consuming western diets. [biomed Pharmacotherapy

 

56:365-79]

 

Copyright Bill Sardi August 2003 www.askbillsardi.com

 

Ground flaxseed meal provides a unique triad of

 

breast cancer blocking nutrients: omega-3 oils,

 

iron-binding IP6 phytic acid, and lignans.

 

Too much has been made of the phytoestrogen content

 

flaxseed, and for that matter all herbal estrogen

 

modifiers. Whole ground flaxseed exhibits unique

 

properties for health promotion over and above

 

those provided by other plant estrogens such as red

 

clover, black cohosh or vitex. Flaxseed has unique

 

components that (1) inhibit the synthesis of estrogen;

 

2) control iron (phytic acid IP6); and (3) favorably

 

balance omega-3s over omega-6 fatty acids. While

 

soy also provides phytoestrogens with omega-3 oil

 

and phytic acid, the last two are minor components and

 

not provided in ample amounts as in a tablespoon of

 

crushed flaxseeds.

 

Two tablespoons (15 grams) of ground flax seed (Forti-

 

Flax, Barleans), an organically-grown, herbicidefree

 

source of cold-milled flaxseeds, which is low in

 

calories (70), provides better than 50 milligrams of

 

flax lignans, 320 milligrams of iron-binding IP6 phytic

 

acid and 3000 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids in

 

3-to-1 ratio over omega-6 fatty acids. This is an

 

unusual array of the right nutrients to prevent, treat

 

block the recurrence of breast and prostate cancers.

 

Crushed flaxseed must be utilized to obtain the lignans

 

and omega-3 oils. The provision of a capsule with

 

standardized amounts of flax lignans, phytic acid and

 

omega-3 fatty acids would provide a more assured

 

source of these nutritional factors.

 

Summary

 

It is obvious that commercial interests reign supreme

 

over women’s health concerns. Profiteering off of

 

women’s monthly hormonal swings and the cessation

 

of their menstrual cycle in mid-life is widespread. It is

 

a chilling fact that, after decades of research, there still

 

is no effective preventive measure for breast cancer.

 

The expansion of tamoxifen for use among healthy

 

women is not justified by the scientific data and

 

pronouncements by health agencies for at-risk women

 

to take this drug are irresponsible. The use of a drug

 

that can turn on its users and become a cancer promoter

 

is certainly playing with fire.

 

Newer aromatase inhibitors eliminate some of the side

 

effects posed by tamoxifen for breast cancer patients

 

following conventional cancer treatment, but cannot

 

be safely used as a preventive measure among healthy

 

women who are still having a monthly cycle. The

 

widespread use of aromatase inhibitor drugs would

 

likely cause rates of osteoporosis and mental depression

 

to skyrocket upwards.

 

The use of phytoestrogens is generally unguided but

 

understandably practiced due to modern medicine

 

leaving women in a lurch regarding advice on

 

hormonal regulation. Some phytoestrogens (red

 

clover, dong quai) may over-thin the blood and may

 

not be safe for use by large numbers of women. The

 

use of phytoestrogens may quell some of the symptoms

 

of PMS and menopause, but they too are likely to be

 

found to increase the risk and spread of breast tumors

 

because they mimic the " grow " signal in cells. The

 

use of concentrated phytoestrogen extracts as dietary

 

supplements, over and above levels provided by typical

 

plant-food diets, may actually be found to increase the

 

risk of breast cancer over time.

 

Herbal phytoestrogens (red clover, dong quai, vitex)

 

should be distinguished from phytoestrogens provided

 

in beans and seeds, such as from soybeans and flaxseed.

 

Soy and flaxseed phytoestrogens are provided in a

 

natural matrix of iron controllers (IP6 phytic acid)

 

and omega-3 oils, with flaxseed providing the only

 

significant source of all three of these nutrients.

 

It is evident, when estrogen levels are the highest,

 

during pregnancy and the fertile years, that breast

 

cancer rates are very low, which discounts the idea that

 

estrogen is the sole governing factor in breast health. It

 

is also obvious that women’s risk for breast cancer rises

 

upon the loss of their control of iron, either by surgical

 

or age-induced menopause. Iron plays the preeminent

 

governing role in breast cancer and estrogen plays an

 

important role as a release agent for iron. Iron bound

 

to proteins is harmless, proven by iron bound to the red

 

hemoglobin pigment which does not induce oxidation,

 

tissue damage or DNA mutation. On the other hand,

 

unbound iron is a " rusting agent " that can induce the

 

feared hydroxyl radical, believed to be the primary

 

agent that initiates breast cancer. [Arch Biochem

 

Biophys. 346: 180-6, 1997; Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.

 

93:2557-63, 1996]

 

Since the accumulation of iron is the primary controlling

 

factor in breast cancer, efforts to prevent this type of

 

tumor prior to menopause are not likely to be fruitful

 

and may not even be necessary. Fertile women control

 

iron effectively via menstruation. The idea of lifetime

 

exposure to estrogen as a risk factor for breast cancer

 

is a flawed concept. Except for vitamin D, nearly

 

every major risk factor or preventive measure for breast

 

cancer (alcohol consumption, red meat, exercise, age,

 

vegetable consumption), involves the control of iron.

 

Prevention of breast cancer should ensue immediately

 

following cessation of menstruation and continue

 

throughout the remainder of life and consist of iron

 

chelation, provision of omega-3 oils and the calming

 

of estrogen production via safe and natural plant

 

molecules such as low-dose lignans.

 

Flaxseed meal provides a unique

 

concentrated source of omega-

 

3 oils, iron binders (IP6 phytic

 

acid) and lignan as an estrogen

 

controlling agent. Flaxseed does

 

not have any of the drawbacks

 

of tamoxifen or pharmaceutical

 

aromatase inhibitors and is

 

inexpensive.

 

Flaxseed meal provides a unique concentrated source

 

of omega-3 oils, iron binders (IP6 phytic acid) and

 

lignan as an estrogen controlling agent. Flaxseed

 

does not have any of the drawbacks of tamoxifen or

 

pharmaceutical aromatase inhibitors and is inexpensive.

 

The superiority of lignan compounds was recently

 

demonstrated in a laboratory test which revealed its

 

ability to inhibit DNA mutation and to chelate iron.

 

[Free Radical Research 31: 149-60, 1999]

 

While whole grains and flaxseed are rich in IP6 phytic

 

acid, this natural grain and seed component may only

 

serve to help prevent rather than treat existing tumors.

 

In laboratory experiments where breast tumors were

 

chemically induced, IP6 phytic acid in bran cereal was

 

not nearly as effective at inhibition of tumor growth or

 

the quantity of tumors as was purified IP6 extracted

 

from rice bran. [Nutrition Cancer 28: 7-13, 1997;

 

Anticancer Research 19: 3671-74, 1999] Purified IP6

 

phytic as a dietary supplement, which about 70 percent

 

is unbound to minerals and ready to attach and remove

 

unbound iron, has both a preventive and therapeutic

 

effect. In two other laboratory experiments where

 

mammary tumors were induced in rats by feeding

 

them corn or sesame oil, the provision of purified

 

IP6 phytic acid extracted from rice bran reduced the

 

number and size of breast tumors. [Carcinogenesis

 

16: 1055-58, 1995; Cancer Letters 75: 95-102, 1993]

 

In a telling experiment, the provision of supplemental

 

iron or calcium to mice increased markers for breast

 

tumor growth, while the provision of IP6 phytic acid

 

as a mineral-binder, brought about reductions in tumor

 

markers. More remarkable, the provision of IP6

 

phytic acid simultaneously with supplemental iron

 

and calcium still brought about a reduction in tumor

 

markers! [Carcinogenesis 12: 2041-45, 1991]

 

The complete blockage of estrogen production or

 

estrogen entry into cells during the post-menopausal

 

years is counterproductive because it trades the risk of

 

breast and uterine cancer for the onset of osteoporosis

 

and mental depression. Hormonal harmony must be

 

pursued by more reliable means than what is currently

 

practiced today.

 

Copyright 2003 Bill Sardi

 

Not for commercial reproduction or posting on other

 

websites. Copies for individual use is permitted.

 

Note: No products are sold on this website. The reports

 

herein are for information purposes only and are not

 

intended to replace advice from health professionals.

 

Please seek other opinions before making personal

 

health decisions. The author has no direct financial ties

 

to the products mentioned in this report. Citations to

 

medical journals are provided to verify statements made

 

within the text. The potential health benefits related to

 

drugs or dietary supplements mentioned in this report

 

are not necessarily the claims of the manufacturers

 

of these products. Labels on dietary supplements are

 

required by the Food & Drug Administration to include

 

the following: The above statements have not been

 

evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. These

 

products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or

 

prevent any disease.

 

 

 

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