There are a lot discussions and articles online about the supposed connection between flax seeds (ALA) and prostate cancer – suggesting that more flax consumed = increase chance of prostate cancer. I haven’t found this issue addressed on your website (sorry if I missed it). Can you comment? Thanks!
DSikes / Originally posted below Just the Flax, Ma’am
Answer:
No. In fact, flaxseed consumption actually appears to reduce prostate cancer risk.
The latest meta-analysis of prospective studies found that, if anything, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, the omega-3 fat in flax) was protective against prostate cancer. Men consuming more than 1.5 g/day appeared to have significantly lower risk (the amount found in about a tablespoon of ground flax seeds).
One of the reasons there’s been so much conflicting data is that ALA is found in great foods (dark green leafies) and less than great foods (meat), and so ALA intake is not necessarily a marker of healthy eating. What you want is a randomized controlled study of men with prostate cancer. Give half of them flax and see what happens. And that was done! (full text here)
Researchers at the University of Texas Anderson Cancer Center took a bunch of men with prostate cancer about a month before they were to go into surgery. Half were put on a few tablespoons of ground flax a day and after surgery their cancerous prostates were examined. The proliferation rates of the cancer in the flax-eaters were only half that of the controls, confirming the test-tube studies done on prostate cancer cells suggesting that flax can indeed slow prostate tumor growth.
For more on the effect of flax nutrients see videos such as:
- Flaxseed vs. Prostate Cancer
- Prostate vs. Plants
- Flax Seeds For Breast Pain
- Flaxseeds & Breast Cancer Prevention
- Flaxseeds & Breast Cancer Survival: Clinical Evidence
- Flax and Fecal Flora
Check out our Morning Grain Bowl and Black Bean Burger recipes, which include ground flaxseeds as a star ingredient.
To learn more about flaxseeds, visit our topic page, which covers a broad range of the latest evidence-based research.
Image credit: AlishaV/ Flickr
