Flaxseeds, Breast Cancer, Lignans & 2 MEO!

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers.

Even though being diagnosed with this cancer is not a death sentence, many women thrive and do fine with treatment, breast cancer is still the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths.

Being a hormonal cancer occurring in body parts most identified with being feminine, of course the concept of it terrorizes women.

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death, with an estimated 1.8 million deaths (18%), followed by colorectal (9.4%), liver (8.3%), stomach (7.7%), and then female breast (6.9%) cancers.

How to help keep breasts safe to avoid getting cancer in the first place. And avoiding recurrence in the second place makes us look toward “breast-protective” foods.

Flaxseed has been one of the most studied “breast protective” foods, regarding it’s protective actions against breast cancer, in both animal and human clinical trials.

Flaxseeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, α-linolenic acid, lignan, and fiber.

One of the main components of flaxseed are lignans, of which 95% are made of the predominant secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG).

SDG is converted into enterolactone and enterodiol, both structurally similar to estrogen (to the “good” estrogen). So much so, they are also called phytoestrogens, or estrogenic compounds that come from plants.

Enterolactone and enterodiol can bind to estrogen cell receptors.

When they do so, they reduce cell growth (a good thing). (BTW, You need a healthy gut to produce these lignans from flaxseed, so ladies with gut dysbiosis don’t make as much protective flaxseed lignans!)

• Cancer = growth out of control.

• Flaxseeds = growth controlling food.

Flaxseeds have been mixed together with MCF-7 ER+ breast cancer cells (a line of breast cancer cells started from a nun’s tumor that are often used in the laboratory to study estrogen positive breast cells).

Flaxseeds mixed with MCF-7 breast cancer cells cause these cells to “die”.

• Cancer is typically immortal. Thus, it’s so scary.

• Flaxseeds nudge estrogen positive breast cancer cells to die.

It appears that flaxseed’s lignans signal the second estrogen receptor, ER beta, which act as one of our own chemotherapeutic compounds.

• Cancer is growth out of control

• ER beta signals cause controlled growth, or anti-proliferative action (a good thing).

• Flaxseeds down-regulate ER alpha (estrogen’s growth signals) and up-regulate, or turn on, estrogen’s controlled growth signals (a very good breast thing!)

When you munch on flaxseed muffins or cereal, you get protective anti-proliferative or anti-angiogenic properties (block blood flow or fuel to cancer cells).

Flaxseeds are truly a medical food.

Thus, dietary phytoestrogens from flaxseeds (similar to the breast protective effects of soy isofalvones) have been studied as potential compounds in both breast cancer prevention and treatment.

Several clinical studies (prospective cohort and case–control studies) have investigated the relationship between plant lignan intake and circulating or excreted levels of mammalian lignans and breast cancer risk in pre- or post-menopausal women.

Some studies have also shown that the intake of omega-3 fatty acids found in flaxseeds is also related to a reduction of breast cancer risk. Or recurrence.

In animal studies, flaxseed’s α-linolenic acids have been shown to be able to suppress growth, size, and proliferation of cancer cells and also to promote breast cancer cell death.

So you can think of flaxseeds as chemotherapeutic compounds.

Flaxseeds are a good “fit” with tamoxifen. Animal studies found that the intake of flaxseed combined with tamoxifen has a synergistic effect.

If you consume flaxseed while on tamoxifen, this has been shown to reduce tumor size to a greater extent than taking tamoxifen alone.

Additionally, some human clinical trials showed that flaxseed can have an important role in decreasing breast cancer risk.

Flaxseeds are:

• Protective against getting breast cancer.

• Protective while on breast cancer, even on treatment.

A huge collaborative Canadian study analyzed 1892 records, including 10 studies: 2 randomized controlled trials, 2 uncontrolled trials, 1 biomarker study, and 5 observational studies.

Their analysis found:

• Flaxseed (3 tablespoons or 25 g/d) increased tumor apoptotic index or the ability to literally “kill” breast cancer cells.

• Flaxseeds decreased HER2 expression (P< .05) and cell proliferation (Ki-67 index; NS) among newly diagnosed breast cancer patients when compared with placebo.

• Flaxseeds reduce “dense” breasts.

• Flaxseeds reduce hot flashes (not statistically, but a positive “trend”).

Uncontrolled and biomarker studies suggest beneficial effects of flaxseeds on cancer cell proliferation, atypical cytomorphology, as well as blocking fuel or blood supply to tumor cells (anti-angiogenic activity) at doses of 25 g ground flax daily.

Besides ER beta as one of our own internal chemo actions, nature also makes the final metabolite of estrogen (2 methyoxestradiol or 2 MEO) a powerful anti-cancer fighter. Against breast cancer as well as many other cancer lines.

Flaxseeds help our own body produce more 2 MEO.

So do sesame seeds, btw.

How cool is that?

Observational data suggests associations between flax and a decreased risk of primary breast cancer (getting cancer in the first place), better mental health while battling breast cancer disease, and even lower mortality among breast cancer patients.

Flaxseeds, if consumed daily, reduce the risk of dying from breast cancer once diagnosed.

The magic amount is 3 Tablespoons daily to reduce the risk of getting breast cancer or dying from it if you do get it.

Flaxseed consumption also protects ovaries and prostate tissue, too! It’s not just for ladies.

I spent many months figuring out how to make this enjoyable on the tongue. If you go to my “resources” section on my website (drlindseyberkson.com), there are very specific, yet tasty, recipes for flaxseed muffins that contain 25 mg/d, for when you are first diagnosed. I suggest you make up a large batch, freeze it and enjoy one every morning.

If you visit my website, you can get this little e-book with flaxseed recipes For Free!

Once you are in the clear, the second recipe is for muffins made with a reduced amount of flaxseed.

Knowledge is power. If swallowed.

Dr. B.

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References:

The Effect of Flaxseed in Breast Cancer: A Literature Review. Front Nutr. 2018 Feb 7;5:4

Enterodiol and enterolactone, two major diet-derived polyphenol metabolites have different impact on ERalpha transcriptional activation in human breast cancer cells. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2008 May;110(1-2):176-85

Isoflavonoid and lignan phytoestrogens as dietary biomarkers. J Nutr. 2003 Mar;133 Suppl 3:956S-964S. doi: 10.1093/jn/133.3.956S. PMID: 12612182.

Flaxseed and its components differentially affect estrogen targets in pre-neoplastic hen ovaries. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2016 May;159:73-85. doi: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2016.02.028. Epub 2016 Feb 27. PMID: 26925929; PMCID: PMC4821676.