As I’ve mentioned earlier, I’m taking a seminar course in nutrition and disease, that has a strong focus on cancer. A supplement vs. whole food project was one of our first assignments. We all got to pick a cancer and choose a food that has been shown to have anticancer properties. Then we had to evaluate whether the supplemental form or the whole food provides the most benefits. For me, I had no problem choosing. I’ve been incorporating a lot of seeds into my diet, especially flaxseed. So that’s what I rolled with. I actually didn’t know that it had cancer preventive power until I began my research.
It turns out that the consumption of flaxseed has actually been shown to prevent breast cancer! According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer amongst women in the U.S. Here’s an alarming statistic: 1 out of 8 women develop this devastating disease in their lifetime! It is important to note that the rate of incidence differs greatly between different populations. More specifically, people who consume a Western diet have a higher incidence rate compared to others (e.g., Asians). This suggests that lifestyle factors, such as diet, def play a role here.
Flaxseed is the most lignan-rich food, containing as much as 120 times higher levels than legumes and 260 times higher levels than most fruits and vegetables. Overall, studies have shown that daily intake of flaxseed, 2-4 Tablespoons, can inhibit human mammary tumor cell growth, inhibit mammary tumor initiation, significantly decrease the proliferation of mammary tumor cells, increase apoptosis (cellular death), modulate the expression of growth factors involved in signal transduction pathways, and reduce angiogenesis (growth of new blood vessels to support tumor cells) and expression of human breast cancer cells. Flaxseed showed promising results for established tumors as well. When it was taken with Tamoxifen, a standard endocrine therapy in premenopausal breast cancer patients, flaxseed not only inhibited tumor growth but also strengthened the efficacy of Tamoxifen. Flaxseed is not only the richest source of lignans, but it also contains nearly 40% oil of which 45-52% is the alpha linolenic acid (ALA), an omega 3 fatty acid. Omega 3 fatty acids have also been receiving the spotlight as an anticancer agent. As flaxseed is very bulky, supplementation with flaxseed oil (removed of all the lignans) has been increasing in popularity.
Currently, an appropriate dosage of flaxseed oil supplementation cannot be recommended as there is not enough scientific evidence to determine the proper amount. There are a lot of factors to consider such as the person’s age, weight, health, and other conditions. Even though it’s a natural product, it doesn’t mean that it’s completely safe. Thus, dosage is crucial, and one should consult with a physician before taking flaxseed oil supplementation regularly. So the bottom line? If there’s one thing I’ve learned from being a nutrition student, it’s that consuming whole foods is far superior to taking supplements! So let’s stay away from popping those “healthy” pills and get back to eating food in its glorious and natural state. And one last pearl…milling the flaxseed maximizes the absorption of lignans into the body. Therefore, use ground or crushed flaxseeds! I know this post is getting really long, but how could I end without sharing with you a wonderful recipe involving, yup you got it, flaxseed! Harvest Pumpkin Granola Cluster!
These are my beloved squirrel foods! Can’t live without them. I usually buy them in bulk, store them individually in freezer-safe ziploc bags (make sure to let out all the air before zipping!), and bc I don’t want to have all these lil’ bags running loose in my freezer, I consolidate all of them into my most coveted SEED BAG! What a creative name ;). Let the sauce cool before stirring in.
Press the granola down firmly into the pan to make sure it will bake evenly.
You can either cut it into bars or in my case break it into clusters! I like to snack on little bites. Perfect to take to school! This power snack will last up to a week in a container, but I promise you it won’t last that long (it’s soooo good!). It does get softer and chewier with time.
Flaxseeds are so versatile and can be added to just about everything. I like to sprinkle them on top of my oatmeal or add them to my smoothies. Or how about adding them to breads? Check out my dear friend, Maura’s Flax and Honey Banana Bread, which I personally CANNOT wait to make! Question: Have you had flaxseeds before? If so, how do you like to enjoy them?
