Saturday, March 23, 2024

Flaxseed And Prostate Cancer Mayo Clinic

Must read

Flaxseed Halts Prostate Cancer Growth New Study Shows

Mayo Clinic Explains Prostate Cancer

A new US study suggests that flaxseed, which is rich in omega 3 fatty acids and lignans, can stop prostate cancer tumours from growing.

The study was presented at the 43rd annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago on Saturday by researchers from Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.

The researchers think that flaxseed, which has similar properties to sesame seed, probably interrupts the chain of events that eventually makes cells multiply out of control and become a tumour.

Dr Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, a researcher in Dukes School of Nursing and lead investigator on the study said that:

Our previous studies in animals and in humans had shown a correlation between flaxseed supplementation and slowed tumor growth, but the participants in those studies had taken flaxseed in conjunction with a low-fat diet.

However, she explained that:

For this study, we demonstrated that it is flaxseed that primarily offers the protective benefit.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, and researchers at the University of Michigan and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill also took part.

Demark-Wahnefried and colleagues recruited 161 men who were due to have surgery for prostate cancer .

After the surgery, the researchers examined the tumour cells under a microscope to assess how quickly they had multiplied.

Demark-Wahnefried said:

Is Flax Right For You

Most people can benefit from adding flaxseed to their diets. But there are a few cases where Zumpano recommends caution. Talk to your doctor first if you have:

  • Kidney disease or other problems that affect potassium levels, since flax is high in potassium.
  • Hormone-related cancers, such as ovarian or breast cancer, since flax contains phytoestrogens.
  • If you have diverticulitis or diverticulosis you may need to avoid flaxseeds specifically whole flaxseeds, but ground or finely milled flaxseed may be tolerated. Flaxseed oil is good option if you want to avoid the seeds completely especially in a flare up.

Most people, however, have good reason to get friendly with flax. Need more proof that flaxseed is worth the effort? Its so good for you that its nutritional benefits outweigh its calories, Zumpano says. Flax has only about 60 calories per 2-tablespoon serving. I suggest people dont count them if theyre logging calories, she says. Its so beneficial that the calories dont matter.

Does Eating Flaxseeds Affect Prostate Cancer Risk

Flaxseeds are a popular dietary supplement. They are thought to help with constipation, diabetes, heart disease, and other conditions. Could prostate cancer be another?

Scientists dont know for sure. Flaxseeds contain phytoestrogens, which are similar to estrogen, a hormone naturally produced by the body. Some researchers believe that this property might affect the risk of hormone-related cancers, like prostate cancer. Other studies have found that flaxseeds dont impact prostate cancer risk at all.

Nowadays, the effects of flaxseeds on prostate risk isnt clear, and scientists continue to study the relationship.

The effects of flaxseeds on prostate risk isnt clear

However, some experts suggest that men who already have prostate cancer might benefit from flaxseeds, as flaxseeds have been associated with lower PSA levels and decreased tumor aggressiveness.

Read Also: Can An Enlarged Prostate Cause Gas

Are There Any Foods I Should Eat Less Of

You may have heard that eating a lot of certain foods may be harmful for men with prostate cancer, including:

  • dairy foods and calcium
  • red or processed meat

With all of these foods, some studies have suggested they might be harmful for men with prostate cancer, but other studies havent found a link. This means we cant say for sure whether eating less of these foods can help.

Theres no need to cut these foods out of your diet completely. We need more research to fully understand their effect on prostate cancer, but you can still eat most of these foods in moderate amounts as part of a healthy, balanced diet. However, the World Cancer Research Fund recommends avoiding processed meat, as it can increase your risk of some other types of cancer.

History Of The Keto Diet

Prostate cancer

Over one hundred years ago Dr. Wilder, a doctor at the Mayo Clinic, developed the ketogenic keto diet to treat children with severe epilepsy. Since then, the keto diet has been successfully used around the world to treat drug-resistant epilepsy. In the 1970s, the diet became popular for weight loss thanks to the Atkins diet, which catapulted keto into the weight-loss limelight. While the Atkins diet recommends slowly reintroducing carbohydrate-containing foods back into your eating plan, the keto diet strictly limits these foods at all times.

Recommended Reading: What Are The Chances Of Prostate Cancer Returning After Radiation

Family Doctor: Risks And Benefits Of Flaxseed Oil

Q: I am 72 years old and have prostate cancer, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides and diabetes.

In October, my local paper had an article that said there was an increased risk of prostate cancer in men who ate flax seeds. It recommended that men eat fish or omega oils instead. It also said that we could completely stay away from flaxseed oil and flaxseed-oil pills.

For the past seven years, I have been using flaxseed oil and flaxseed-oil pills. I consume 2,000 milligrams daily. My doctors have never told me there was a problem with my usage of the supplement. My PSA has varied from 4.9 to 6.9. I would like to know your opinion of this.

A: This is a complex issue. Not many studies have been done to determine the benefits of flaxseed. The article you read may have been reporting on the results of several medical studies that showed a possible link between prostate cancer and alpha-linolenic acid .

More studies are needed before an answer can be given because another study involving men with prostate cancer showed that flaxseed supplements did not increase PSA levels.

The Mayo Clinic recommends that men with or at risk for prostate cancer avoid flaxseed and alpha-linolenic acid supplements.

That said, there are other reasons you may want to discontinue your flaxseed-oil regimen. Flaxseed contains omega-3 fatty acid, which can be beneficial for most patients. But you have diabetes.

Starving Prostate Cancer With What You Eat For Dinner

New research from The University of Texas at Austin identifies several natural compounds found in food, including turmeric, apple peels and red grapes, as key ingredients that could thwart the growth of prostate cancer.

AUSTIN, Texas When you dine on curry and baked apples, enjoy the fact that you are eating something that could play a role starving or even preventing cancer.

New research from The University of Texas at Austin identifies several natural compounds found in food, including turmeric, apple peels and red grapes, as key ingredients that could thwart the growth of prostate cancer, the most common cancer afflicting U.S. men and a key area of focus during Mens Health Month, which public health advocates celebrate in June.

Published online this week in Precision Oncology, the new paper uses a novel analytical approach to screen numerous plant-based chemicals instead of testing a single agent as many studies do, discovering specific combinations that shrink prostate cancer tumors.

After screening a natural compound library, we developed an unbiased look at combinations of nutrients that have a better effect on prostate cancer than existing drugs, says corresponding author Stefano Tiziani, assistant professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences and Dell Pediatric Research Institute at UT Austin. The beauty of this study is that we were able to inhibit tumor growth in mice without toxicity.

Don’t Miss: Does Drinking Cause Prostate Cancer

How Do I Keep My Prostate Healthy

Doing the following things in your daily life can help you keep your prostate healthy:

  • Exercise. Getting regular exercise is great for your health and for preventing a variety of medical conditions. Because of this, aim to exercise most days of the week. If youre unsure where to start, ask your doctor about types of exercise that are appropriate for you.
  • Eat a balanced diet. Try to eat a balanced diet thats rich in foods like whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and lean protein sources. Reduce your intake of red meats and foods that are high in sugar, refined carbohydrates, or unhealthy fats.
  • Manage weight. If you have overweight or obesity, its important to take steps to manage your weight. Your doctor can help recommend safe ways to lose weight.

Its also important to see your doctor for regular health checkups. During this time, you can discuss prostate cancer and get information on when you should start receiving prostate cancer screenings. As always, never hesitate to see your doctor if you have concerning symptoms.

Read Also: Now Clinical Strength Prostate Health

Flaxseed Ginseng Show Benefit In Cancer Treatment

Is prostate cancer sexually transmitted? Ask Mayo Clinic

4 Min Read

CHICAGO – Flaxseed slowed the growth of prostate tumors in men, while ginseng helped relieve the fatigue that cancer patients often feel, U.S. researchers reported on Saturday in two of the first scientifically rigorous looks at alternative medicine.

The studies reflect doctors efforts to explore the risks and benefits of foods and supplements that are routinely taken by their patients with little scientific proof they help.

Americans spend between $36 billion and $47 billion a year on complementary and alternative therapies, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

Patients are taking these compounds but we need to know if they are doing any good or any harm, said Dr. Bruce Cheson of Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, who led a panel on alternative therapies at a meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

In the flaxseed study, researchers at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina and colleagues evaluated the seeds role as a food supplement in 161 men who were scheduled to undergo surgery for prostate cancer.

The growth rate was decreased in the men who got flaxseed, said Dr. Nancy Davidson, an oncologist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore who is president-elect of ASCO. I think this is fascinating.

Flaxseed is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and lignans, a fiber found on the seed coat.

After the surgery, the researchers looked at the mens tumor cells to see how quickly the cancer had multiplied.

Recommended Reading: What Is The Function Of Male Prostate Gland

Protecting Against Heart Disease

Dietary omega-3 fatty acids have proven their mettle as preventive therapy against cardiovascular disease.2 Fish oil is the richest source of these heart-healthy fats. Among the plant foods that offer omega-3s, flaxseed stands far above the rest. Analyses have shown that while canola and corn oil contain approximately 10% and 1% omega-3s, respectively, flaxseed oil contains a far greater concentration of 57% omega-3s, in the form of alpha-linolenic acid.6-8

The value of omega-3s has emerged repeatedly from large population studies that normally consume large amounts of these heart-healthy oils.2 Scientific support for flaxseed is also abundant from dietary-modification studies, which have shown the benefits of omega-3-rich seeds in decreasing risk factors for cardiovascular disease.9,10

Typical of these experiments is a recent study in which postmenopausal women with mildly elevated cholesterol levels supplemented with approximately 30 grams of flaxseed daily for three months. Flaxseed supplementation lowered total cholesterol by 7% and decreased dangerous low-density lipoprotein by 10%. These findings led the study authors to conclude that regular flaxseed consumption may offer cardiovascular disease protection by modulating blood lipid levels.9

Tamoxifen And Breast Cancer

Tamoxifen is a drug used in the treatment of breast cancer, mainly in women with ER+. It can be used as an adjuvant therapy for breast cancer or metastatic breast cancer. It is a type of hormone therapy that is done during 510years with several side effects .

This drug works as an antiestrogen since, as it is an ER+ type of cancer, the tamoxifen acts throughout the whole body, blocking the action of estrogen on tumor cells, thus preventing their growth .

According to experimental studies, flaxseed does not have any type of interaction with drugs used in breast cancer treatments and can provide an additional protective effect when consumed along with the treatment. In animal studies, it was also verified that flaxseed, flax oil, or lignan SDG ingestion, in combination with tamoxifen, reduced the tumors size to a greater extent than tamoxifen treatment alone. Until now, there are no clinical trials that can prove the benefits that flaxseed ingestion can have in women with breast cancer during tamoxifen therapy .

Other experimental studies conducted in mice injected with ER+human breast tumor cells reveal that both at low- and high-estrogen levels , flaxseed either increased or kept tamoxifens effectiveness in decreasing tumor growth, cell proliferation, and increased apoptosis .

There are currently no known results from clinical trials regarding flaxseed ingestion during tamoxifen therapy .

Read Also: What Is An Enlarged Prostate

Mayo Clinic Minute: Flaxseed Tiny Seed Nutritional Powerhouse

Nearly 1 in every 3 American adults has high levels of lipoprotein cholesterol, also known as “LDL” or “bad cholesterol.” Lifestyle changes can lower your bad cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. One way is by adding a daily dose of a tiny seed with a lot of nutritional power to your diet.

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video pkg is in the downloads at the end of the post. Please Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network. Read the script.

This tiny nugget isnt a grain but a seed.

“And when we think about seeds, seeds are very concentrated, little packages full of nutrients.”

Katherine Zeratsky, a Mayo Clinic dietitian, says flaxseed is high in healthy fat, vitamins and minerals. But that’s not all.

“Flaxseeds are a great source of dietary fiber, and fiber can be beneficial in helping reduce our overall cholesterol level.”

Most Americans don’t get enough fiber. Zeratsky says fiber is for digestion and heart health. And for people with diabetes, it can help regulate their blood glucose.

You dont have to add a lot of flax to your diet to get the benefits. Try adding it to your smoothies.

“Starting with even a few teaspoons just to see how you like it. And if you like the taste and the texture, without overdoing the calories, is a good way to start.”

Whether you choose whole or ground flaxseed, just keep it in a cool, dark place. Zeratsky recommends whole flax for the best nutritional value.

Related post:

About Dr Dan Sperling

Prostate cancer

Dan Sperling, MD, DABR, is a board certified radiologist who is globally recognized as a leader in multiparametric MRI for the detection and diagnosis of a range of disease conditions. As Medical Director of the Sperling Prostate Center, Sperling Medical Group and Sperling Neurosurgery Associates, he and his team are on the leading edge of significant change in medical practice. He is the co-author of the new patient book Redefining Prostate Cancer, and is a contributing author on over 25 published studies. For more information, contact the Sperling Prostate Center.

Search the spc blog

Read Also: Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer Symptoms

Things You Cant Change: Age Race And Genes

Prostate cancer is primarily a disease of aging. As you get older, your chances of developing prostate cancer increase. Race and genetics also play a significant role. If you are African American, your chances of developing prostate cancer are double those of white American men. If your father, brother or multiple blood relatives had prostate cancer, you are more likely to get it, too.

Preventing prostate cancer might be difficult if you have these risk factors, but screening early and often can help ensure that if you do get cancer, its diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.

Does Prostate Cancer Run In Families

Scientists arent certain what, exactly, causes the disease

Prostate cancer can run in families. If a man has a first-degree relative with prostate cancer, his risk for developing prostate cancer is about 2 to 3 times higher than average. His chances of having prostate cancer go up even higher if he has more than one first-degree relative with prostate cancer and if these relatives were diagnosed at a younger age.

Still, most cases of prostate cancer are not family-related. Scientists arent certain what, exactly, causes the disease.

Don’t Miss: Proton Therapy Vs Radiation For Prostate Cancer

Avoid Supplements That Your Health Care Provider Has Not Recommended

âA recent survey reported that over 70% of cancer survivors take dietary supplements. But dietary supplements arenât recommended for cancer prevention or in the cancer survivorship setting,â says Dr. Mussallem. âWe want cancer survivors to eat a healthy diet and get all the antioxidants, phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals they need from nutritious food.â

Itâs important that people living with and after cancer discuss over-the-counter supplements with their health care provider before adding them to their health regimen, as there could be associated risks, including drug interactions.

âThere are a lot of false claims out there. Cancer patients are a good target for this $32-billion industry. There are multiple studies that show that some supplements can actually cause harm,â says Dr. Mussallem.

If you are new to your survivorship journey, making these changes to your diet can feel overwhelming, but Dr. Mussallem encourages you to discuss a nutrition plan with your health care provider and seek support from your network to ensure long-term change.

âAs a cancer survivor, I get excited when I make my own healthy plant-based meals and when I work with patients,â says Dr. Mussallem. âItâs exciting to be able to feed and nurture the body. And patients feel better while on a whole-food, plant-predominant diet. To me, thatâs the most important outcome: to enjoy life and feel good.â

Treating Prostate Cancer That Has Spread To The Bones

Mayo Clinic Gets FDA Approval for New Imaging Agent for Recurrent Prostate Cancer

Doctors are studying the use ofradiofrequency ablation to help control pain in men whose prostate cancer has spread to one or more areas in the bones. During RFA, the doctor uses a CT scan or ultrasound to guide a small metal probe into the area of the tumor. A high-frequency current is passed through the probe to heat and destroy the tumor. RFA has been used for many years to treat tumors in other organs such as the liver, but its use in treating bone pain is still fairly new. Still, early results are promising.

Also Check: How Often To Get Checked For Prostate Cancer

More articles

Popular Articles