Anyone Use Flax Seed Oil ?

macygrace

If so, what are your opinions on it? I just started looking into it.

kira1234

stage1 I agree completley I have also given it up.

stage1

Thanks,kira1234,always good to hear someone sees it the same way.  I am just wondering why, after so many of us have this disease, they, the oncologists, don't have these findings, at least listed as a suggestion to us.  It's like I have to figure all this out myself, along with my wonderful friends on this site. ie...I found out the last day of rads, I should probably have not consumed all the green tea, due to antioxidants inhibiting the work of the radiation.  It's crazy...I realize that all this stuff is not proven...ie parabens, soy, etc,  but if we can't prove it or no study is done, at least we have our theory or common sense...a little help for our doctors, please

stage1

hillck,thanks for the imput.  Very important studies, but, yes, now I am not sure.  Really something to think about.  Let us know what your onc says.  This is a great thread, thanks, marygrace.

macygrace

Thanks everyone!

As I was looking into this, I found conflicting articles as far as taking it for ER+ or not. Also with Tamoxifen, which I am on. It seems to be controversial so I don't think I'm going to take it just yet.

I put it into the search and it said: No posts found on this subject. I must have done something wrong...LOL...as I'm not much of a computer technocrat. Just the basics...sorry.

stage1

hillck, Sounds like you have a great onc.  Not many want to research something for us.  They just typically say "there is not study proving"...

I had been taking 1000mg of flaxseed oil for 2 years before I was diagnosed with BC, ER+.  I am thinking I should stop.  I will email my MO to try for an opinion.

Let us know what your onc says about the flaxseed, as opposed to the flaxseed oil????

macygrace

Thanks hillck! I can't wait to see what the onc says. After reading stage1's comments...it makes you wonder.

peggy_j

Re: flaxseed (not the oil):

One book I read said flaxseed can help if you're on tamox.

My nutritionist's database listed the only contraindication w/ tamox and flax seed is when you take it. i.e. don't take flax 1 hr after or 2 hrs before your tamox. (apparently the flax seeds moves things along the digestive track)

apple

I have a habit of stumping my onc with supplement questions... but she always says that she'll look into and get back to me

and she does.

46MD

Hi all....I just bought ground flaxseed today, and ate some on my dinner an hour ago! Gaaaah! Most of what I've read (including Dr. Christiane Northrup) says that it is ok to consume, but I want them ALL to say that. I'll keep researching, and I appreciate the links everyone has provided. I'd really like to get to the bottom of this.

stage1

hillck, thanks for sharing about the flaxseed oil.  I have not talked to my MO about it yet, but I have stopped the 1000mg of flaxseed oil, as I am wondering if it had something to do with my BC.  I was originally told to take it by an ophthalmologist for a dry spot in my eye, two years ago.  I will have my eye re-examined to see if I still have that dry spot.  Keep us informed, we appreciate any information you can share. 

Melizzard

The following is a link to search results where I went to Google Scholar and entered flaxseed oil and breast cancer.  I haven't read these articles, but apparently there is quite a bit of info about how flaxseed oil PREVENTS breast cancer and metastasis ...

http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=flaxseed+oil+breast+cancer&hl=en&btnG=Search&as_sdt=1,6&as_sdtp=on

xxoo

Melissa

stage1

I just got an email back from my MO.  After conferring with the pharmacy, he said it might be best to avoid flaxseed oil.  Too many contradictions for ER+ BC.

peggy_j

hickcl, thanks for sharing this:

He said there are no human studies yet to prove either is effective at preventing bc or making Tamoxifen work better.

You're right. I did a quick google search on flaxseed and tamoxifen and the first 3-4 studies I found were, indeed, studies done on mice.

Has anyone been reading about how flaxseeds work as a lignan and move estrogen out of the body? Arg! I thought I was doing something to help, not hurt.

FWIW, this is the book that says flax helps w/ tamoxifen (and I bumped the tamox-and-flax thread in the hormone room)

http://www.amazon.com/Definitive-Guide-Cancer-3rd-Integrative/dp/1587613581

stage1

hillck, peggy, please post whatever you find out, or what your onc says, thanks for the link.  This is definitely worth following any future studies.

MaryNY

I used to use Barleans flaxseed oil prior to being diagnosed with BC. I used it mainly in smoothies (about 1 tbl/day). The Barleans was expensive so I went back to using just ground flaxseed. I haven't had the oil since and I now only have the ground seed occasionally as I'm concerned about it's phytoestrogenic effect. I used to have a tablespoon per day in cereal. Now I just have an occasional sprinkle on yogurt.

stage1

Mary,I used the flaxseed oil, also, before my diagnosis for ER+ BC.  I am not taking any until I hear more studies.

Melizzard

Did no one check out the link I posted to see that there are actual studies that say flax oil prevents bc and mets?  There are studies. 

xxoo

Melissa

stage1

Melissa, Yes, and thank you for posting that link.  I did read that and many more studies.  I can't pretend to understand it all, as I am not a scientist.  And I don't think all our MO's even understand these studies thoroughly.  But bottom line on this, is that WE do not know how much will be helpful, no study done on human, too many questions, and if you think a little won't hurt, we don't know that answer for sure either.  I cannot understand why no more studies have been done...your link to that study, looks like done in 2005.  The last paragrph seems to tell us it is certainly worth more study.  I will continue to read anything I can about it.

macygrace

Thanks everyone! After reading all this I am going to abstain from taking it. Way too much controversy.

mollyann

If you go to the National Library of Medicine and search phtoestrogens flax breast cancer you will get about 20 studies. Looking at them briefly, they indicated a positive effect on breast cancer. It seems that it's risky NOT to take flax.

mollyann

Sorry but Medline Plus is not the National Library of Medicine database of studies which is definitive.

You went to the wrong website. We don't want to look at opinion, we want to be able to look at what was studied in a controlled situation and what the outcome was. I would try to paste the studies here but there are quite a few and that computer code might make it messy. Can you locate the National Library of Medicine online and type in what I suggested?

Anonymous

I asked my oncologist at Dana Farber Cancer Institute if I could use flax seeds, or flax oil and was told NO.  AVOID IT. 

That's the answer for me.

stage1

hillck, good find.  I think that is what my MO read, as he had to confer with the pharmacist, before he gave me his opinion.

mollyann

What was the evidence your oncologist provided? And what was the pharmacist's? Hearsay is not reliable.

Gosh, It's so easy to look stuff up rather than asking around. If you kids feel more comfortable with hearsay, kewl! I'll stick with the peer review data.

stage1

mollyann, the pharmacist quoted the natural medicine database, which says the research in animal models shows positive results, but the MO's last words, were "sounds contradictory.  May be better to avoid"...the contradictory part was just the fact that the lignans are phytoestrogens and the studies only done on mice.  Like I said before, I am not sure our MO's fully understand the studies.  I agree with you that this might be a really positive supplement to take, but I was looking for the MO's blessing to take it, and I did not get it.  I wonder if any MO will give us his blessing.  Let me know all you find out.  I appreciate any information, my mind is open.

Anonymous

I do not consider the advice to a breast cancer patient of an oncologist at Dana Farber as "hearsay" - and if someone does, then that's not someone I can or would want to have a discussion with about breast cancer. 

mollyann

Stage1: There are many so-called databases that provide an INTERPRETATION or OPINION. Those are unreliable. There is much copying from other opinion givers so as to not get into trouble. Doctors are essentially well-meaning practitioners but not really familiar with drilling down to the studies and evidence.

Hillck, I have been to the NIH, and the library there. I was trained to do search studies there when I was first diagnosed many years ago. My doctor told me to look things up there. I didn't know the medical literature was all in one place and searchable and now online. Since you somehow got rerouted out of the National Library of Medicine, try this. Type pubmed.com into your browser. When the search function comes up, type in the search words I suggested previously. I got 20 returns, you may get more or less. Some may be more relevant than others for our purposes.

But at least you can print them up and show your doctor or just follow your own judgement about the preponderance and quality of evidence. Warning!!  If you don't glaze over in the first five minutes you will get addicted to this search engine

mollyann

I gave you the explanation. I taught you how to access the appropriate database so you could draw your own conclusions. Now you have the evidence.

Please don't characterize me as "resistant" after I've given you 45 minutes of my day. I'm sure you can wade thru the data and reasoning on your own now. Best of luck and sincere good wishes.

--Molly

Husband11

At the very least I'd avoid taking it in large quantities or concentrates, out of an abundance of caution and a lack of a definitive answer as to the long term effects on ER positive breast cancer.  It's unfortunate, but seemingly positive preliminary work in ER+ breast cancer patients was never continued (to my knowledge).  We don't know the long term benefits or harm it could do.  Some work was done in Canada, that demonstrated a shrinking of tumors simply by eating a flax seed muffin prior to surgery, but the work didn't continue.  I tried to find any follow up and came up with a dead end.  The primary researcher appears to have left the field of "neutraceuticals" and went on to study SERMS for a pharmaceutical company.

JSwan

My understanding is that flax oil does not contain lignans (unless the manufacturer adds them):    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/flaxseed/NS_patient-flaxseed  Based on that I take flax oil but would not take flaxseed.  If that's wrong I would sure like to know.