Flaxseed

Jen,

I don't think there is a definitive answer.  All the studies are done on mice and all the mice were doing very well.  I know they're doing human studies now but I don't think they're being done on women who were dx'd with breast cancer. 

There was one human study that was done on a small amount of women who were dx'd with BC, and flax did stop the growth of their tumor.  So far that's all we have.

In the study Rosemary mentioned, flaxseed seemed to help slow the proliferation rate of the ER+ tumors from the time the women were tested (from biopsy tissue) to the time they had the surgery--about 3 weeks. The test group ate 25 g of ground flaxseed daily which was baked into a muffin. The control group ate a high-fiber muffin.

In a different study (with mice), whole ground flaxseed improved some aspects of bone health and did not encourage bc to grow, but soy did stimulate the bc but it also improved some aspects of bone health. A diet that had BOTH flaxseed and soy showed increased bone health without stimulating the bc.

I found that rather encouraging as soy is almost inescapable. So I grind 2 tbs (about 25-30 g) of flaxseed and sprinkle it over my cooked oatmeal most days. I also bake ground and whole flaxseed into bread.

An earlier question was whether flaxseed oil can be used in place of fish oil for omega-3 fatty acids. I wouldn't recommend this. Have both. Some people don't convert the flaxseed oil to the best form already found in fish. And there is data that says fish oil can help with our mental health, too.

When it comes to fats and oils, I would recommend olive oil, fish oil, flaxseed oil, hempseed oil & maybe a small amount of coconut oil. Try to completely eliminate trans-fats (partially or fully hydrogenated anything) and avoid omega-6 oils for cooking. We get plenty of omega-6 in packaged goods, restaurant food and with seeds & grains. Eating out, unless you live in a part of the country that prohibits trans-fats in restaurants, is a big source of trans-fats. 

Trans-fats stimulate inflammation. Combine this with having too much omega-6 and too little omega-3 fatty acids and we are reducing our ability to heal inflammation.  

If you use margarine, check that it's trans-fat free. Butter is better than margarine or Crisco if it has these unnatural fats. Olive oil can substitute for butter if you buy a very mild tasting form--it'll never taste like butter, but it can work well on veggies.

Thank you BBS.  If you used tablespoons instead of grams, how much would 25g be?  Can't find my nifty converter chart. 

I also want to emphasize bbs' comment about the oatmeal and how she sprinkles the flaxseed on it after cooking.  I made the mistake, just once, of adding my ground flaxseed to the pan while the oatmeal cooked.  blech!  It turned into a gelatinous goo.  Not very appealing.   

I use 2 tablespoons of whole flaxseed for 25 g. Sometimes heaping if I want more. This is the amount before grinding. As Althea mentions, the flaxseed is a lot less appealing if you cook it.  And the omega-3 fatty acids break down on cooking.

Flaxseeds eaten whole will not get digested very much.  They are more likely to pass through undigested, which perhaps may be a benefit from a fiber standpoint, but you'd miss out on the benefits derived from the oil inside the seed.  Grinding the seeds releases the oil, and the oil has a very short life from that point. 

This has been a very enlightening topic.  Thank you BBS.

I'll add this.  Hmmm...now I need to find some.

http://www.southbeachdiet.com/sbd/publicsite/dailydish/dd_20080211.aspx

Getting the Most Out of Oats!

Looking for a healthy breakfast that will warm you up on a cold morning? Oatmeal has long been a breakfast favorite, and it's a great choice for people in Phase 2 of the South Beach Diet - as long as you choose the right kind (not all oatmeal is created equal).

Dr. Agatston, leading preventive cardiologist and author of The South Beach Diet, recommends steel-cut oats and rolled or old-fashioned, slow-cooking oats because these varieties have been minimally processed. Instant oatmeal has been rolled and cut more during processing and thus cooks and digests more quickly than the recommended varieties. It's also important to select hot cereals - including oatmeal - with at least 3 grams of fiber and no more than 2 grams of sugar per serving.

Of course, instant oatmeal's appeal is its quick prep time - it takes only a couple of minutes from package to table, while steel-cut and rolled oats can require anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes. That said, you can save time and still enjoy the healthiest of oats. Here's how:

• Soak your oats overnight. Just boil water (at a ratio of 4 cups water to 1 cup oatmeal), add oats, stir, remove from heat, and cover until morning. Reheat your oatmeal for a warm, hearty breakfast.
• Use a slow cooker. Assemble your oatmeal in a slow cooker at night and wake up to a steaming bowl of oats.
• Try a pressure cooker. With this appliance, oatmeal can be ready in just five minutes.
• Prepare your oats ahead of time. They'll stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to four or five days. When it's time for breakfast, simply microwave a portion of oatmeal with your choice of 1 percent or nonfat milk or low-fat plain, vanilla, or sucralose-containing soymilk for about three minutes.
• Make them in a microwave. You can prepare steel-cut oats by microwaving them for 12 to 14 minutes in a tall container with the above-mentioned milk choices. Keep a close eye on them so they don't boil over, and try not to overcook the oats.

To perk up the flavor of oatmeal, try mixing it with fresh, chopped high-fiber fruit (like apples or pears) and sprinkling in some cinnamon. You can also add 1 ounce of melted low-fat cheese to a serving of oatmeal to make South Beach Diet-friendly "cheese grits."
 

goodvibes:

See this link:

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/ART00669

According to Dr. Weil, the best way to benefit from flaxseed is to use FRESHLY  ground flaxseed.

Dr. Weil explains that the reason for that is that it deteriorates and loses its properties in a matter of hours after grinding. Many people just purchase a cheap coffee grinder and grind just the amount that they are going to consume immediately.

Hi there Ladies,

I think, I had read somewhere(sorry,couldn't remember where)that flaxseed interferes with Tamox treatment. I had read it only after my Tamox didn't work after only 9 months of intake. I regularly take 1 softgel flaxseed oil while under tamox treatment. I was changed into Femara after my tumor marker started increasing slightly above normal.And been into it for almost 2 years now.

Now, I take my flaxseed oil softgel if I take my vegetable juice or take ground flaxseed on my oats.

While under Femara, I'm avoiding garlic supplement as I had read sometime ago that it interferes with the treatment. Sorry, but wasn't able to jot down too, where I had read it. Next time, I'll try to jot it down and share to everyone.

God bless to all.

Marie

Alaina,

Just a guess on my part, it could be that the flax is enhancing the benefits of tamoxifen and making it more potent for you and thus the increase of hot flashes? 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17720953?ordinalpos=2&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

Thank you mamafig for your amazing story!  Keep up the good work.  Were you hormone positive BC?

Flalady

My wife has stuck with the budwig diet (fresh flaxseed oil and cottage cheese) and added flavors into it, such as pineapple. Then was tossing in some apricot seeds for the laetrile effects from that. Then she over did it on the apricot seeds, and didn't care for the taste any longer, so she is making the apricot seeds into a peanut butter consistency using apricot seeds, coconut oil, stevia, and some carob. Will see how that turns out. But she has had no chemotherapy, and no radiation, and is doing fine.

That's great about your wife, Eric. I can hardly get the fo/cc down even when using stevia or fruit. However, if I use twice as much yogurt (as recommended) , I can eat it OK.

My husband really didn't want me to do radiation, but I was too afraid not to. I was also afraid of the side effects of it. But after much prayer, The Lord gave me peace about the whole thing and I went through the rad. just fine.

Hopefully there won't be any long term damage. 

I also drank Essiac tea for those 7 weeks. But now I'm on a more "typical" diet. 

Thank you, LindaMemm. Supposedly, when you mix the oil with the cottage cheese, the molecular structure changes to make the dairy OK. Have you looked at the Budwig diet info?

I take a multivitamin and extra calcium and vit. D. also. 

I'd like to check out Dr. Jane Plan's web-site also.