TUESDAY, Nov. 12, 2002 (HealthDayNews) -- A diet rich in flaxseed seems to block the growth and development of prostate cancer in mice, says Duke University research.
The flaxseed diet reduced the size, aggressiveness and severity of tumors in mice genetically engineered to develop prostate cancer, and prevented prostate cancer in three percent of the animals, the study in the November issue of the journal Urology found.
Flaxseed is the richest plant source of omega-3 fatty acids and is high in dietary fiber. Previous studies have indicated that omega-3 fatty acids and dietary fiber may protect against cancer.
In this study, 135 mice genetically engineered to develop prostate cancer were divided into two groups. Both groups were fed a regular mouse diet, except that flaxseed accounted for 5 percent of the experimental group's diet.
Mice in both groups were autopsied at 20 weeks and 30 weeks to check for tumor growth and the spread of cancer to other parts of the body. Researchers found that the tumors in the control group were twice the size of tumors in the flaxseed group.
The tumors in the flaxseed group were also less aggressive and those mice also had higher tumor cell death rates. Though not statistically significant, the flaxseed group mice had lower rates of cancer that spread to other organs, the study found.
Senior study author Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, an associate professor in the urology division, says in a statement that she and her colleagues are cautiously optimistic about their findings. She notes that it would be very difficult for a person to devote 5 percent of their total food intake to flaxseed.
But she says this study's findings indicate the need to continue research into flaxseed.
A current Duke clinical trial is doing that. It includes 160 men with prostate cancer. The trial will examine the effectiveness of a low-fat diet, flaxseed supplementation, and a combination of both, on stopping prostate cancer cells from dividing.
More information
The University of California, Berkeley has more about the health benefits attributed to flaxseed.
