Lignans to the Rescue

Certain foods and supplements act as powerful natural medicines that can protect our health. Plants high in lignans, such as flaxseed, are great examples. Research shows that lignans possess a multitude of health benefits. In fact, lignans can alleviate your fears around hormonal imbalances and aging.

Menopausal Symptoms

In a study published in the Annals of Medicine in 1997, Finnish researcher H. Aldercreutz explains that the reason lignans reduce hot flashes and vaginal dryness in postmenopausal women is because these plant consitiuents have weak estrogenic properties.

Bone Strength

Several studies show that lignans protect bone strength by preventing bone loss and increasing bone density. In a study published in the journal Clinical Endocrinology in March 2002, Korean researchers found that women with low bone density had much lower levels of enterolactone – a type of lignan – than women with normal bone density.

Protection Against Cardiovascular Disease

You can significantly increase your chances of maintaining your heart health by consuming plenty of lignans. Lignans help protect the cardiovascular system in four major ways. First, they help maintain healthy blood pressure levels. A study from the Netherlands published in the Journal of Hypertension in July 2004 found that postmenopausal women who consumed high levels of lignans had statistically significant lower systolic and diastolic blood pressures (the top and bottom numbers) than those who did not. Second, lignans help keep your arteries clear. Third, lignans keep blood platelets from clumping together. And fourth, lignans help maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

A study published in Atherosclerosis in 2002 found that a low level of enterolactone may put the heart at risk. In another study, published in the prestigious British journal Lancet in 1999, men who had the highest levels of enterolactone were afforded a significantly greater level of cardiovascular protection than men with the lowest levels.

Anti-Aging/Antioxidant

San Diego-based Pantox Laboratory researcher M. F. McCarty found that lignans may also help slow human aging. In a study published in the journal Medical Hypotheseis

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in June 2003, McCarty reported that there “is a considerable amount of evidence… that systemic IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1) activity acts as a pacesetter in the aging process.” In other words, IGF-1 accelerates aging, so decreasing IGF-1 levels may slow aging. There are many natural ways to lower the amount of IGF-1 that our liver produces, such as exercising and consuming diets high in fiber and low in fat. Research shows that flax lignans are also very effective at decreasing IGF-1.

There is another way that lignans help slow down aging—they act as antioxidants. Antioxidants neutralize oxygen free radicals. Excess oxygen free radicals cause damage to our cell membranes and DNA which accelerates the aging process. A Canadian study published in the journal Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry in 1999 found that the flaxseed lignan SDG (secoisolariciresinol diglucoside) showed strong antioxidant activity even at low doses. Chinese researchers reported in the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine in 1992 that lignans protect against the free radical attack of the brain that normally occurs with aging. And a study published in the Journal of Nutrition reported that consuming high amounts of lignans may preserve cognitive function in postmenopausal women.

Healthy Weight and Blood Sugar Balance

Lignans are also beneficial for supporting a healthy weight and balancing blood sugar levels. According to a study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health and published in the Journal of Nutrition in 2005, lignans lower fasting insulin secretion. Another study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2002 found that flaxseed improves glucose control and insulin resistance, and helps balance levels of cholesterol and blood lipids – all of these effects are beneficial for promoting a healthy weight and blood sugar balance.

Christine Horner, M.D., is a board-certified and nationally recognized surgeon, author, professional speaker and relentless champion for women’s health. She spearheaded legislation in the 1990s that made it mandatory that insurance companies pay for breast reconstruction following mastectomy. She is the author of the book, Waking the Warrior Goddess: Dr. Christine Horner’s Program to Protect Against and Fight Breast Cancer. For more information go to drchristinehorner.com.

Good or poor health is usually not an accident:

The foods we eat and the activities we choose every day will tip the scales in one direction or the other. Stress; inactivity; smoking; alcohol; and eating a diet high in red meat, sugar, refined carbohydrates, and bad fats

– such as trans fats and saturated animal fats – are a recipe for disaster. On the other hand, a plant-based diet combined with intelligent supplementation; the daily practice of an effective stress-reducing technique, such as meditation or yoga; regular exercise; and nurturing, loving relationships will stack the odds of staying healthy in our favor.

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