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NO from Flaxseed Enhances Sexual Function
Published in Robert Fried, Richard M. Carlton, Flaxseed, 2023
Robert Fried, Richard M. Carlton
For instance, flaxseeds (and flax oil) contain a group of nutrients called lignans, which have powerful antioxidant and estrogenic properties. (30) The lignans are a large group of polyphenols found in plants, particularly seeds, whole grains and vegetables. Lignans are precursors to phytoestrogens. Free radicals and the commonly resulting reactive oxygen species (ROS) are the very bane of eNO formation. The surest way to jeopardize eNO formation is an antioxidant-poor diet.
Cardiovascular Risk Factors
Published in Nicole M. Farmer, Andres Victor Ardisson Korat, Cooking for Health and Disease Prevention, 2022
There is an obvious need to reconcile the everyday use of olive oil, evidence from studies such as PREDIMED and Seven Countries study suggest a CVD-related benefit despite the potential change from thermal processes. Lozano-Castellón et al. (2020) conducted a study to replicate home cooking practices and measure resultant olive oil-specific polyphenols. To replicate home practices, the researchers used the EVOO and sauté method in which EVOO was heated at moderate and high temperature. Foods used were 200 g of potatoes and 100 g of chicken pan-fried at both temperatures: 120°C for 20 and 60 minutes and 170°C at 15 and 30 minutes. In the study, there was a loss of 40% at 120°C and 70% at 170°C for the most common polyphenol, secoiridoids. The 40% reduction level maintains the European Union-established health benefits from olive oil. Interestingly, there was an increase in the lignan concentration. Although lignan is found in a smaller amount in olive oil compared to other polyphenols, the finding from this food science study may assist in explaining in the PREDIMED sub study trial finding that lignin was the polyphenol linked with cholesterol improvement.
Plant Source Foods
Published in Chuong Pham-Huy, Bruno Pham Huy, Food and Lifestyle in Health and Disease, 2022
Chuong Pham-Huy, Bruno Pham Huy
Flaxseed or linseed is seed of a flax plant or Lin plant of the genus Linus in the family Linaceae. Flaxseed is a rich source of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, particularly alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the precursor of active eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (, 155). It also contains linoleic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid), oleic acid (an omega-9 fatty acid), proteins, manganese, magnesium, and vitamin B1 in moderate levels. In addition, linseeds contain different polyphenol antioxidants, especially lignan, a type of phytoestrogen, which may help relieve menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes. These compounds provide health benefits to humans through their anti-inflammatory action, antioxidative capacity, and lipid modulating properties (155). However, the conversion of ALA into EPA and DHA is limited in the biological media, especially in seniors. Therefore, high consumption of flaxseed is not beneficial for the health of elderly people. The presence of phytoestrogens with adverse health effects and toxic compounds in flaxseed cannot be neglected (155). Flaxseed oil does not contain fibers. So, the health benefits related to flaxseed depend on the type of product. The effects of flaxseeds in the reduction of cholesterol levels and cardiovascular diseases are still controversial, mostly in the elderly.
Evaluation of the inhibition of human carboxylesterases (CESs) by the active ingredients from Schisandra chinensis
Published in Xenobiotica, 2019
Qiang Fu, Kai Yang, Rui-Xia Hu, Zuo Du, Cui-Min Hu, Xibo Zhang
Schisandra chinensis, also called wuweizi in Chinese, is the fruit of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill., and has been officially utilized as a Chinese medicine for more than two thousand years. Schisandra chinensis has been utilized as a sedative and tonic to treat various diseases such as chronic cough and dyspnea, nocturnal emission, spermatorrhea, enuresis, and frequent urination. Schisandra chinensis can also be used as flavoring agent of foods (Alexander & Wikman, 2008; Chen et al., 2013). It can be used for the treatment of viral and chemical liver injuries with an obvious therapeutic effect (Ali et al., 2018). Schisandra chinensis can also be used to treat cancer and some inflammation diseases (Zhao et al., 2013). Through isolation from Schisandra chinensis, many bioactive ingredients (e.g., lignans, nortriterpenes, sesquiterpenes, phenolic acids, etc.) have been obtained. Among these ingredients, lignans have been widely accepted to be one of the most important pharmacological ingredients. For example, Schisandrol B has been demonstrated to play an important role in the protection of liver toxicity (Jiang et al., 2016; Zeng et al., 2017). Another lignan Schisandrin A has been reported to exert anti-tumor activity toward multiple types of cancers, such as ovarian cancer (Lee et al., 2018). Schisandrin B has been also demonstrated to show therapeutic function towards cancers, such as glioma (Jiang et al., 2017).
Effect of Dietary Flaxseed Intake on Circulating Sex Hormone Levels among Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Intervention Trial
Published in Nutrition and Cancer, 2019
Vicky C. Chang, Michelle Cotterchio, Beatrice A. Boucher, David J. A. Jenkins, Lucia Mirea, Susan E. McCann, Lilian U. Thompson
Lignans are a major class of phytoestrogens, estrogen-like compounds with cancer-preventive properties (1). While lignans are generally found at low concentrations in a wide range of plant foods, flaxseed is by far the richest dietary source, containing predominantly secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) (2). Once ingested, SDG is metabolized by intestinal bacteria to the biologically active mammalian lignans (enterolignans), enterodiol and enterolactone (3,4), whose circulating and urinary levels are strongly correlated with dietary lignan intake (5–8). Enterolignans are structurally similar to endogenous sex hormones and have been shown to exert weak hormonal effects and inhibit carcinogenesis in animal models (9,10). As such, lignans, as well as flaxseed, have been investigated for their possible role in the prevention of hormone-related cancers (4,9,11), particularly breast cancer (12–17).
Flaxseed Lignans Enhance the Cytotoxicity of Chemotherapeutic Agents against Breast Cancer Cell Lines MDA-MB-231 and SKBR3
Published in Nutrition and Cancer, 2018
Yunyun Di, Franklyn De Silva, Edward S. Krol, Jane Alcorn
Lignans are natural compounds possessing a unique diphenolic structure and exist in minor quantities in many foods but have appreciable levels in flaxseed (13). Dietary consumption of the flaxseed lignan, secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG), results in glucosidic cleavage in the gastrointestinal tract to yield secoisolariciresinol (SECO), which is further converted to the mammalian lignans, enterodiol (ED) and enterolactone (ENL), by the intestinal microflora (14). The literature suggests ENL is the major bioactive lignan (15), but the SDG metabolites are extensively metabolized by enterocytic and hepatic UDG-glucuronosyltransferase enzymes during their absorption process yielding high systemic levels of glucuronide conjugates of these lignan metabolites and low levels of ENL, ED, and SECO (16,17). Nonetheless, several studies report improved survival of patients with postmenopausal breast cancers with high circulating total ENL levels (i.e., ENL plus ENL glucuronide (ENL-Gluc) (18–21). ENL, and to a more limited extent, SECO, are known to possess antiproliferative properties (22,23). In vitro studies suggest multiple mechanisms are potentially involved in the inhibition of breast cancer cell growth (24,25). As well, animal experiments demonstrate that dietary supplementation with flaxseed lignans enhances the inhibitory effect of tamoxifen through upregulation of estrogen receptor- and growth factor-signaling pathways (26,27). Such data indicates the potential application of flaxseed lignans as adjuvant therapy against breast cancer.