Flaxseed, ginseng show benefit in cancer treatment
Flaxseed slowed the growth of prostate tumors in men, while ginseng helped relieve the fatigue that cancer patients often feel, U.S. researchers reported on Saturday in two of the first scientifically rigorous looks at alternative medicine.
The studies reflect doctors' efforts to explore the risks and benefits of foods and supplements that are routinely taken by their patients with little scientific proof they help.
Americans spend between $36 billion and $47 billion a year on complementary and alternative therapies, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
"Patients are taking these compounds but we need to know if they are doing any good or any harm,"; said Dr. Bruce Cheson of Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, who led a panel on alternative therapies at a meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
In the flaxseed study, researchers at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina and colleagues evaluated the seed's role as a food supplement in 161 men who were scheduled to undergo surgery for prostate cancer.
Flaxseed is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and lignans, a fiber found on the seed coat.
"We were looking at flaxseed because of its unique nutrient profile,"; said Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, a researcher in Duke's School of Nursing, who led the study.
Half of the men in the study added 30 grams of flaxseed daily to their diets for about 30 days. Half of the flaxseed group also went on a low-fat diet.
full report...
The studies reflect doctors' efforts to explore the risks and benefits of foods and supplements that are routinely taken by their patients with little scientific proof they help.
Americans spend between $36 billion and $47 billion a year on complementary and alternative therapies, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
"Patients are taking these compounds but we need to know if they are doing any good or any harm,"; said Dr. Bruce Cheson of Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, who led a panel on alternative therapies at a meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
In the flaxseed study, researchers at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina and colleagues evaluated the seed's role as a food supplement in 161 men who were scheduled to undergo surgery for prostate cancer.
Flaxseed is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and lignans, a fiber found on the seed coat.
"We were looking at flaxseed because of its unique nutrient profile,"; said Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, a researcher in Duke's School of Nursing, who led the study.
Half of the men in the study added 30 grams of flaxseed daily to their diets for about 30 days. Half of the flaxseed group also went on a low-fat diet.
full report...
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