In 2005, two seemingly unrelated events changed the course of my personal and professional life. First, my wife’s dear cousin was dying of breast cancer in a small town in southern Georgia. At about the same time, I saw a half-page advertisement in a newspaper that read: “You Can’t Prevent Breast Cancer.”
The ad was for a local hospital, and the message was intended to assure women that at this hospital, they would be in good hands with the latest breast cancer treatments, should this “unpreventable” disease occur.
Only one problem: the ad was false and misleading! I know from many years of reading, studying and practicing nutrition-based medicine that we CAN prevent breast cancer. Seeing that ad provoked my anger, which led to activism, and ultimately to publishing a book: Breast Cancer: Reduce Your Risk with Foods You Love (Penstokes Press, 2011).
The book is a practical guide for eating healthfully to prevent breast cancer. It is not intended to imply that all breast cancers can be prevented, or that women with breast cancer should feel they somehow “failed” in good health practices.
The goal is simply to help prevent the 73,000 cases of breast cancer each year in the US that can be prevented. That’s about 38% of all cases, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund. We’re talking about a lot of women’s lives here!
There are many foods that can contribute to a breast-healthy diet. Based on my extensive literature searches and what I’ve seen in the clinic, flax is one of the best. It’s a cornerstone for breast cancer prevention, and from a breast health viewpoint, should become every woman’s “BFF” (“Breast Friend Forever”). Here’s an excerpt from the book’s chapter on flax.
Flax Seed Lignans Decrease Risk
Perhaps the best news in the context of our search for a breast cancer prevention diet is that these little seeds have significant data supporting their role in reducing risk. They are very high in lignans, which are cancer-preventive compounds with a phytoestrogenic effect. This means that they have a weak ability to bind to estrogen receptors and may block some of the long-term tumor-promoting risks of natural estrogen.
Laboratory and human data have shown some protective benefit against breast cancer development. It is important to note that though flax oil has some health benefits, it does not contain lignans, and would not have the same cancer-protective qualities.
The recommended daily dose for women is one to two tablespoons of ground flax seed per day. Keep the seeds in the refrigerator to avoid oxidation and rancidity, and only grind as much as you are going to use for one day. You can sprinkle the powder on other foods, make a smoothie or eat the powder alone (though this is, admittedly, somewhat difficult when dry!).
Flax, Algae, Fish and Humans
The more I read research articles from nutrition and medical journals, the more I am convinced that flax seeds can be a healthy part of all of our diets, men and women alike. They are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, specifically alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). ALA is the natural vegetarian source of omega-3s that fish get from algae and utilize to make DHA and EPA, which we ingest during that great fish dinner you started thinking about a chapter ago.
Fish, of course, do not eat flax seed, but they do consume algae from the ocean (which is then passed up the food chain and concentrated in larger fish). It is the algae that is the manufacturer of the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, including ALA. Fish convert ALA efficiently to EPA and DHA, which are the most important essential fatty acids for human health.
Humans do not convert ALA to EPA and DHA efficiently, which is why I recommend fish and fish oil for most people instead of solely relying on vegetarian sources of omega-3s. At the same time, it is quite true that most of us do not eat fish daily (or even close), so some vegetable sources make sense.
For all practical purposes, flax seed is your best vegetarian source of omega-3 fatty acids.
Flax vs. Other Seeds? No Contest!
There are all sorts of claims in popular health literature and websites about other seeds and their health benefits. It is true that there are many health benefits of seeds in general, and in particular pumpkin and hemp seeds deserve a close look. But they deserve a close look not because of their omega-3 fatty acid content, which is minimal.
When comparing the omega-3 content of popular seed or nut foods, flax far outshines its nearest competitors. One tablespoon of flax seed contains more than 3.5 grams of omega-3 fats (and recall I am recommending two tablespoons per day). By comparison, the same weight of walnuts provides 1.5 grams (roughly) of omega-3 fats, still a very nice and healthy serving, but a distant second to flax.
And what about those pumpkin seed kernels? There are only about 30 milligrams of omega-3 fats in that tablespoon, and that seed will also provide a very large dose of omega-6 fats, adding further to the inflammatory ratio of high omega-6 compared to low omega-3 in the diet.
A relative newcomer to the “healthy seeds” market is the Chia seed, and in fact, this can be quite a good choice. Though Chia seeds are slightly lower in omega-3 content compared with flax seeds, they rank higher than walnuts. So, when thinking about a meal out with some seedy friends, make it a threesome with flax and chia!
Always Grind the Seeds
Flax seeds are also a good source of fiber for intestinal health, reducing constipation, and the risk of 
diverticular disease. Some researchers believe that it is the fiber in flax seed that is most responsible for its cholesterol-lowering effect. It lowers total and LDL cholesterol but it does not lower HDL, the good cholesterol. And this fiber effect works even when the seed is ground and cooked. In fact, if the seed is not ground, you may as well not eat it.
Flax seed is covered with a very hard husk that resists digestion; this served the plant well over centuries of the nibbling of grazing animals that unknowingly replanted the seeds some days later in another location, surrounded of course by a generous heap of natural fertilizer.
Take a lesson from the goats, and don’t eat your flax seed whole. Get a small electric coffee grinder and dedicate it to flax alone in your kitchen. Grind only two tablespoons at a time, and eat it fresh to avoid oxidation of the easily spoiled ALA. If your flax seed has gone rancid, you will know by the smell. Do not eat flax seed that smells like paint thinner.
Breast Health Begins in Childhood
As a pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist, I’d like to see the message about eating for breast health get out to families with young girls. The onset of puberty may be the ideal time to create a cancer preventive environment in the breast tissue.
It’s never too early to start engendering healthy eating habits, especially when so many of the foods that are helpful in preventing breast cancer can help lower risk of many other common chronic disorders which, these days, are affecting people at ever younger ages.
Dr. Robert Pendergrast practices holistic medicine at Aiken-Augusta Holistic Health, serving residents of South Carolina and Georgia. He is on the faculty of the Medical College of Georgia, was voted Educator of the Year by the class of 2004, has a graduate degree in Public Health form Johns Hopkins University, and completed his Integrative Medicine Fellowship at the University of Arizona under Dr. Andrew Weil in 2005. His latest book, Breast Cancer: Reduce Your Risk with Foods You Love, is available on Amazon in print and Kindle formats, as a Barnes and Noble Nook e-book, and from the publisher. For bulk discounts for clinical facilities or retail use, contact Dr. Pendergrast’s office at 803-426-1421, or see www.breasthealthplan.com.
