Subject: Re: flax oil
From: Raymond Peat <[email-masked]>
To: "Earl Conroy" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 08 Feb 1999 14:55:48 -0800

Those publications suggest to me that the Univ. of Toronto has a stake in
the linseed industry, and that they permit their staff to publish
outrageous things as long as they support the industry; academic nutrition
departments aren't famous for their penetrating insight into cancer, but
those are just interesting as evidence of what trash editors will accept.
Anything that speeds transit through the intestine lowers the exposure of
the bowel to toxins and lowers the retention of estrogen.  However,
beta-glucuronidase liberates active estrogen in any damaged tissue, and its
elevation is evidence of something happening in the cecum, irritation or
toxicity, which over the long run would increase cancer risk by elevating
the local estrogen concentration.

When people talk about their nails and hair improving in a few weeks, they
are normally indicating an eagerness to believe in a product, since they
rarely talk about the newly emerging stuff at the base, and reflect a
cultural idea that the hair and nails are living.

At 11:20 AM 2/9/99 +1300, you wrote:
>Dear Ray:
>Here's some more data on the flax oil controversy. I note that in the latter
>experiment, they were essentially using the linseed fiber and defatted
>linseed. This suggests to me that the oil may be a health problem but that
>the fiber and lignans may have some protective value.
>best wishes,
>Earl
>At 11:07 07.02.99 +1300, you wrote:
>>    Dear Dusan: Great post relating to gall stones, much  appreciated.
>>www.efn.org/raypeat I know it's a big controversy, but I tend to  sense
>>that Ray Peat has some crucial data on oils. I accept that flax oil is an
>>unsaturated fatty acid combination that creates oxidative stress and serum
>>lipid  peroxides. I'm well aware of Johanna Bugwig's claims, but I  keep
>>wondering if in fact, flax oil is a good source of oil for  detoxing???
>>Best wishes, Earl
>
>
>Dear Earl,
>I do not know.
>
>All I learned theoretically about oils , I learned from the "Budwig -> Udo
>-> Others" clan.
>I never trust much to the pure theory, so I do not think it is important.
>
>All I learn practically, I learned observing myself and about 50 other
>people.
>
>After one month of using Flaxseed oil, I have seen small skin degenerations
>disappear.
>People were getting their nails and their hair grow properly first time
>after many years.
>
>People with Gallstones said that when taking any other fat they get an
>attack.
>When taking Flaxseed oil, or Olive oil,  No pain, no problems.
>
>
>Hundreds of other disorders have been disappearing after people started
>using Flaxseed oil.
>
>I really believe that there is something good in the Flaxseed.
>
>I do not Know.  I just see it is working.
>
>
>Dusan
>
>
>You can see also this mail:
>-------------------------------
>
>Date: Sun, 03 Jan 1999 14:37:37 -0500
>From: PJ Macon <[email-masked]>
>X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.04 [en] (Win95; U)
>To: "[email-masked]" <[email-masked]>
>Subject: [cancercure] Colon Cancer and Flax (Lignans)
>
>Here is some current research to back up the flax seed/oil recommendations.
>Using flax seed in cottage cheese is not an options for me since the
>casein protein in dairy products causes my rheumatoid arthritis to flare.
>
>I use flax seed in Bob's Red Mill's eight grain cereal.  I cook the cereal
>per directions and as it cools I add 2 tbsp of ground flax seed and 1 tbsp
>of Barleans oil.  Along with cinnamon, honey and some organic raisins it
>makes a tasty breakfast that my husband will eat without complaining!
>
>Below are some more Medline studies regarding the use of flax and colon
>cancer:
>
>
>
>Regards,
>Pamela
>
>
>
>
>Anticancer Res 1998 May-Jun;18(3A):1405-8&nbsp;
>
>Mammalian lignans inhibit the growth of
>estrogen-independent human colon tumour cells.
>
>Sung MK, Lautens M, Thompson LU
>
>Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, Ont.,
>Canada.&nbsp;
>
>PURPOSE: The mammalian lignans enterolactone (EL) and enterodiol (ED)
>derived
>from precursors in foods, particularly flaxseed, have been shown to reduce
>the
>mammary tumour growth due to their antiestrogenic properties. Our objective
>was to
>investigate whether lignans have growth inhibitory effects against colon
>tumour cells
>and whether these effects are mediated through their antiestrogenic
>activity.
>
>METHODS: Four human colon tumour cell lines (LS174T, Caco-2, HCT-15, T-84)
>were
>incubated with various levels of EL, ED or 17 beta-estradiol for 8 to 10
>days. Cell
>proliferation was measured by the BrdU method.
>
>RESULTS: At 100 microM
>concentration, both lignans significantly reduced the proliferation of all
>cell lines. EL
>was more than twice as effective as ED at this concentration. The growth
>was not
>affected by the presence of 17 beta-estradiol implying that these cells are
>not
>estrogen-sensitive.
>
>CONCLUSION: Lignans are growth inhibitors of colon tumour cells
>and they may act through mechanism(s) other than antiestrogenic activity.
>
>
>
>
>Carcinogenesis 1996 Jun;17(6):1343-8&nbsp;
>
>The influence of flaxseed and lignans on colon
>carcinogenesis and beta-glucuronidase activity.
>
>Jenab M, Thompson LU
>
>Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of
>Toronto,
>Ontario, Canada.&nbsp;
>
>Flaxseed, the richest source of mammalian lignan precursors, such as
>secoisolariciresinol diglycoside (SD), has been shown over the short term
>to decrease
>some early markers of colon cancer risk. This study determined whether over
>the
>long term flaxseed still exerts a colon cancer protective effect, whether
>its effect may,
>in part, be due to its high content of SD and whether any change in
>beta-glucuronidase activity plays a role in the protective effect. Six
>groups of male
>Sprague-Dawley rats were fed for 100 days either a basal high fat (20%)
>diet (BD),
>BD supplemented with 2.5 or 5% flaxseed or 2.5 or 5% defatted flaxseed
>(equivalent
>to the respective flaxseed diets) or BD with a daily gavage of 1.5 mg SD.
>All rats
>were injected with a single dose of azoxymethane (15 mg/kg body wt) 1 week
>prior
>to commencing the dietary treatments. Urinary lignan excretion, which is an
>indicator
>of mammalian lignan production, was significantly increased in the flaxseed
>and
>defatted flaxseed groups. The total activity of cecal beta-glucuronidase was
>significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner by the flaxseed and
>defatted
>flaxseed diet groups. Compared with the control the number of aberrant
>crypts per
>focus was significantly reduced in the distal colon of the treated rats.
>Four
>microadenomas and two polyps were observed in the control group, but not in
>the
>treated groups. The total activity of beta-glucuronidase was positively
>correlated with
>total urinary lignan excretion and negatively with the total number of
>aberrant crypts
>and the total number of aberrant crypt foci in the distal colon. There were
>no
>significant differences between the flaxseed and the corresponding defatted
>flaxseed
>groups. It is concluded that flaxseed has a colon cancer protective effect,
>that it is
>due, in part, to SD and that the protective effect of flaxseed is
>associated with
>increased beta-glucuronidase activity.
>
>
>Pamela
>
>
>