The day after Thanksgiving 2003, my mother was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer and died nine months later. This tragic event made me realize that the advice I had been taught as a Western surgeon to give women—to get regular mammograms and breast exams—was not always enough to save their lives from breast cancer. It certainly hadn’t been for my mom. The heartbreaking loss of my mother motivated me to find better answers to combating this horrendous disease.

Mammograms and breast exams, although they can help to save lives, only reveal tumors after they have grown—they do not prevent them. Is it possible that breast cancer can be prevented? After searching the medical literature, I quickly discovered that research shows that, in most cases, it can …and without pharmaceutical drugs or surgery! There are hundreds of studies that reveal certain foods, supplements, and herbs act as natural medicines that can dramatically protect against and significantly lower the risk of this deadly disease.

Of all the edible plants, there is one that stands out above the rest in its extraordinary ability to protect against and help fight breast cancer: flaxseeds. The health-promoting and protective properties found in flaxseeds are so amazing, I devoted an entire chapter to them in my recently released book, Waking the Warrior Goddess: Dr. Christine Horner’s Program to Protect Against and Fight Breast Cancer, winner of the 2006 Independent Book Publishers Award for the “Best Book in Health, Medicine, and Nutrition.”

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Flaxseeds have three notable distinctions that help to explain why they are so effective at inhibiting the growth of breast cancer. First, they are the richest plant source of omega-3 fatty acids. Research has found that women who eat the highest amounts of omega-3s have the lowest incidence of breast cancer. Omega-3 fatty acids help to lower the risk by subduing inflammation which promotes cancer growth and by decreasing the rate at which breast cells divide in response to estrogen.

Lignans

The second exceptional quality of flax comes from remarkable substances called “lignans.” Lignans are natural plant compounds that help to give stiffness to the structure of the plant and possess potent anticancer properties. Enterolactone and enterodiol are two of the major types of lignans found in flaxseeds. Flaxseeds contain at least 100 times more lignans than any other known edible plant!

Lignans deter and arrest the growth of breast cancer in a multitude of ways. First, they act as a weak estrogen and block strong cancer-promoting estrogens from attaching to the estrogen receptors in the breast. Second, lignans change the structure of the breast, making it more resistant to toxins that induce cancer. Third, if you have breast cancer, lignans can stop the tumor cells from growing and help to prevent the metastasis of your tumor. They do this by balancing growth factors that are thought to fuel the fires of breast cancer.

All of the very effective schemes that lignans use to combat breast cancer add up to lots of protection. Research shows that women with the highest amounts of lignans in their urine—a reflection of how much they consume in their diet—have the lowest risk of breast cancer.

Fiber

The third property of flax that lowers your risk of breast cancer is its abundant fiber. High-fiber diets are associated with a 54 percent lower risk of breast cancer. Fiber helps to lower the amount of estrogen in your body by binding to it in your intestines and then expelling it from your body.

The Latest Research

The anticancer effects of flaxseeds were first discovered decades ago, and recent research not only confirms them, but sheds more light on their specific actions. For example, a 2004 study published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research found that when flaxseeds were given to mice with estrogen-dependent breast cancer, their tumors shrank by an average of 74 percent! The decreased tumor size was attributable to reduced tumor cell proliferation and increased apoptosis or tumor cell death. In addition, this study found flaxseeds enhanced the tumor-inhibitory effects of the anti-breast cancer drug Tamoxifen.

The following year, in 2005, researchers at the University of Toronto found that dietary flaxseeds shrank tumors in humans through the same mechanisms. A randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted with postmenopausal women newly diagnosed with breast cancer. Those women who ate flaxseed-containing muffins daily had a significant reduction in their tumor growth.

Eating Flaxseeds

Three tablespoons of ground flaxseeds are recommended each day. To eat them, you must first grind them in a coffee grinder until they become a fine nutty powder because the whole intact seeds can’t be digested. Certain companies such as Barlean’s supply pre-ground flaxseeds. Add the ground seeds to just about anything you like: vegetables dishes, salads, smoothies, cereal and baked goods, such as bread and muffins.

Warrior Goddess Speaks

I hope that you take these lessons I am passing onto you to awaken your body’s own innate defenses against poor health. My mission in life today is to educate women so they can take strong actionable steps to prevent breast cancer—and certainly flaxseed is one of the dietary superstars of my campaign.

I strongly recommend that you purchase an extremely high-quality flaxseed product. My favorites are Barlean’s Forti-Flax and Highest Lignan Flax Oil. They are the freshest products available and contain the highest amounts of all-important lignans. Plus, they are widely available at health food stores and natural product supermarkets, so you won’t have any trouble finding them in the refrigerator section of your local retailer.

For more information about Barlean’s, visit their website at www.barleans.com or call them at 800-455-3529.

Copyright 2006. All rights reserved.