Flax slows tumour growth, new research claims

Flax seed may slow the rate of breast cancer, scientists announced this weekat an international meeting ofbreast cancer researchers in San Antonio, Texas. A study carried out at theUniversity of Toronto, Canada, suggests that the seed can actually slow thegrowth of breast cancer cells in women. Researchers gave agroup of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients two tablespoons of groundflaxseed in a muffin each day. They analysed samples of their tumours beforestarting the nutritional treatment and thirty days after. Results showedthat in less than a month, the women taking flaxseed slowed their rate ofcancer cell growth by up to thirty-three percent compared to women not onflax. And there was nearly a sixty percent drop in the spread of the mostaggressive cancer cells.Researchers believe a fibre in the seeds helps to sweep the hormone estrogenout of the body blocking it's ability to make tumours grow.