Consumption of flax seeds, beneficial for the intestinal microbiota, could help prevent the onset of breast cancer, according to a study.
- Flax seeds, good for the health of the intestinal microbiota, could help prevent the onset of breast cancer, according to a study. It would be best to eat them whole.
- Researchers suggest that such a benefit could be explained by the high amount of lignans, phytoestrogens, in flax seeds.
- Breast cancer is the most frequently observed cancer among women in France, with some 61,000 new cases estimated in 2023. It remains the leading cause of cancer death among women this year.
Anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, laxative, full of nutrients, vitamins and minerals… Flax seeds are full of health benefits. By provoking a reaction in the microbiota, these “super” oilseeds could even help ward off the risk of breast cancer, always leading cause of cancer death among women in 2023. At least that’s what a new study published in the journal suggests Microbiology Spectrum.
A link between microbiota, gene expression and breast cancer
To reach this conclusion, researchers from the University of Toronto (Canada) relied on the results of an experiment carried out on female mice. They analyzed, based in particular on their diet, the bacteria and other microorganisms living in their intestines, as well as data from their breast cancer and breast tissue samples. The objective was to establish the potential link between microbiota composition and cancer risk.
And a key link has indeed been found, between microbiota and… gene expression. The scientific team first observed that “the abundance of certain intestinal bacteria was associated with the expression of microRNAs in the mammary gland” – as a reminder, microRNAs are small molecules essential for regulating gene expression. At the same time, she observed that microRNAs from the mammary gland could “be involved in the development of breast cancer”can we read in a communicated.
Consume whole flax seeds
This is where flaxseed comes in. Researchers have discovered that “the consumption of these oilseeds contributed to modifying the relationship between the responsible intestinal bacteria and the microRNAs, thus potentially limiting the risk of breast cancer”explains Dr. Elena M. Comelli, lead author of the study.
She continues: “Flaxseeds are rich in lignans, compounds that need to be metabolized by the gut microbiota to release metabolites that are then absorbed into the circulation. And we found that they affect the microbiota-mammary gland relationship, suggesting that there may be a new way to prevent breast cancer.”
For our intestinal transit to reap all the benefits, we should consume flax seeds “as whole foods”according to the researcher.
