June 20, 2007 – Two natural health products, ginseng root and flaxseed, have been shown to have beneficial effects in people with cancer, according to two recent clinical trials.
The results of these studies were presented at the last annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Ginseng against fatigue?
Researchers from the North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG), a research center associated with the prestigious Mayo Clinic in the United States, presented the results of a clinical trial in 282 cancer patients (breast, lung, colon, etc.)1. The pilot study aimed to assess the effectiveness of North American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) to counter the extreme fatigue experienced by approximately 90% of participants before, during and after the test.
Randomly divided into four groups, the subjects took, for two months, 750 mg, 1000 mg or 2000 mg per day of ginseng or a placebo. Those who took a dose of 1000 mg or 2000 mg reported having more energy, feeling less tired, and improving their general well-being more compared to subjects in the placebo group and those who took a dose of 750 mg.
Flax seeds and prostate cancer
Flax seeds are thought to slow the rate of growth of prostate cancer cells, other American researchers suggest. They conducted a trial with 161 men who had to have their prostate removed due to cancer2. Some of them consumed ground flax seeds daily, 30 days before the operation.
Patients were randomly assigned to one of four groups: those who were required to take 30g per day of ground flaxseed, those who were required to follow a low-fat diet, those who combined the two previous treatments or those who have not changed their usual diet in any way.
After the operation, the prostate tumors were analyzed. The cancer cell growth rate of the two groups who took flaxseed was lower than that of the other patients.
Pierre Lefrançois – PasseportSanté.net
According to Le Monde, Mayo Clinic’s News, Duke University Medical Center’s News, Intelihealth.com and CBS News.
1. Barton D, et al, (NCCTG – Mayo Clinic). American ginseng as a possible therapy for cancer-related fatigue. Presentation at the annual congress ofAmerican Society of Clinical Oncology, United States, June 2007. [Étude non publiée] See: www.mayoclinic.org. [Consulté le 12 juin 2007]
2. Demark-Wahnefried W, et al (Duke University Medical Center). Effects of flaxseed supplementation on prostate cancer tumor growth. Presentation at the annual congress ofAmerican Society of Clinical Oncology, United States, June 2007. [Étude non publiée] See: www.dukemednews.org. [Consulté le 12 juin 2007]
