Now something for the gentlemen. There could also be some good news for men who've reached that stage in life when thoughts turn to the prostate. A combination of flaxseed and a low-fat diet can slow the spread of benign prostatic tissue, and may even reverse precancerous changes in prostate tissue.
Researchers tested the combination therapy on a group of 15 men, who possibly had early-stage prostate cancer according to biopsy. They were put on a low-fat diet, and supplemented with 30 g daily of ground flaxseeds. Of these, two did not need a repeat biopsy because PSA levels had normalized, while only one of the other 13 had possible prostate cancer on follow-up biopsy.
It's been suggested that ground flaxseed may be safer than flaxseed oil, although patients may develop vitamin B6 deficiency.