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Listen to this siteWednesday 22 October 2003
This research project aims to determine whether supplementation of the diet with one group of phytoestrogens found in linseed (lignans) can relieve menopausal symptoms.
Study Duration : August 2000 to August 2003
Contractor : University of Manchester
In post-menopausal women, a reduction in the levels of the hormone oestrogen can lead to health problems such as osteoporosis and hot flushes. This project aims to determine whether supplementation of the diet with one group of phytoestrogens found in linseed (i.e. lignans) can relieve menopausal symptoms.
Fifty postmenopausal women suffering from severe hot flushes will consume either linseed-containing bread buns or placebo bread buns for 3 months before switching to the other type of buns for 3 months. Changes in the level of lignans in the blood will be measured, and the effects on hot flushes, hormone levels and biological markers of bone reabsorption / formation will be analysed.
This small pilot study suggests that flaxseed supplementation may have the potential to reduce the number of hot flushes in post-menopausal women. Both placebo and flaxseed supplemented groups experienced a fall in the number of hot flushes during the first three months which suggested a possible placebo effect. However, once women crossed over from placebo to flaxseed supplementation their hot flushes continued to fall in frequency, whereas the incidence of hot flushes rose in the women who changed from flaxseed to placebo supplementation.
Lignans (phytoestrogens found in linseed) were measured in the urine and did not appear to have any effect on bone resorption or blood lipids. From the results of this study, flaxseed supplementation reduced the incidence of hot flushes by 60%.
As this was a small study, further research is needed to confirm these findings and to determine whether lignans could be used to relieve hot flushes in post-menopausal women.
The final report is available from the Agency's Information Centre.
To obtain a copy, please contact the Enquiry Desk, Information Services, Food Standards Agency (tel: 020 7276 8181/8182 or email:
infocentre@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk
)
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