London
Eating a diet rich in flaxseeds can help cut the risk of dying from breast cancer later in life by 40 per cent, a new study has claimed.
Researchers at the German Cancer Research Centre in Heidelberg found that foods
including seeds, vegetables and wheat contain special plant compounds, called phytoestrogens, which kill off cancer cells and prevent secondary tumours by stopping the growth of new blood vessels.
Among the most important phytoestrogens are the lignans which are found abundantly in flaxseeds, the researchers said.
Once in the body, these phytoestrogens attach to female sex hormone oestrogen and are though to help protect against cancer.
Researchers analysed blood samples of over 1,000 women diagnosed with premenopausal breast cancer over a three year period.
They found that women with higher levels of enterolactone in their blood had their mortality rate dramatically reduced by two fifths compared to women with the lowest.
