Lignans

Lignans

Lignans are phytoestrogens, or plant estrogens. Their precursors are found in a wide variety of plant-based foods and are converted to the lignans, enterodiol and enterolactone, by bacteria in the intestine.

Research suggests these compounds may help protect against hormone-dependent cancers and heart disease.

Because flaxseed is the richest source of lignans, researchers believe it is the synergy of phytonutrients (including lignans) and omega-3's to credit for their beneficial health effects.

Find Lignans in:

Seeds
Seeds are generated by plants as a means to carry on their species and are therefore a condensed source of nutrients...
Flax
Flaxseed is the plant kingdom's best source of the essential fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)...
Pumpkin
Pumpkin is a winter squash, related to watermelons and cantaloupe...
Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds are native to South and North America and come from a tall, strong flower that opens bright yellow, with seeds filling the center...
Poppy Seeds
Poppy seeds are tiny nutty-tasting, blue-gray seeds inside capsules on Papaver somniferum, a yellowish-brown opium plant indigenous to the Mediterranean...
Whole Grains
Rye
Rye is a cold climate gluten grain that is widely used in Russia, Scandanavia and northern Europe...
Oats
Oats are high protein grain enjoyed primarily as a breakfast food throughout the world...
Barley
Beige and shaped like a flattened oval, barley is usually sold pearled, where it is hulled and polished to cook more quickly...
Wheat
Wheat is one of the world’s largest cereal-grass crops, second only to rice...
Olive Oil
Ask anyone about the "Mediterranean diet" and the ingredient that instantly comes to mind is...

Lampe JW. Isoflavonoid and lignan phytoestrogens as dietary biomarkers. J Nutr. 2003;133 Suppl 3:956S-964S.de Kleijn MJ, van der Schouw YT, Wilson PW, Grobbee DE, Jacques PF. Dietary intake of phytoestrogens is associated with a favorable metabolic cardiovascular risk profile in postmenopausal U.S.women: the Framingham study. J Nutr. 2002;132(2):276-282. Valsta LM, Kilkkinen A, Mazur W, et al. Phyto-oestrogen database of foods and average intake in Finland. Br J Nutr. 2003;89 Suppl 1:S31-38.Rowland I, Faughnan M, Hoey L, Wahala K, Williamson G, Cassidy A. Bioavailability of phyto-oestrogens. Br J Nutr. 2003;89 Suppl 1:S45-58.Gordaliza M, Castro MA, del Corral JM, Feliciano ASAntitumor properties of podophyllotoxin and related compounds Curr Pharm Des 2000 Dec;6(18):1811-39, Owen RW, Mier W, Giacosa A, Hull WE, Spiegelhalder B, Bartsch H, Identification of lignans as major components in the phenolic fraction of olive oil. Clin Chem 2000 Jul;46(7):976-88.Wang LQ. Mammalian phytoestrogens: enterodiol and enterolactone. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2002;777(1-2):289-309. Vanharanta M, Voutilainen S, Nurmi T, et al. Association between low serum enterolactone and increased plasma F2-isoprostanes, a measure of lipid peroxidation. Atherosclerosis. 2002;160(2):465-469.

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