Lignans: Benefits For Both Men and Women as Antioxidant, Phytoestrogen

The Flax About Lignans Lignans can be beneficial for both men and women. Lignans can act as antioxidants. Lignans are phytoestrogens. By Jocelyn Mathern, R.D.

Flaxseed has been around for centuries but its popularity with consumers has increased greatly over the past few years — and for good reason. Flax is a healthy food containing a mix of beneficial nutrients. It is high in omega-3 fatty acids and contains fair amounts of fiber, both soluble and insoluble. Flax is also one of the richest sources of lignans1 — compounds that are increasingly being studied for their potential benefits to health. This article will discuss flax lignans in more detail and hopefully answer your questions about what lignans are and how they can be beneficial for both men and women.

Lignans are phytoestrogens, or naturally occurring plant estrogens that can have a balancing effect on hormones. Lignans can also act as antioxidants. The main lignan in flaxseed is secoisolariciresinol diglycoside or SDG. When flaxseed is eaten, SDG is converted by bacteria in the colon to mammalian lignans: enterolactone and enterodiol. This is important because the mammalian lignans are the forms of SDG that exert health effects in the body. The amount of enterolactone and enterodiol found in the blood and urine of humans and animals is related to the amount of plant lignans eaten. Large intakes of flaxseed (and SDG) will result in large amounts of enterodiol and enterolactone excretion.

Lignans for Men’s Health

Lignans have many potential benefits for men, specifically in areas related to prostate health. A great deal of attention is being focused on benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) because it is a growing public health problem. The American Urological Association estimates that BPH affects 50 percent of men aged 50 to 60 and up to 90 percent of men over the age of 80. Simply stated, BPH is a non-cancerous condition where the prostate becomes enlarged. This can be a problem because the urethra, the tube carrying urine from the bladder to outside the body, runs through the prostate (see illustrations). A growing prostate can pinch off the urethra and cause uncomfortable symptoms, like a frequent and overwhelming urge to urinate, and painful urination. The exact cause of BPH is unknown, but male hormones seem to play a role. Hormones also play a role in another prostate condition

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