A new study from Iowa State University's Nutrition and Wellness Research Center may give men a way to combat high cholesterol without drugs — if they don't mind sprinkling some flaxseed into their daily diet.
The study examined the effects of flaxseed lignan in 90 people diagnosed with high cholesterol. The results showed that consuming at least 150 milligrams of flaxseed lignans per day (about three tablespoons) decreased cholesterol in men, but not women, by just under 10 percent over the three months that they were given the flaxseed.
The study's 90 subjects -- which included twice as many men as women -- all had high cholesterol, but no other underlying health conditions. The participants were divided into three groups and were randomly assigned to daily consume tablets that contained zero, 150, or 300 milligrams of flaxseed lignans for 12 weeks.
It's the flaxseed lignans -- a group of chemical compounds found in plants that are known for their protective health effects -- that may help lower cholesterol. These compounds are converted to their bioactive forms by gut microbes.
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