Preserving Youth
THE DOCTOR’S PRESCRIPTION FOR
Practical Insights into the World of Natural Healing
Health is Preserving Youth
no Accident Optimal Health and Longevity with Lignans
by Christine Horner, M.D.
If you dread getting
F
irst, it’s hot flashes, mood swings, Endocrinology in March 2002, Korean
difficulty sleeping, and weight gain researchers found that women with low bone
older, you’re not alone. – we have to start worrying about density had much lower levels of
our bones, blood pressure, cholesterol, enterolactone – a type of lignan – than women
Most Americans fear cardiovascular system, blood sugar, and
breast and colon health. For men, the story
with normal bone density.
isn’t much different. They too are prone to Protection Against Cardiovascular Disease
aging because we think the same long list of undesirable conditions, You can significantly increase your chances of
but instead of hot flashes and breast health, maintaining your heart health by consuming
it’s normal to lose our prostate health takes a top position on their
marquee of “Things to Worry About.” No
plenty of lignans. Lignans help protect the
cardiovascular system in four major ways.
wonder we fear aging. But the good news is First, they help maintain healthy blood
good health as we age. we don’t have to. pressure levels. A study from the Netherlands
published in the Journal of Hypertension in
Unfortunately, for most Lignans to the Rescue
Certain foods and supplements act as
July 2004 found that postmenopausal women
who consumed high levels of lignans had
powerful natural medicines that can protect statistically significant lower systolic and
of us, it’s true. A lifetime our health. Plants high in lignans, such as diastolic blood pressures (the top and bottom
flaxseed, are great examples. Research numbers) than those who did not. Second,
of poor eating habits shows that lignans possess a multitude of
health benefits. In fact, lignans can alleviate
lignans help keep your arteries clear. Third,
lignans keep blood platelets from clumping
your fears around hormonal imbalances together. And fourth, lignans help maintain
and lifestyle choices and aging. healthy cholesterol levels.
catches up with most Menopausal Symptoms
In a study published in the Annals of
A study published in Atherosclerosis in 2002
found that a low level of enterolactone may
Medicine in 1997, Finnish researcher H. put the heart at risk. In another study,
of us women around Aldercreutz explains that the reason lignans published in the prestigious British journal
reduce hot flashes and vaginal dryness in Lancet in 1999, men who had the highest
menopause, when a postmenopausal women is because these
plant consitiuents have weak estrogenic
levels of enterolactone were afforded a
significantly greater level of cardiovascular
properties. protection than men with the lowest levels.
light gets shone on the
Bone Strength Anti-Aging/Antioxidant
imbalances we have Several studies show that lignans protect
bone strength by preventing bone loss
San Diego-based Pantox Laboratory
researcher M. F. McCarty found that lignans
and increasing bone density. In a study may also help slow human aging. In a study
cultivated. published in the journal Clinical published in the journal Medical Hypotheseis

Special Reprint with permission of
Good or poor health
in June 2003, McCarty reported that there bodies, while increasing the production
is usually not an
“is a considerable amount of evidence…
that systemic IGF-1 (insulin-like growth
of a “good” protective type of estrogen.
They block environmental estrogens
accident:
factor-1) activity acts as a pacesetter in from attaching to breast tissue. And they
the aging process.” In other words, IGF-1 protect our breast tissue from the harmful
accelerates aging, so decreasing IGF-1 effects of environmental toxins. Studies
The foods we eat and the
levels may slow aging. There are many show that lignans not only promote breast activities we choose every
natural ways to lower the amount of IGF-1 health, they also effectively help protect
that our liver produces, such as exercising the colon and prostate. day will tip the scales in one
and consuming diets high in fiber and low
in fat. Research shows that flax lignans are Healthy Weight and Blood Sugar Balance direction or the other. Stress;
also very effective at decreasing IGF-1. Lignans are also beneficial for supporting
a healthy weight and balancing blood inactivity; smoking; alcohol;
There is another way that lignans help sugar levels. According to a study
slow down aging—they act as antioxidants. conducted by the Harvard School of and eating a diet high in red
Antioxidants neutralize oxygen free Public Health and published in the Journal
radicals. Excess oxygen free radicals cause of Nutrition in 2005, lignans lower fasting
meat, sugar, refined
damage to our cell membranes and DNA insulin secretion. Another study published carbohydrates, and bad fats
which accelerates the aging process. A in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Canadian study published in the journal in 2002 found that flaxseed improves – such as trans fats and
Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry in glucose control and insulin resistance, and
1999 found that the flaxseed lignan SDG helps balance levels of cholesterol and saturated animal fats – are a
(secoisolariciresinol diglucoside) showed blood lipids – all of these effects are
strong antioxidant activity even at low beneficial for promoting a healthy weight recipe for disaster. On the
doses. Chinese researchers reported in and blood sugar balance.
the journal Free Radical Biology and other hand, a plant-based diet
Medicine in 1992 that lignans protect
‘
against the free radical attack of the brain Christine Horner, M.D., is a board-certified
combined with intelligent
that normally occurs with aging. And a and nationally recognized surgeon, supplementation; the daily
study published in the Journal of Nutrition author, professional speaker and relentless
reported that consuming high amounts of champion for women’s health. She practice of an effective stress-
lignans may preserve cognitive function in spearheaded legislation in the 1990s
postmenopausal women. that made it mandatory that insurance reducing technique, such as
companies pay for breast reconstruction
Breast, Colon, and Prostate Helth following mastectomy. She is the author meditation or yoga; regular
Lignans have multiple protective of the book, Waking the Warrior Goddess:
properties. For example, there are over a Dr. Christine Horner’s Program to Protect exercise; and nurturing, loving
dozen different ways that they help Against and Fight Breast Cancer. For more
protect breast health. Lignans lower the information go to drchristinehorner.com.
relationships will stack the odds
overall production of estrogen in our of staying healthy in our favor.
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