Medicine App 1

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Can Flaxseed Cure Cancer

The flax plant, an ancient crop, yields the fibre from which linen is woven, as well as seeds (linseed or flaxseed) and oil. The oil, also called linseed oil, has many industrial uses – it is an important ingredient in paints, varnishes and linoleum for example.

Like olive, canola, and most other plant oils, flax seed oil is highly unsaturated and heart-healthy. Lignans and other flax seed components may also have antioxidant properties, which means they may reduce the activity of cell-damaging free radicals.

Recently small studies of cancer patients who consumed flaxseeds have produced some encouraging results.

In one study men with prostate cancer who ate an ounce of ground flaxseeds (almost three tablespoons) a day as part of a very-low-fat diet were able to slow the progress of their cancers between the time they were diagnosed and the time of surgery.

A similar study of women awaiting surgery for breast cancer found that those who ate a flaxseed muffin daily (with about four tablespoons of ground flaxseeds per muffin) had a slower tumor growth rate.

Studies of animals, too, suggest some anti-cancer benefit from flaxseed. But it’s always difficult to know whether it’s the lignans that help, or some other element in the flaxseeds. And not all studies have yielded positive results.

Besides lignans, flaxseeds and their oil are also the best food sources of an essential fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid. “Essential” means we must consume it, because our bodies cannot manufacture it.

Essential fatty acids are important for cell membranes, blood pressure regulation, and other functions. Alpha-linolenic acid is an omega-3, similar to some of the fatty acids in fish oil. Like aspirin, omega-3s may reduce blood clotting, thus lessening the chance of a fatal heart attack.

Flaxseeds and their oil may also lower total blood cholesterol, as well as LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.

But that should come as no big surprise, since any highly unsaturated oil will do that, particularly if substituted for saturated fats. The fiber in flaxseeds may also help against cholesterol, since it is soluble (similar to that in oats).

Cutting Prescription Drug Costs

There are a number of ways to cut prescription drug costs-without sacrificing safety or effectiveness. Try these tips:

• What’s In A Name?-Finding generic versions of name-brand drugs can cut costs by a significant percentage. For instance, people who take one of the more popular cholesterol-lowering drugs could save about $175 per prescription if they stuck to the generic versions. 

• Finding Generics-Your pharmacist or doctor can tell you if the generic version of a drug is readily available in the U.S. You can also check with groups such as 1-800-USAVERX. The company gets drugs from FDA and World Health Organization (WHO)-approved facilities overseas.

These markets do not have the same pricing regulations and patent laws as those found in the U.S. As a result, the company can offer generic versions of name-brand drugs-even if those generic versions are not available in U.S. pharmacies-at lower prices.

Additionally, it offers name-brand drugs at significant discounts (about 60 percent) compared to U.S. prices. 

For instance, Nexium is sold in the U.S. at a price of about $420 per 100 pills. The company offers the same pills for about $320. The generic version of the drug sells for about $200.

Similarly, those taking a name-brand arthritis drug that sells for about $260 in the U.S. could get the same drug for about $180 from the company. The generic version would cost about $105. In addition, people can visit the site for discounts on Lipitor, Plavix and Fosamax.