Flax Lignans improve hair loss in men

Androgenic alopecia (AGA) is the most common form of hair loss in both men and women. In AGA there is too high a level of the powerful male hormone DHT. DHT enters into the hair follicle and sends a signal for the follicle to miniaturize; the hair that then grows is thinner, brittle and likely to fall out. DHT also sends a signal to stop hair growth and eventually no hair will grow at all from this follicle.

The enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT is called 5-alpha reductase. Therefore if you can inhibit this enzyme the level of DHT will drop. Doing this in the follicle will slow the loss of hair and according to some studies eventually will allow the signal for hair growth to start again.

In this pilot study by researchers from the Netherlands, a small group of men with AGA were given 50mg of flax lignans daily for six-months from a high Lignan flax complex capsule. 80% of the men had modest improvement in hair loss and 10% had a great improvement; the effects were noticed within one or two months. The study is available through Acatris.Com.

Flaxseed with Lignans in conjunction with a low fat diet significantly slows the growth of the prostate, lowers PSA, and reduces cholesterol?

Scientists at the Division of Urologic Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, undertook a pilot study to examine the effects of a flaxseed supplemented, fat restricted diet on men with BPH. Fifteen men who were scheduled to undergo repeat prostate biopsy followed the Flaxseed supplemented diet for six-months. At the six-month point their was a statistically significant drop in their PSA level of about 3 points, a 28 point drop in total cholesterol on average, and a significant inhibition of the growth of prostate cells. In fact some of the men no longer required follow-up biopsies because their PSA levels returned to normal. The study is published in the May 2004 issue of the journal Urology.