Flaxseed Lignans match the benefits of both classes of drugs in relieving symptoms of a swollen prostate

87 men with symptoms caused by their enlarged prostates were enrolled in this 4 month Long placebo-controlled clinical trial. They were given either inactive placebo daily or a
300mg or 600 mg Flaxseed Supplement providing 33% Lignans. Their lower urinary tract symptoms decreased significantly more on the Flaxseed Lignans than on placebo.
Quality of life improved slightly more on the 600mg than on the 300mg dosage. Twice as many men had an improvement of symptoms from moderate/severe down to mild in the 300mg group but over 3 times as many had this improvement in the 600mg group. Urine flow improved on the 300mg dose but even more on the 600mg dose. The higher the level of Lignans achieved in the blood the greater the reduction in symptoms and the greater the improvement in quality of life scores. The improvement achieved with Lignans matched those seen with the use of both categories of drugs normally used in men with BPH (5-alpha-reductase inhibiting and alpha-1-antagonist drugs). The study is published in the March 21st, 2008 issue of the Journal of Medicinal Foods.

A low level of Vitamin K dependent protein in the blood tied to calcified plaque in the heart and arteries

Matrix GLA protein (MGP) depends on Vitamin K to work. MGP is a strong inhibitor of vascular calcification meaning it prevents the growth of calcified plaque in your arteries. If you are deficient in Vitamin K your MGP doesn’t work. The level of circulating- functioning MGP was measured in 165 healthy people and in 4 different groups of patients; this included one group of 30 patients that required angioplasty or the surgical opening of clogged arteries in the heart, 25 patients with aortic stenosis or calcium encrustation on the valve to the aortic artery preventing blood from flowing freely through the heart out to the rest of the body, 52 kidney failure patients on dialysis, and 10 patients with calciphylaxis or the build up of calcified plaque clogging small arteries leading to wounds that do not heal and the death of tissue near the skin; this is usually seen inpatients with kidney disease. All four groups of patients had significantly lower MGP than healthy controls. Low levels of MPG are tied to cardiovascular calcification. The study performed at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands is published in the April 10th. 2008 issue of the Journal of Vascular Research.