Comparing the Effects of Dietary Flaxseed and Omega-3 Fatty Acids Supplement on Cyclical Mastalgia in Iranian Women: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Comparing the Effects of Dietary Flaxseed and Omega-3 Fatty Acids Supplement on Cyclical Mastalgia in Iranian Women: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Year: 2014
Authors: Vaziri, F. Lari, M.Z. Dehaghani, A.S. Salehi, M. Sadeghpour, H. Akbarzadeh, M. Zare, N.
Publication Name: Int J Family Med
Publication Details: doi: 10.1155/2014/174532
Abstract:
Considering the negative side effects of chemical drugs, there is a great need for effective alternative treatment strategies to manage cyclical mastalgia. Therefore, this study aimed at comparing the effects of flaxseed diet and omega 3 fatty acids supplement on treatment of cyclical mastalgia. In this study, 61, 60, and 60 women, respectively, received flaxseed as bread, omega 3 fatty acids as pearl, and wheat bread as their diet for two menstrual cycles. At the baseline cycle and end of both interventional cycles, intensity of mastalgia was measured using visual analogue scale. Analysis of covariance showed a significant difference among the three groups regarding the mean intensity of cyclical mastalgia in the first and second cycles of the interventions (P less than 0.001). Also, repeated measures analysis of covariance with adjustment of two variables of age and mastalgia intensity of the baseline cycle demonstrated that flaxseed bread was more effective compared to omega-3 and wheat bread (P less than 0.001). The results of this study demonstrated that flaxseed bread diet was an effective approach in decreasing cyclical mastalgia and could be prescribed to women as a simple treatment with few complications. (Authors abstract)
Breast pain or mastalgia is the reason for 30–47% of the referrals for clinical breast examination. In 10 to 30 percent of the cases, mastalgia is severe and causes disturbances in normal life; thus, it requires frequent evaluation and treatment. It also leads to disorders in sexual, physical, and social activities in 48%, 37%, and 12% of the cases. The etiology of cyclical mastalgia is not known; however, since it starts in luteal phase, hormonal stimulation might be the cause. High level of estrogen, low level of progesterone, and imbalance in estrogen to progesterone ratio are assumed among its causes. The lignans in flaxseed inhibit aromatase enzyme activity with subsequent reduction in estrogen synthesis that are thought to contribute to prevention of estrogen-dependent cancers such as breast cancer. Another way by which lignans can affect sex hormones is binding to testosterone leading to its fast excretion. In the present study, one group of women with cyclical mastalgia received 30 g flaxseed mixed with wheat flour added to their normal diet for two menstrual cycles. The other two study groups received wheat bread slices or pearls of omega 3 fatty acids. The results showed that flaxseed bread diet was more effective in decreasing mastalgia intensity in comparison to wheat bread and omega 3 fatty acids. Up to now, no studies have focused on comparison of the effects of flaxseed and omega 3 fatty acids on cyclical mastalgia.
After the interventions, no significant difference was observed among the three groups regarding the change in menstrual intervals. Thus, short term consumption of 30 g lignan containing flaxseed did not affect the menstrual intervals and could be safe in this regard. The intervention period was relatively short in our study (two menstrual cycles). Although the mean intensity of mastalgia increased in the third cycle compared to the second one, lower mastalgia intensity in the third cycle compared to the baseline can demonstrate the effectiveness of the interventions. Nevertheless, further studies with longer duration of interventions should be conducted in order to investigate the continuation of the effectiveness of flaxseed and omega 3 fatty acids. The findings of this study demonstrated that flaxseed bread was effective in decreasing the intensity of cyclical mastalgia and could be considered as a simple method with few complications for women. (Editors comments)
Breast pain or mastalgia is the reason for 30–47% of the referrals for clinical breast examination. In 10 to 30 percent of the cases, mastalgia is severe and causes disturbances in normal life; thus, it requires frequent evaluation and treatment. It also leads to disorders in sexual, physical, and social activities in 48%, 37%, and 12% of the cases. The etiology of cyclical mastalgia is not known; however, since it starts in luteal phase, hormonal stimulation might be the cause. High level of estrogen, low level of progesterone, and imbalance in estrogen to progesterone ratio are assumed among its causes. The lignans in flaxseed inhibit aromatase enzyme activity with subsequent reduction in estrogen synthesis that are thought to contribute to prevention of estrogen-dependent cancers such as breast cancer. Another way by which lignans can affect sex hormones is binding to testosterone leading to its fast excretion. In the present study, one group of women with cyclical mastalgia received 30 g flaxseed mixed with wheat flour added to their normal diet for two menstrual cycles. The other two study groups received wheat bread slices or pearls of omega 3 fatty acids. The results showed that flaxseed bread diet was more effective in decreasing mastalgia intensity in comparison to wheat bread and omega 3 fatty acids. Up to now, no studies have focused on comparison of the effects of flaxseed and omega 3 fatty acids on cyclical mastalgia.
After the interventions, no significant difference was observed among the three groups regarding the change in menstrual intervals. Thus, short term consumption of 30 g lignan containing flaxseed did not affect the menstrual intervals and could be safe in this regard. The intervention period was relatively short in our study (two menstrual cycles). Although the mean intensity of mastalgia increased in the third cycle compared to the second one, lower mastalgia intensity in the third cycle compared to the baseline can demonstrate the effectiveness of the interventions. Nevertheless, further studies with longer duration of interventions should be conducted in order to investigate the continuation of the effectiveness of flaxseed and omega 3 fatty acids. The findings of this study demonstrated that flaxseed bread was effective in decreasing the intensity of cyclical mastalgia and could be considered as a simple method with few complications for women. (Editors comments)
