Effects of Flaxseed on Lipid Profile in Native American Postmenopausal Women

A large number of Native American postmenopausal women have one or more risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD) such as hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. This study was designed to investigate whether incorporation of 25 to 30 g of flaxseed per day, a rich source of lignans, omega-3 fatty acids, and fiber for a period of 3 months into the diet of Native American postmenopausal women positively affect lipid and glucose profiles. Forty mild to moderately hypercholesterolemic and/or hyperglycemic Native American postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to the control (A), flaxseed (B) or flaxseed + additional fiber (C) groups. Both the flaxseed groups reduced total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) by approximately 7% and 9%, respectively. However, flaxseed had no effect on blood glucose. The findings of this study indicate that daily consumption of flaxseed is beneficial in improving the lipid profiles of Native American postmenopausal women. Supported in part, by a grant from OCAST (Grant #HR03-070)Department of Nutritional Science

Soy protein supplementation does not cause lymphocytopenia in postmenopausal women

BACKGROUND: The health benefits of soy isoflavones have been widely investigated; however, there are some concerns as to whether soy isoflavones, similar to ipriflavone, a synthetic isoflavone, cause lymphocytopenia in postmenopausal women. Hence, the purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which 12-month supplementation of 25 g soy protein containing 60 mg isoflavones alters lymphocyte counts or other hematological parameters in postmenopausal women who were not on hormone replacement therapy. METHODS: Eighty-seven postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to receive either soy protein or an equivalent amount of control protein devoid of isoflavones. Fasting venous blood was collected at baseline and at the end of twelve month study period for complete blood count analyses. RESULTS: Between the two treatment groups, the percent changes in hematological parameters, including lymphocytes, were not different. While women consuming the soy supplement had an increase in mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and red cell distribution width index (RDW; a marker of reticulocytes), women consuming the control diet had higher percentage of only MCHC. CONCLUSION: Overall, the results of the present study indicate that consumption of 25 g soy protein containing 60 mg isoflavones daily for one year does not cause lymphocytopenia