WILD ATTRACTION WILD ATTRACTION - Earthstar

Flax Lignans, Citrus CompoundFight Breast CancerIn a recent study, scientists examined the effects of flaxand sesame lignans on estrogen receptor-positive humanbreast cancercells thathad beenimplanted inmice. Theyfound thatflax lignansreduced proliferationa n dincreasedthe rate ofp r o -grammedcell death(apoptosis) of human breast cancer cells, while sesamelignans were much less effective.A natural agent derived from citrus fruits calledauraptene showed powerful chemoprotective (cancerpreventive)properties against breast cancer, both in thelaboratory and in living animals. Researchers believeauraptene may be one of the most powerful natural anticanceragents yet found.New Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty AcidsOmega-3 fats offer tremendous potential for reducingbrain damage caused by lack of oxygen (stroke).Animals that received an omega-3 emulsion immediatelyafter a stroke had significantly less brain injury comparedwith animals that did not receive the fatty acids.Healthy Fats Reduce Age-RelatedMacular Degeneration RiskReports published in a recent issue of the Archives ofOphthalmology reveal a protective effect for omega-3fatty acids, fish, nuts, and olive oil, and an adverse effectfor trans fatty acids, on the risk of developing age-relatedmacular degeneration.In the first study,Jennifer Tan,MBBS and her colleaguesdeterminedthat menand women whoconsumed oneserving of fish perweek had a thirtyonepercent lowerrisk of developingearly maculardegeneration comparedwith those who consumed less. Compared withthose who consumed nuts less than once per week, thosewho reported eating one to two weekly servings had athirty-five percent lower risk of early disease.In the second article, Elaine Chong, MD, and herassociates found that a high intake of trans fats was associatedwith a significant increase in late macular degeneration.Olive oil emerged as protective against late disease.SummaryScientists are making great strides in understanding hownatural compounds promote longevity and wellness.Animals genetically altered to have higher ratios ofomega-3 to omega-6 lipids in their tissues suffer lessoxidative stress and demonstrate improved mitochondrialfunction, both of which are crucial to forestall aging anddisease.Will Brink is a health, fitness, and longevity author. For moreinformation, visit www.brinkzone.com.www.earthstarmag.com OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2009 EARTH STAR 71