Flaxseed Oil and Cancer Metastasis

When I was treating my greyhound for osteosarcoma, I was particularly impressed how flaxseed oil (budwig protocol) seemed to stop her metastasis. It is very common for osteosarcoma dogs to have metastasis to their lungs. In fact, my dog was originally coughing some before her flaxseed treatment as well which suggested to me lung involvment. I recently saw where John Hopkins’ made this discovery:

“Researchers have discovered a biochemical signaling process that causes densely packed cancer cells to break away from a tumor and spread the disease elsewhere in the body. The team discovered that as two types of cancer cells reproduced and created more crowded conditions in the test site, these cells secreted certain proteins that encouraged migration. The researchers identified these proteins as Interleukin 6 (IL-6) and Interleukin 8 (IL-8).”

With this John Hopkins’ study, I wondered if flax-seed oil could work in a similar way by suppressing the proteins Interleukin 6 (IL-6) and Interleukin 8 (IL-8) and indeed, that seems to be the case. Other studies have confirmed to me this link with flax-seed in reducing IL-6 and IL-8.

From a Science Direct article:

“Flaxseed oil consumption exerts several effects on inflammatory mediators and markers depending on dose. Flaxseed oil given at 14 g/d to human subjects over 4 weeks decreased the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and cytokines. A lower dose did not have this effect (Caughey et al., 1996; Thies et al., 2001 ;  Wallace et al., 2003). Supplementation of the diet with 6% ALA depressed the levels of IL-6 and IL-10 and increased the production of TNF-α in mice (Chavali, Zhong, & Forse, 1998).”

 

. 2010 Nov; 26(9): 489–496.    The cardiovascular effects of flaxseed and its omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid:

“ALA intake (8 g/day) from a flaxseed source decreases serum concentrations of serum amyloid A, IL-6, soluble VCAM-1, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, soluble E-selectin as well as the production of TNF-α, IL-1-beta and prostaglandin E2 by peripheral blood mononuclear cells over a period of four to 12 weeks with doses of ALA greater than 9 g/day.”

“ALA intake (8 g/day) from a flaxseed source decreases serum concentrations of serum amyloid A, IL-6.”

My greyhound that responded to Flax oil.