Mile High Natural Awakenings

Eating flaxseed reduces blood pressure, according to  researchers from Canada’s St. Boniface Hospital Research  Center. They attribute the effect to its omega-3  fatty acids, lignans and fiber. The researchers examined the effects of flaxseed  on systolic and diastolic blood pressure in patients  with peripheral artery disease, a condition typically  marked by hypertension. Patients consumed a variety of foods that collectively  contained 30 grams of milled flaxseed or a placebo each day for six months. The flaxseed group experienced significantly increased plasma levels of certain  omega-3 fatty acids and lower average systolic blood pressure (by 10 mmHg) and  diastolic blood pressure (by 7 mm Hg). Those in the flaxseed group with initial systolic  blood pressure levels over 140 mmHg saw reductions averaging 15 mmHg.

There is growing evidence that mammograms, which are the primary screening tool for breast cancer, may cause it. Scientists have long known that radiation causes cancer, and now research published in the British Journal of Radiobiology reports that the so-called “low-energy X-rays” used in mammography are four to six times more likely to cause breast cancer than conventional high-energy X-rays because the low-energy variety causes more mutational damage to cells. Mammograms led to a 30 percent rate of over-diagnosis and overtreatment, according to a study published in the Cochrane Review. Researchers wrote in the study, “This means that for every 2,000 women invited for screening throughout 10 years, one will have her life prolonged and 10 healthy women, who would not have been diagnosed if there had not been screening, will be treated unnecessarily. Furthermore, more than 200 women will experience important psychological distress for many months because of false positive findings.”