Flaxseed Controls Menopausal Symptoms, but Not Lipid Levels

Women are searching for nonhormonal therapies for menopausal symptoms, but little is known about the efficacy and safety of alternative medications. In a randomized, crossover study, researchers compared the effects of 40 g/day of dietary flaxseed (which contains phytoestrogens) with those of oral 0.625-mg conjugated estrogen tablets in 25 hypercholesterolemic postmenopausal women. Of 67 women screened, 25 were eligible and agreed to participate. Eligible women had no menstrual periods for at least 6 months, total cholesterol 240-300 mg/dL, ratios of total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol >4.5, and triglycerides <310 mg/dL. Among the exclusion criteria were familial hypercholesterolemia, >40 g daily alcohol intake, smoking >10 cigarettes daily, …