Pilot Study Suggests Flax Lignans Help With Hair Loss
2005-04-28 - Acatris
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Minneapolis – Lignans from flax, like those found in the ingredient LinumLife® EXTRA, are suggested to have beneficial effects on hair loss, according to a pilot study released today. Researchers studied how LinumLife EXTRA could positively impact men suffering from the most common form of hair loss, Androgenetic Alopecia (Androgenetic Alopecia).
Manufactured by Acatris, LinumLife EXTRA is the first flax extract with a standardized 20 percent lignan concentration (as secoisolariciresinol diglucoside, or SDG). The main flaxseed lignan is SDG and, based on research, consumers need a minimum of 50mg a day of SDG to reap the health benefits attributed to the ingredient.
“Our study findings showed that one capsule containing 250 mg of LinumLife EXTRA per day taken over six months can facilitate modest improvements in men and women’s hair loss,†said Laurent Leduc, president of the North American Health Division of Acatris. “At the conclusion of this study, 90 percent of subjects expressed the intention to keep using the LinumLife EXTRA supplement, suggesting that high lignan flax does play a role in improving hair loss.â€
Over a six-month period, 10 men, between the ages of 20 and 70 and in varying stages of Androgenetic Alopecia, consumed one 250 mg capsule of LinumLife EXTRA. Photographs were used to document hair loss conditions at the beginning of the study. At the end of the test period, eight men reported modest improvement of their hair loss condition, one reported much improvement and one subject reported no effect. Initial effects were noticed, on average, within one to two months of starting supplementation with flax lignans and no side effects were reported. Throughout the study, the daily number of hairs lost decreased and 50 percent of subjects noticed a decrease in oil secretion in their scalp. More noticeable improvements were noted in subjects with more severe conditions of Androgenetic Alopecia.
“Hair loss and thinning hair are frustrating conditions for men and women and most are fairly sensitive to the subject,†said Jocelyn Mathern, R.D., Flax Lignan Information Bureau Advisory Board member. “This pilot study confirms earlier research on flax lignans with respect to their promise in the care of Androgenetic Alopecia and without the sometimes harmful effects of a prescription medication. In addition to benefits for hormone related conditions, such as hair loss, lignans have long been reported to help improve prostate health, reduce menopausal symptoms, promote heart health and have benefits for breast health.â€
Manufacturers such as Jarrow Formulas are leading the market by offering consumers supplements with a standardized amount of flaxseed lignans. To ensure consumers are getting beneficial amounts of flax lignans, Mathern urges consumers to look for such products with a label that declares the amount of SDG, ensuring there is a standardized amount of lignans per serving.
Acatris Inc.’s LinumLife EXTRA is produced through a patented production process. A dosage of 250 mg of LinumLife EXTRA provides 50 mg lignans. This ingredient offers the convenience for one-per-day lignan capsules or tablets. For more information on LinumLife, visit
www.linumlife.com. For more information on the health benefits of flax lignans, visit the Flax Lignan Information Bureau at
www.FlaxLignanInfo.com.
Acatris, division of the Dutch Royal Schouten Group, is an international organization that produces, markets and distributes ingredients for the food, health and nutrition industry. Acatris has its head office in Londerzeel (Belgium) and offices in The Netherlands, Poland, UK, Canada and USA. The product portfolio contains branded ingredients such as Pectacon®, Dadex®, SoyLife®, FenuLife® and LinumLife™.
