Progress of clinical trials about effects of flaxseed in blood pressure and lipid profiles

Abstract

The burden of cardiovascular disease in China is severe and keep increasing nowadays, while effective dietary management strategies play an important role in its primary prevention and treatment. Flaxseed is rich in lots of bioactive components like α-linolenic acid, lignan, linseed bioactive protein fragments and fiber, which can effectively improve a variety of heart risk factors like atherosclerosis, obesity and abnormal blood glucose, and thus has become a hot spot in researches of dietary strategies for cardiovascular diseases. As a potential heart-friendly food, cardiovascular-protective effects of flaxseed are particularly prominent in blood pressure control and lipid regulation. This article reviewed recent clinical controlled trials studying effects of flaxseed on both blood pressure and lipid profiles in different populations, and its potential hypotensive as well as lipid-lowering mechanisms, in order to lay a solid foundation for further studies. Key words: Flaxseed; Blood pressure; Blood Lipids