Until recently, product formulators wishing to incorporate flax into functional foods were limited to the use of whole or milled flaxseed or flax oil—not always the most potent or stable sources of valuable flax constituents. The introduction of LinumLife™—the first highly concentrated, standardized source of flax lignans— by Acatris Inc., has given manufacturers the ability to pack the power of flax into functional offerings such as cereals and bars.
More than half of men over the age of 50 experience symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and a 2000 Gallup Focus Report on the market for nutritional supplements projects above-average growth in the incidence of prostate disorders between 1999 and 2010. While both soy and flax contain phytoestrogens, flax lignans appear to target prostate tissues more specifically than do soy isoflavones.