lignan

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lignan

(ˈlɪɡnən)
n
(Plants) a substance, found in plants, which has estrogenic and anticancer effects
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References in periodicals archive ?
Specifically, flaxseeds contain lignans, a natural chemical compound that along with fiber, antioxidants and healthy fats can help reduce blood cholesterol and may also help lower blood pressure.
They also contain special compounds called lignans, which are plant pigments with powerful antioxidant properties.
They encompass a number of classes of compounds, including isoflavones, lignans, coumestans, stilbenes, and prenylflavanoids.
One of the main reasons that consuming whole grains is linked to a lower risk of diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes is that these foods contain compounds called lignans. Bacteria in our guts transform these lignans into enterolignans, which are chemically similar to estrogen.
The activity of hepatoprotective plants has been related to certain secondary metabolites, such as alkaloids, coumarins, carotenoids, flavonoids, glycosides, lignans, xanthenes, lipids, monoterpenes, and organic acids (Oh et al., 2004; Yan et al., 2009).
Some of the species are reported to have bioactive constituents of different classes, such as lignans [5, 6], cyclopeptides [7, 8], flavonoids [9], flavone glycosides, and phenyl propanoid glycosides [10].
PROTECT YOU | Physical activity | Eating vegetables and lots of roughage Any kind of physical activity is good PROBABLY PROTECT YOU | Eating foods containing carotenoids, fibre flavonoids and lignans (plant nutrients) | High folic acid intake | Eating low GI (glycaemic index) carbs | Low alcohol intake | Not being overweight | Low intake of red meat | Avoiding overcooked or processed meat | Not smoking | Diet low in saturated (animal) fat Regularly eating fruit and vegetables is essential POSSIBLY PROTECT YOU Eating cereals and foods containing Vitamins C, D, E | ||coffee ||low calorie intake Even a cup of coffee might help
You can find healthful components in flaxseed, such as omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and lignans. Fortifying extruded bean snacks with flaxseed will deliver these healthful components to consumers.
The researchers speculate that antioxidant compounds in coffee - lignans and chlorogenic acid - could have a beneficial effect.
They observe that while all olive oil provides a high amount of monounsaturated fatty acids (mainly oleic acid) as well as squalene, extra virgin olive oil also provides biologically active compounds that include the polyphenols oleocanthal, oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, and lignans. The combined effects of oleic acid's antiproliferative property, squalene's beneficial effect on intracellular oxidative stress, and polyphenols' anticancer properties could be responsible for the protection associated with olive oil observed in this study.