Many women don't want to take hormone pills to ease hot flashes, because those pills can raise the risk of breast cancer. Because flaxseed has weak hormonal effects, some doctors thought it might help.
Anecdotal evidence supported that theory, but a study at the Mayo Clinic found the number of women taking flaxseed who saw their symptoms decline wasn't any different from the number whose symptoms declined on their own.
That Mayo Clinic study was paid for by the National Cancer Institute.
