Q: I have found that flax seed oil is helpful in the prevention of cancer. From the dictionary I found that at some places Flax seed is said to mean Lin seed and at some it means Sun hemp ( better known in India as pat san in Hindi). But surely it can't be both of them. So, can you please tell me as to which of these is the one to be taken into account for cancer? Also I read that it is the cold pressed oil that is to be taken in by us, whereas the expeller produced is not so beneficial & is also used commercially for painting etc. What does cold pressing mean actually, neither could I find it on the Internet nor could any person clarify it for me. Can you please give me a clear idea of as to what is the meaning & process of extracting the cold pressed oil? Will the oil produced by the expeller be harmful and if not then is it of same potency as the cold pressed oil?

A:Flax is a North American plant, Linum usitatissimum, which probably originated in America, although it has been studied mainly in Europe. The oil it yields is called linseed and it is rich in linoleic acids. Some human studies suggest it is helpful in arthritis and similar diseases. Its main use is as a poor substitute for more effective cholesterol-lowering drugs. The fibrous plant is used to treat constipation and is popular for this purpose. Some animal research suggests it may have an anti-cancer effect, but this claim is made for numerous herbs and there is no reason at this time to believe any of them are of any practical value in cancer therapy. The cost of such studies is enormous, and it is very unlikely that either science or popular folk belief will establish any flax plant or linseed oil as a reliable agent for any form of human cancer.