Washington, June 6 (IANS) Flaxseed provides no benefit in easing hot flashes like sweating and rapid heartbeat among breast cancer patients and postmenopausal women.

The placebo-controlled study, conducted by Mayo Clinic and North Central Cancer Treatment Group on 188 women between October and December 2009, found no statistically significant difference in mean hot flash scores between women taking flaxseed and those taking a placebo.

"Hot flashes are a common symptom during the menopause transition or following breast cancer treatment," says Sandhya Pruthi, of Mayo Clinic's Breast Diagnostic Clinic, who led the study, according to a Mayo Clinic statement.

"While our preliminary data from our 2007 pilot study showed a reduction in hot flashes associated with the consumption of ground flaxseed, our new study did not result in a significant decrease in hot flashes with eating flaxseed compared to placebo."

Pruthi says patients shouldn't give up flaxseed if they enjoy it. Flaxseed may be beneficial for people who want to add fiber and bulk to their diet to manage constipation, she says.

The researchers presented their new findings during the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in Chicago.