Does Flaxseed Supplementation Improve Glycemic Control in Individuals With Pre-diabetes?

Pre-diabetes is characterized by hyperglycemia due to ineffective insulin or 'insulin resistance'. Over time, people with pre-diabetes may progress to type 2 diabetes and experience complications including cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disease, hyperlipidemia, retinopathy, neuropathy, and/or nephropathy. Conventional interventions for pre-diabetes are glucose control through diet, exercise, and, if necessary, medications. An efficient but still uncommon adjunct intervention is flaxseed supplementation. Since few studies have examined the affect of flaxseed supplementation on type 2 diabetes and to date, no studies have reported flaxseed's influence on glycemic control in individuals with pre-diabetes, additional research is warranted. The objective of this study is to determine the affect of consuming flaxseed on fasting plasma glucose, insulin, fructosamine, adiponectin, fatty acid concentrations, serum interleukin-6 (hs-IL-6), C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and urinary lignan excretion in overweight or obese men and postmenopausal women with pre-diabetes. This research will provide data for the strength of the relationship between regular flaxseed intake and biomarkers for pre-diabetes and glycemic control as well as adiponectin values and markers of inflammation.