Bioactive, non-nutrient non-caloric phenolic plant compound found in large amounts in flax seeds and sesame seeds and small amounts in whole grains, legumes, and some fruits and vegetables.
Flaxseed has 276,040 micrgm of lignans in one half cup, sesame seeds 95,240 micrgm in one half cup, and chickpeas 35,064 in one half cup.
Metabolized by gut micrflora into enterolignans, and enterolactone is the main metabolite.
Enterolactone concentrations in serum and urine is a biomarker for dietary lignans.
Enterolactone level elevations associated with reduced risk of breast cancer.