Fact Check: Can just 1 teaspoon of flaxseed a day make your breasts grow?

The Instagram post claims that just 1 teaspoon of flaxseed a day will make your boobs grow. The claim is Mostly False.

Claim

An Instagram post titled "After 11 Years as a Heart Surgeon, Here Are Secrets I Believe Everyone Should Know.." claims that just 1 teaspoon of flaxseed a day will make your boobs (breasts)  grow. The video shared by Instagram user "holistic.biohack" has made various claims. Amongst the other claims the post also targets flaxseeds that take just 1 teaspoon of flaxseed a day and it will make your boobs grow because flaxseed increases estrogen.

The post has 40,221 likes and can be accessed here.

Fact Check

The claim is Mostly false. Flaxseed offers many health benefits, but 1 teaspoon daily is unlikely to significantly increase breast size and is not medically recommended for this purpose.

Understanding the development of Human Boobs/Breasts

The human breast is made of two main components: parenchyma and stroma. The parenchyma includes branching ducts that develop into secretory structures, while the stroma, primarily made of fat tissue, supports this growth. These structures are first recognized in the embryonic stage. Development of the ductal system called branching morphogenesis, begins before birth but pauses in early childhood. At puberty, hormones stimulate interactions between epithelial and mesenchymal cells, transforming the basic prenatal structure into a mature mammary gland. Breast development during puberty is primarily driven by estrogen, supported by growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I). This process begins between 8½ and 13½ years and is described in Tanner stages. The first stage (pre-adolescent) shows only nipple elevation, with no additional tissue growth since infancy. Subsequent stages involve the growth of glandular and supportive tissues.

Health Benefits of Flaxseed

Flax (Linum usitatissimum), a blue-flowering annual herb, produces seeds with a nutty taste and crispy texture, ranging from golden yellow to reddish-brown. Rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), lignans, and dietary fibre, flaxseed offers numerous health benefits, including lowering blood glucose and reducing cancer risk. It is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids for non-fish eaters. Flaxseed proteins, primarily globulin and albumin, are comparable to soy, rich in arginine, aspartic acid, and glutamic acid, and possess antifungal properties. High in phytoestrogens(lignans) and antioxidants, flaxseed is a valuable functional food for promoting health.

Can just 1 teaspoon of flaxseed a day Will Make Your boobs/breasts grow?

Flaxseed is a nutrient-rich functional food that contributes to overall health, containing beneficial compounds such as alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), lignans, dietary fibre, omega-3 fatty acids, arginine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, phytoestrogens (lignans), and antioxidants. It offers health benefits like lowering blood sugar levels and reducing cancer risk. While flaxseed contains phytoestrogens that may influence breast tissue, the effect is minimal and not supported by significant evidence. Moreover, there are no studies to validate the claim that consuming just one teaspoon of flaxseed daily can make boobs grow.

A case report was published in the BMJ Case Report which describes a 70-year-old man who developed gynecomastia after taking flaxseed oil, likely due to its phytoestrogens stimulating breast tissue growth, combined with statins lowering testosterone, amplifying hormonal effects, but further research is needed for confirmation.

Another study featured in Nutrition and Cancer concluded that flaxseed may influence estrogen levels in postmenopausal women, improving hormone balance and potentially reducing breast cancer risk, as supported by studies showing its impact on sex hormone profiles.

Studies have highlighted the potential of flaxseed to stimulate breast tissue growth due to its phytoestrogen content. However, the growth it stimulates is not significant enough to cause a noticeable difference. Additionally, there is no medical consensus within the healthcare community recommending the use of flaxseed for making boobs grow.

Dr Vaishali Sharma, MD (AIIMS) COAG (Harvard) RCOG Associate (London), Gynaecologist, Laparoscopic Surgeon & Infertility Specialist, Dr Vaishali Sharma's IVF Centre, Delhi told medical dialogues, " Flaxseed contains phytoestrogens, which mimic our natural estrogen hormone present in women, and estrogen is definitely responsible for all female characteristics, including breast size. A small amount of flaxseed consumed daily may enhance the size slightly, but it is not likely to cause a very remarkable increase."

Medical Dialogues Final Take

Flaxseed is a nutrient-rich food with numerous health benefits, but its impact on breast tissue growth is minimal and not significant enough to cause noticeable changes. Consuming 1 teaspoon of flaxseed a day is not medically recommended for noticeably increasing breast size. There is no evidence to support this claim. Hence the claim consuming just one teaspoon of flaxseed daily will make boobs grow is Mostly false.