==Food sources==
Lignans are found in many foods. And researchers at Oregon State University (OSU) offer some guidance on the best places to get them. They say the best source is often found in seeds. You can find it in rich quantities in [[pumpkin seeds]], poppy, [[flaxseed]] and sunflower seeds.
The next best source is found in vegetables including broccoli, kale, cabbage and Brussels sprouts.
Or...if you prefer fruit...you can also get rich quantities in strawberries and apricots.
[[Flaxseed]] and [[Sesame Seeds]] contain higher levels of lignans than most other foods. The principal lignan precursor found in flaxseed is secoisolariciresinol diglucoside. Other sources of lignans include cereals (rye, wheat, oat and [[barley]] - rye being the richest source), [[soybean]]s, [[Cruciferous Vegetables]] such as [[broccoli]] and [[cabbage]], and some fruits, particularly [[apricot]]s and [[strawberries]].<br>
Secoisolariciresinol and matairesinol were the first plant lignans identified in foods. Pinoresinol and lariciresinol are more recently identified plant lignans that contribute substantially to the total dietary lignan intakes. Typically, Lariciresinol and pinoresinol contribute about 75% to the total lignan intake whereas secoisolariciresinol and matairesinol contribute only about 25%.This distribution may change as the contributions of syringaresinol and hydroxymatairesinol have not properly been quantified in foods.