Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Increased Prostate Cancer Risk In Men
Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Increased Prostate Cancer Risk In Men Fatty acids commonly found in omega 3 fatty fish and fish oil supplements have long been advocated as beneficial to health. However, a study titled “Plasma Phospholipid
Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Increased Prostate Cancer Risk In Men
Fatty acids commonly found in omega-3 fatty fish and fish oil supplements have long been advocated as beneficial to health. However, a study titled “Plasma Phospholipid Fatty Acids and Prostate Cancer Risk in the SELECT Trial,” published by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, suggests that while omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial to heart health, they may increase the risk of prostate cancer in men.
The study included 834 men diagnosed with prostate cancer and a subcohort of 1,393 men who were randomly selected at baseline to match both the age and race of each man in the prostate cancer group. Demographic and health-related characteristics were collected at baseline, as were blood samples that later underwent phospholipid fatty acid assay.
Analysis revealed that participants with the highest percentage of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids in their blood were at an increased risk of low-grade, high-grade, and overall prostate cancer risk compared to those who had lower amounts of the acids present in their blood.
The consumption of omega-3 fatty acids through a diet rich in fish and/or fish oil supplementation is thought to provide important anti-inflammatory benefits. Due to the results of this study, in addition to other scientific findings that demonstrate a clear association between long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and increased prostate cancer risk, the authors suggest that this potentially negative health effect be considered before recommending an increase in the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids.
