Omega 3 fatty acids linked to decreased risk of prostate cancer

August 5, 2009 | No comments | Healthy Eating Guidelines

salmon_sm Another benefit to consuming Omega 3 fatty acids and high quality fish oil such as krill oil.

A new study presented in Clinical Cancer Research, shows diets high in omega 3 EPA and DHA may decrease the risk of prostate cancer. This link appears to be most apparent in those individuals with a genetic link to developing the prostate disease.

In the study researchers looked at 466 men with aggressive prostate cancer and 478 healthy men and they assessed their eating habits using a food frequency questionnaire. The men were also screened for a variant of a gene known as COX-2, which helps your body regulate and control inflammation in the body.

There is a certain variant of this gene is known to increase the risk of developing prostate cancer.

The study shows that those men who ate dark fatty fish one to three times per month had a 36 percent lower risk of prostate cancer as compared to those who had zero dark fish consumption.

Those that ate dark fish at least once a week had a 57 percent decrease in risk.

On the contrary those who consumed little to no omega-3 EPA/DHA and who also carried the specific COX-2 variant were five times more likely to develop advanced prostate cancer.

However, this association was essentially reversed with increasing consumption of omega-3 EPA/DHA.

Your take home point: Consume dark fish such as salmon ideally 1x a week and supplement with a high quality krill oil supplement to ensure you do everything you can to decrease your risk of prostate cancer.

Yours in good health,

Jayson Hunter RD, CSCS

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