Avoid Prostate Cancer by taking certain Omega-3s

Bethesda, Maryland – Researchers at the National Institute of Health- National Cancer Institute has discovered that high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids in the body can reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer. However, not all Omega-3s are helpful in prostate cancer prevention.

Good Omega-3 versus Bad Omega-3
The Omega-3s that were shown to help reduce cancer risk are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). On the other hand, taking alpha linolenic acid (ALA) increased the risk of acquiring prostate cancer.

Aside from the 3 DHAs, researchers also included dietary intake of linoleic acid (LA) and arachidonic acid (AA). They studied a total of 47, 866 males between 40 and 75 years old. After 14 years, 2,965 developed prostate cancer- 448 study participants developed advanced prostate cancer.

Implication of the Study
The study’s result showed that men with high intake of EPA and DHA have a 26 percent reduced risk of having advanced prostate cancer and 11 percent of developing prostate cancer.

Men with high levels of ALA increased their risk of developing prostate cancer. ALA from animal sources increased the risk by 50 percent while ALA from non-animal sources doubled the risk of having prostate cancer.