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Fish oils help
prevent prostate cancer
Alpha-linolenic acid
(ALA) is a major component of flax seed oil and has been associated
with slight cardiovascular benefits in some cases. Some studies,
however, have shown that a high intake of
ALA
is associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. A
prestigious team of researchers from the National Cancer Institute,
the Harvard Medical School, the Harvard School of Public Health, and
the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm has just released the results of
a study aimed at settling the controversy as to whether or not ALA is
detrimental when it comes to prostate cancer. The researchers also
determined the effect of other fatty acids, including fish oils, on
prostate cancer risk.
The study involved
47,866 male American health professionals who were followed over a
14-year period beginning in 1986. The participants completed detailed
food frequency questionnaires in 1986, 1990 and 1994. By the year
2000, 2965 new cases of prostate cancer had been reported with 448 of
these being advanced (metastasized) or fatal. The overall incidence of
new prostate cancer detected over the 14-year period was 0.5% per
year.
A
hangover is the wrath of grapes -
Unknown
The researchers found
no correlation between ALA intake and overall prostate cancer risk,
but did observe a strong association between a high
ALA
intake and the risk of advanced prostate cancer. Men with a high ALA
intake (greater than 0.58% of energy or about 1.3 grams/day) were
twice as likely to develop advanced prostate cancer as were men with a
lower intake (less than 0.37% of energy or about 0.8 grams/day) even
after adjusting for all other known variables that could affect the
risk. The risk was slightly higher for
ALA from non-animal
sources
than for ALA from meat and dairy sources. There was a trend for red
meat, mayonnaise and salad dressings to be associated with a higher
risk. The intake of two other abundant fatty acids, linoleic acid and
arachidonic acid, was not related to prostate cancer risk.
The team of
researchers found a protective effect associated with a high intake of
fish oils - eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
Men with a daily intake of more than 0.214% of daily energy (about 470
mg/day) were 11% less likely to develop prostate cancer than were men
with an intake less than 0.057% of energy (about 125 mg/day). The
beneficial effect of EPA plus DHA was particularly pronounced in
regard to the incidence of advanced prostate cancer. (Leitzmann,
MF, et al. Dietary intake of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids and the risk of
prostate cancer. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 80, July
2004, pp. 204-16)
Order pharmaceutical grade
fish oil
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