There are reports in the media this week relating to omega
3 supplements and increased risk of prostate cancer. I have spent many years studying and
following the work of those researching these essential fatty acids and I have
great belief in their numerous health benefits, so I do hope that these
articles don’t provoke a knee-jerk reaction and create fear amongst those
taking them. I haven’t read the study in
question, so cannot make comment upon its methods or findings, but I think we
need to consider, from the information we’ve been provided with, just what we
do know -v- what we don’t; for instance we aren’t told how many men were
involved in the study, how old they were, did they smoke, how much alcohol did
they consume and what was their normal diet like, were they overweight or
within BMI guidelines, how often did they exercise and did they take any other
supplements etc., all factors which could affect findings.
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Oily fish - rich source of omega 3 -
eicosapentaenoic (EPA) & docosahexaenoic (DHA) fatty acids |
A report in Time Magazine stated :
“The study measured omega-3 blood levels
in the participating men, and did not include information on the volunteers’
eating habits, so researchers could not differentiate between the effects of
fatty acids from fish from those of supplements. However, the overwhelming majority of the participants did not take
fish oil supplements”.
We obviously need more large randomised controlled
trials to determine their effects in relation to prostate cancer.
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