Omega 3 Supplements Raise Prostate Cancer Risk In Men

It is reported that in modern days, the demand and consumption of Omega 3 supplements reached their peak. Thousands of people, especially aging people around the world, buy the highest quality omega 3 supplements in order to benefit from numerous therapeutic and preventive effects of this natural remedy. It is a known fact that Omega 3 acids are essential elements for controlling out cholesterol levels, keeping our LDL  cholesterol levels low, and this way giving maximum protection against developing various serious cardiovascular disease including heart attack, a stroke, heart disease, and so on. Besides, Omega 3 acids are famous for their very powerful antioxidant effects, and they work for slowing down oxidative processes in our body, this way protecting us against a great number of degenerative diseases, including many common types of cancer. However, not everything about Omega 3 supplements is that simple and advantageous as it may seem.

According to the findings of a scientific team from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, those men who use omega 3 supplements as a substitution to using natural sources of this substance like oily fish, some seeds, etc., are exposing themselves to quite a serious danger. As the scientific work of the researchers has shown, increased amounts of Omega 3 acids of artificial origin in blood is linked to higher prostate cancer risk in men. Basing on their analysis, the scientists came to these conclusions and reported about their findings a week ago in one of the issues of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. It is estimated that the increase of prostate cancer risk in those men who use artificial Omega 3 supplements can be as high as 43 per cent. The findings were obtained by the researchers after analyzing blood samples of 2,200 British men. About 850 of those were diagnosed with prostate cancer, one of the most common types of cancer in modern UK, and the rest of the participants were cancer-free.

Unfortunately, the researchers did not manage to look closer at the issue and find out mechanisms how Omega 3 fatty acids of artificial origin cause cancer development and increase prostate cancer risks. At the same time, strict cause and effects links were established, as Dr Alan Kristal, one of the study leaders and the main author of the report, underlined. According to the expert, there was a number of previous related studies which, however, ended up with quite different results. Some researches suggested that using Omega 3 fatty acid supplements could be helpful and supportive to men’s health, and some ended up with findings negative effects of using this kind of supplements could be not advantageous. “We’ve shown once again that use of nutritional supplements may be harmful,” Dr. Kristal said. He suggested that negative effects discovered by his scientific group can be explained by the changes in the body caused by artificial Omega 3 fatty acid consumption caused primarily to the men’s immune system and even their DNA structure.

It is estimated that annually, over 40,000 men in the United Kingdom are diagnosed with this terrible disease. About 11,000 men in the UK die every year of prostate cancer, making this type of cancer one of the leading causes of death among modern men. According to Dr Iain Frame, one of the specialists from Research at Prostate Cancer UK, raising prostate cancer awareness and helping British men learn more about the risk factors is a very important and crucial thing! He says that staying tuned and checking out the latest findings like the reported ones can be a great solution. As the study suggested, “we would not encourage any man to change their diet as a result of this study, but to speak to their doctor if they have any concerns about prostate cancer,” Frame said. However, some specialists are convinced that still there is not enough of scientific evidence for doing any kind of serious conclusions, therefore, the debate as to the effects of Omega 3 supplement on prostate health of men still remains.

Author Info: Hi! My name is Carla and I am a 5th year medical student at HYMS. I am interested in alternative medicine and I have done months researching the topic of herbal medicine. Besides, I like interviewing people and learning more about their experiences with one or another type of herbal treatments. I am willing to contribute to this site with my knowledge, and I would be happy to help you out to the best of my ability with any specific questions or problems related to alternative medicine.

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