In last months issue, I told you aspirin does not work to fight off cancer. I also told you that aspirin is a worthless product and should not be used for anything. I know a lot of people use aspirin to fight inflammation, so I suggested using omega-3 fatty acids instead. Now scientists want to know if omega-3 fatty acids will fight cancer (cancer is an inflammatory disease).
Theres a good bit of research indicating omega-3s are effective in controlling malignancies. But in a recent study, researchers found that eating fish and other foods high in omega-3s does not ward off malignancies. What gives?
The authors admitted their results seem to conflict with earlier studies that suggest a protective effect from omega-3s. But they shrugged off those studies to inadequacies in the studies and/or differences in omega-3 from foods or dietary supplements.
In this study, the authors evaluated already published studies to reach a consensus. They evaluated 65 studies. They state that only eight were statistically significant and that there was conflicting evidence for an association with cancer risk across many of the studies.
For example, they found one study indicating that for breast cancer there was actually an increased risk for cancer associated with omega-3. But there were three other studies suggesting a decreased risk. And yet seven other studies showed no significant association between breast cancer risk and omega-3 consumption.
For lung cancer and omega-3s, one study showed a triple increased risk and another showed a two-thirds decreased risk. Four others showed no significant associations.
In the case of advanced prostate cancer, again, one study showed a nearly double increased risk and one estimated a nearly 60% decreased risk and 15 others found no association. Now, if omega-3s were a drug, you can be sure the FDA would have thrown out the negative studies and gone with the positive ones.
Recent scandals have shown that medical research is rife with researchers setting up studies to give them the results they want, not necessarily the truth. In this study, the authors depended upon previously done studies that were based on dietary questionnaires. That tells me little. How do we know the surveys were accurate? How do we know the entire picture of the studied population? Did the studies evaluate for the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6? I seriously doubt it.
All of the studies were deficient in that they had no way to evaluate the level of antioxidants taken in by the studied groups. Why is that important? Because if your diet is rich in highly unsaturated fatty acids, the lack of antioxidants may allow them to become dangerously oxidized, negating any beneficial effects.
Finally, the studies I like best when it comes to this subject are those that actually measure the amount of fatty acids in blood or target tissue. In the case of prostate cancer, for instance, researchers have shown that there is a lack of omega-3 fatty acids as compared to non-cancerous prostates.
I am more convinced than ever that omega 3 is essential to your health. The work of Dr. Patricia Kane and others proves there is much more to this story than conventional medicine understands. .
Ref: Journal of the American Medical Association, January 24, 2006.