Fish oil lowers breast cancer risk
Women who take fish oil supplements have a lower risk of developing breast cancer than those who don't.
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Women who take fish oil supplements have a lower risk of developing breast cancer than those who don't.
Fish oil, a rich source of healthy fatty acids known as omega-3, is best known for its role in keeping the heart healthy. A number of clinical trials have shown that fish oil helps lower triglycerides (a type of blood fat), high blood pressure and the risk of heart attack in people with established heart disease; high fish consumption has also been linked to a lower risk of developing heart disease. But whether fish or fish oil has any effects on cancer risk remains unclear.
To determine the relationship between fish oil supplements and breast cancer risk, researchers followed 35,016 postmenopausal women aged 50 76 years for six years. Participants were asked about their timing (current versus past), frequency (days/week), and duration (years) of use of fish oil supplements.
During six years, 880 women were diagnosed with the disease. Among women who developed breast cancer, 5 percent had reported regularly using fish oil at the study's outset. Among women who remained cancer-free, 8 percent had been current fish oil users at the outset. Researchers found that those who said they regularly used fish oil supplements were one-third less likely than non-users to develop breast cancer over the next six years. The lower risk was seen even with a number of known and suspected risk factors for breast cancer taken into account - including older age, obesity, heavy drinking and sedentary lifestyle.
According to researchers, it is biologically plausible that fish oil could affect breast cancer development, since fish oil is known to have anti-inflammatory effects, and chronic inflammation in the body is thought to play a role in the growth and spread of cancer cells.
The study shows that fish oil and fish oil supplements lower breast cancer risk in elderly women.
Fish oil, a rich source of healthy fatty acids known as omega-3, is best known for its role in keeping the heart healthy. A number of clinical trials have shown that fish oil helps lower triglycerides (a type of blood fat), high blood pressure and the risk of heart attack in people with established heart disease; high fish consumption has also been linked to a lower risk of developing heart disease. But whether fish or fish oil has any effects on cancer risk remains unclear.
To determine the relationship between fish oil supplements and breast cancer risk, researchers followed 35,016 postmenopausal women aged 50 76 years for six years. Participants were asked about their timing (current versus past), frequency (days/week), and duration (years) of use of fish oil supplements.
During six years, 880 women were diagnosed with the disease. Among women who developed breast cancer, 5 percent had reported regularly using fish oil at the study's outset. Among women who remained cancer-free, 8 percent had been current fish oil users at the outset. Researchers found that those who said they regularly used fish oil supplements were one-third less likely than non-users to develop breast cancer over the next six years. The lower risk was seen even with a number of known and suspected risk factors for breast cancer taken into account - including older age, obesity, heavy drinking and sedentary lifestyle.
According to researchers, it is biologically plausible that fish oil could affect breast cancer development, since fish oil is known to have anti-inflammatory effects, and chronic inflammation in the body is thought to play a role in the growth and spread of cancer cells.
The study shows that fish oil and fish oil supplements lower breast cancer risk in elderly women.
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