Give a man a fish and you’ll feed him for a day, teach him how to fish and you could increase his risk of prostate cancer.
Men should be wary of taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements now that new research from the National Cancer Institute links them to an increased risk of prostate cancer.
A new study published yesterday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute provides further evidence that men with high concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood are more likely to develop prostate cancer, the most common cancer affecting men.
The study clarifies previous research that was inconsistent about the link between omega-3 fatty acids and prostate cancer.
Omega-3 fatty acids are common in fish like salmon, flaxseed oil, nuts, and certain spices. Numerous studies have found that they can be good for a person’s heart and can help lower cholesterol.
Due to its positive health effects, fish oil supplements high in omega-3 fatty acids have become one of the most common supplement types on the market.
The research team, consisting of experts at leading institutions across America, studied 834 men diagnosed with prostate cancer. Of them, 156 had high-grade cancer.
Researchers found that men with the highest concentrations of fish-derived omega-3 fatty acids in their blood had a 43 percent greater risk of developing the cancer compared to men with the lowest concentrations.
On the flip side, they found that men with higher concentrations of linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid, had lower incidences of prostate cancer. Linoleic acid is found in high concentrations in salicornia, safflower, sunflower, poppy seed, grape seed, and evening primrose oils.
It’s also found in olive oil, which is similarly high in omega-3 fatty acids.
With the new study in hand, researchers say doctors should weigh a man’s prostate cancer risk before recommending omega-3 fatty acids in foods or supplements.
Mpe mtu samaki na utamlisha kwa siku moja, umfundishe jinsi ya kuvua samaki na unaweza kuongeza hatari yake ya kansa ya tezi ya mkojo. Wanaume wanapaswa kuwa makini kuchukua omega-3 mafuta asidi virutubisho sasa kwamba utafiti mpya kutoka Taasisi ya Taifa ya Saratani inaunganisha yao kwa kuongezeka kwa hatari ya kansa ya tezi ya prostate. Utafiti uliochapishwa jana katika jarida la Jurnal of the National Cancer Institute, hutoa ushahidi zaidi kwamba wanaume wenye viwango vya juu vya omega-3 fatty acids katika damu yao wana uwezekano mkubwa wa kuambukizwa saratani ya tezi ya prostate, saratani ya kawaida inayowaathiri wanaume. Utafiti huo unafafanua utafiti wa awali ambao haukuwa na mapatano kuhusu uhusiano kati ya asidi za mafuta za omega-3 na kansa ya tezi ya prostate. Asidi za mafuta za omega-3 zinapatikana katika samaki kama vile samaki, mafuta ya mbegu za kitani, karanga, na viungo fulani. Uchunguzi mwingi umegundua kwamba wanaweza kuwa na manufaa kwa moyo wa mtu na wanaweza kusaidia kupunguza kolesteroli. Kwa sababu ya athari zake nzuri kwa afya, virutubisho vya mafuta ya samaki vyenye asidi nyingi za mafuta ya omega-3 vimekuwa moja ya aina za kawaida za virutubisho kwenye soko. Timu ya watafiti wa Marekani, iliyoundwa na wataalamu kutoka taasisi za kuongoza nchini Marekani, ilichunguza wanaume 834 waliogunduliwa na kansa ya tezi ya prostate. Kati ya hao, 156 walikuwa na kansa ya kiwango cha juu. Watafiti walipata kwamba wanaume wenye viwango vya juu zaidi vya omega-3 katika damu yao walikuwa na hatari kubwa ya kuambukizwa saratani ya tumbo la uzazi ikilinganishwa na wanaume wenye viwango vya chini zaidi. Kwa upande mwingine, wanaume wenye viwango vya juu vya linoleic acid (omega-6) walikuwa na uwezekano mdogo wa kupata saratani ya tezi-kibofu. Asidi ya linoleic hupatikana kwa kiasi kikubwa katika mafuta ya salicornia, safflower, sunflower, mbegu za poppy, mbegu za zabibu, na mafuta ya primrose ya jioni. Pia hupatikana katika mafuta ya zeituni, ambayo pia ina asidi nyingi za mafuta ya omega-3. Kwa sababu ya utafiti huu, watafiti wanasema madaktari wanapaswa kupima hatari ya saratani ya prostate ya mtu kabla ya kupendekeza asidi za mafuta za omega-3 katika chakula au virutubisho.