They are at your fingertips. New evidence that they protect against cancer

Previous research has suggested that fish supplements may reduce the risk of asthma in children and provide cardiovascular benefits, but there has been no clear evidence of their effect on reducing the risk of heart disease or cancer. Meanwhile, a new study conducted by scientists from the University of Georgia (UGA) in the United States provides positive evidence for the potential role of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in cancer prevention.

Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), referred to as “healthy fats”. Omega-3s come in three main forms, i.e. alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), found in plants such as flax and chia seeds, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), found mainly in fish and algae. Omega-6s, in turn, are present in vegetable oils, e.g. soybean and sunflower oil, as well as in nuts and seeds.

In the study, which included 258,138 participants from the UK Biobank database, researchers analyzed the relationship between the level of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in plasma and the incidence of overall cancer and 19 different types of cancer. The cancers examined included: head and neck cancer, esophagus, stomach, colon, rectum, liver, lung, malignant melanoma, breast, prostate, kidney, bladder, brain and lymphatic system cancers.

The average age of the participants was 56.4 years, and 90.9 percent were white people. Over almost 13 years of follow-up, 29,838 people were diagnosed with cancer. The study showed that participants with higher levels of omega-3 in their blood had a lower risk of developing five of the 19 types of cancer studiedincluding the colon, stomach and lungs. However, higher omega-3 levels were associated with a slightly higher risk of prostate cancer, suggesting that not all cancers may be affected by omega-3 levels in the same way.

Omega-6 also had a beneficial effect on the health of study participants. Higher levels of omega-6 were associated with a lower risk of 14 of 19 types of cancer analyzed, including brain, bladder and malignant melanoma.

Although there are no official guidelines for minimum intake of these fatty acids, most health organizations recommend intake 250-500 mg of combined EPA and DHA daily. This amount can be obtained from approximately 227 g of oily fish per week. In the case of omega-6, according to the Food and Nutrition Board of the US Institute of Medicine, the appropriate daily intake is 17 g for men and 12 g for women aged 19-50.

However, it is worth mentioning that Scientists point out some limitations of the study that need to be taken into account. This includes, among others: the predominance of participants of European origin, so the results may not apply to other ethnic groups, the low number of cases of some types of cancer, which limits the statistical power of the results, and the lack of taking into account individual genetic differences, which should be the subject of further research.

Source: geekweek.interia.pl

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