Omega-3 Fatty Acids Protective Against Prostate Cancer
Omega-3 Fatty Acids, particularly those found in dark fish and shellfish, appear to reduce the risk of advanced prostate cancer, according to researchers from the University of California, San Francisco.
In their recent study, men who consumed the greatest amount of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids had a 63% reduced risk of advanced prostate cancer compared with those who ate the least. More specifically, men who ate boiled or baked dark fish (such as salmon, mackerel, and bluefish) one to three times a month had a 36% reduced risk of aggressive disease compared with those who never ate it, and those who ate dark fish at least once a week had an even greater reduction in risk. There was also a significant benefit for those with a cox-2 genetic predisposition to the disease.
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Do not eat Shark, Swordfish, King Mackerel, or Tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury.
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Eat up to 12 ounces (2 average meals) a week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury. Five of the most commonly eaten fish that are low in mercury are shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish.
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Another commonly eaten fish, albacore (”white”) tuna has more mercury than canned light tuna. So, when choosing your two meals of fish and shellfish, you may eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) of albacore tuna per week.
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Check local advisories about the safety of fish caught by family and friends in your local lakes, rivers, and coastal areas. If no advice is available, eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) per week of fish you catch from local waters, but don’t consume any other fish during that week.
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Follow these same recommendations when feeding fish and shellfish to your young child, but serve smaller portions.
Source: Fradet V, et al “Dietary omega-3 fatty acids, Cyclooxygenase-2 genetic variation, and aggressive prostate cancer risk” Clin Cancer Res 2009; DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-08-2503.
Source: MedPage Today, March 24, 2009
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