Fish Oil SUPPLEMENTS Significantly Increase Prostate Cancer Risk by Ralph Teller

Use of Omega-3 Supplements may be Harmful

Taking fish-oil supplements may be linked to a significant increased risk for prostate cancer, according to a new study from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

Men who had the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids had a 43% increase in risk for prostate cancer and 71% increase in risk for the dangerous and hard to treat prostate cancer type most likely to be fatal.

These researcher are warning against taking omega-3 or fish oil supplements and are instead recommending eating one or two meals of oily fish per week. Oily fish include salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines and trout. Unfortunately, the amount of omega-3 fatty acids consumed from fish is small compared to the huge amount consumed from pills.

Alan Kristal, of the University of Washington Medical School, an author of the study, indicated his study casts doubt on the health effect of dietary supplements such as fish oil and vitamin. Kristal said “Humans are designed for a certain level of micronutrients, and huge doses may not be good.” He also stated that “More micronutrients does not mean better health and sometimes means worse.”

Dr Kristal also said: "As we do more and more of these studies – and I have been involved in them most of my career – we find high doses of supplements have no effect or increase the risk of the disease you are trying to prevent. There is not really a single example of where taking a supplement lowers chronic disease risk."

Some professionals are wondering whether Omega-3 and other supplements actually impede the immune system.

Why take supplements when natural unprocessed foods provide these nutrients?

For a list of natural food sources of vitamins and minerals See Natural Food Sources of Vitamins and Natural Food Sources of Minerals.

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