Fish oil, Omega-3 causes huge increase in risk of prostate cancer

Insidecostarica ^

[chessplayer]

(AFP) – US scientists said Wednesday they have confirmed a surprising 2011 study that found a higher risk of prostate cancer among men who consume omega-3 fatty acids, raising new questions about the safety of supplements.

The research in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute reported a 71 percent higher risk for dangerous high-grade prostate cancer among men who ate fatty fish or took fish-oil supplements, which are often touted for their anti-inflammatory properties.

A large European study also found the same omega-3 and prostate cancer link.

[goodwithagun]

The second word in the article is “scientists”; however, they might very well be doctors as Ph.Ds are referred to as doctors.

[mad_as_he$$]

As many men are on fish oil supplements(for the past 20 years) it would only seem logical that there would of been and explosion of prostrate cancer seen. I see no evidence of that.

Thanks for the counter article. I have been looking for a good one about the OP study.

[lightman]

Life is fatal.

[Bratch]

FWIW, my doctor just took me off fish oil supplements after several years of ingesting 4000 mg daily.

I have a family history of heart problems and am on cholesterol medicine.

[redcatcherb412]

I will keep taking mine.
My annual CT following the growth of an aortic aneurysm found a 70-80% blocked kidney artery. My daughter (an ER trauma nurse) told me to take Krill oil. Within 2 years the artery blockage reduced first to 60%, then disappeared altogether. Color me a believer that antioxidants in the omega-3 kill free radicals that cause artery buildup.

[chessplayer]

I’m inclined to be skeptical of the notion that supplements cause prostate cancer.

---

They did not say it’s just supplements. They said eating fish itself increases risk. And if people don’t like the link I posted, google “omega-3 increases prostate cancer risk.” And this isn’t a new study. It confirms older studies.

[HotKat]

This kind of stuff is irritating.
There is a 100% increase in death after birth. That’s not giving birth, but being born. We’re gonna die!

[goodnesswins]

You said...."It’s absurd to think that Big Pharma would waste time and money publishing lies about supplements."

....HAHAHAHAHAHAHA....BAAWWWAHHHHHHHHHH Don't know much about the FDA do ya....

[AnotherUnixGeek]

So much for the once touted health benefits of seafood and Omega-3. It's not just supplements, but eating fish itself. Looks like eating fish as often as only once a week is unhealthy. The low rate of cancer in Asian peoples was always credited to their high intake of Omega-3/seafood.

I don't see the evidence for any of this, nor have the scientists who performed the study made any such claims. The study found a correlation between Omega-3 levels in the blood and the incidence of prostate cancer. The study did not target people who eat fish or take Omega-3 supplements, and in fact men taking supplements would have far higher levels than those in the study - for all we know, men who have a genetic pre-disposition to develop prostate cancer also have some genetic pre-disposition to accumulate slightly higher levels of Omega-3 fatty acids in their blood from any foods in their diet.

The news media loves to draw sweeping, dramatic conclusions from scientific studies they don't understand - Exhibit A being global warming. I'll continue to have my smoked salmon for breakfast.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

Some time ago there was a scare with regard to L-trytophan.

It ended up not being the L-tryptophan, but the impurities in some of the supplements that contained it.

So for years L-trytophan got a bad name.

I don't know enough about Omega-3's and their manufacturers, but it could be that Omega-3 is fine, it's just that it's combined with crap.

The supplement industry refuses to be regulated. Every study that has come out in the past few years basically says supplements are bogus. My guess is that well made supplements can provide benefits, but there is so much junk on the market that the average effect is either neutral or negative.

Not that the FDA is such a great organization, but if the few quality supplement manufacturers would agree to be regulated by the FDA and provide decent products at reasonable prices they might start getting good press and good test results and distance themselves from the charlatans that cry 'free market, free market' whenever anyone challenges the safety and effectiveness of their products.

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

...My own observation tells me vigorous exercise works lot better than supplements for heart health.

All I do is walk at least 3 times a week 18 holes on different golf courses. Only time I use a riding cart is when the course is very hilly, and temperature is above 77 degrees Farenheit.

Vigorous exercise? That's some definition of vigorous exercise.

[Stormdog]

“So you don’t care if you shorten your possible lifespan by say, 20-30 years by eating crap simply because everyone eventually dies anyway? Wow.”

Personally I don’t eat a lot of crap. You can pretty much figure out what’s good and what’s no good. But I see people getting all worked up and confused by the ever changing official positions on “nutrition”.

And as far as my lifespan goes, every day above ground is a good day. I stopped worrying about my lifespan a long time ago.

[NY.SS-Bar9]

You post a link from a company that sells Omega-3 supplements - why? Did you think this is a scholarly, scientific rebuttal? Did you notice that the only citations offered are for the supplement trade association and another supplement manufacturer?

[Secret Agent Man]

the seaweed they eat is anti-cancer.

[mazz44]

Another factoid being neglected is that most low end supplements use soybean oil as a filler. Soybean oil is a major contributor to hormone imbalance and high testosterone to DHT conversion.

[Eepsy]

The first thing that springs to my mind is that nearly all men get prostate cancer if they live long enough. What was the age spread of the cohort being studied? I’d be the interested in knowing the average age of the cancer suffering omega-3 supplementer compared to the average age of the non-supplementer. Anybody know if the study took into account whether subjects started supplementing while believing themselves in good health versus those who used supplements to correct already present issues (not necessarily cancer)?

[indthkr]

Suspicious study bump for later........

[lmsii]

Everything in moderation except alcohol and sex and you will live a happy life (largely do to the alcohol and sex).

[Gator113]

If true, I’m a goner.

[SE Mom]

http://www.omegavia.com/fish-oil-and-prostate-health/

This is where I get my fish oil and the article the owner of the company wrote is worthwhile reading.