Originally published April 20 2009
Omega-3s - Fish Oils, Flaxseed Oil and Prostate Cancer - What do the Experts Say?
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
(NaturalNews) Just how good are fish oils, flaxseed oils and other omega-3s at preventing prostate cancer? According to the experts quoted below, they may represent some of the most powerful anti-cancer nutrients available today!
Read this large collection of quotes on omega-3 oils and prostate cancer, and you'll learn how boosting omega-3 intake while reducing omega-6 intake can help halt prostate cancer tumor growth and end the chronic tissue inflammation that ultimately contributes to prostate cancer.
What are good sources of fish oils? I personally like both marine omega-3 oils (from green-lipped mussels) and high-quality fish oils like those from Nordic Naturals (www.NordicNaturals.com). Carlson Labs is also a trusted source (www.CarlsonLabs.com). I don't trust most other brands of fish oil or krill oil because of the lack of ethics demonstrated by the people selling them. Krill oil harvesting, in particular, negatively impacts the fragile Antarctic marine ecosystem (http://www.naturalnews.com/026009.html), unlike aquaculture farming of green-lipped mussels, which is clean and sustainable.
Do your homework on fish oils and marine omega-3s. Since entering this realm, I've discovered this segment of the nutritional products industry is rife with dishonest people who are intentionally putting out all kinds of misinformation (even from people I once trusted). Ask for certification of eco-sustainability (virtually nobody has any). A good eco-certification group is the MSC (Marine Stewardship Counsel). Ask for test results showing the products are free from mercury, PCBs, pesticides and other man-made chemicals. And most importantly, find out how the oils are processed!. I've come to learn that some omega-3 oils sold by apparently reputable people are, in reality, heat processed, which destroys much of the nutritional potency of the oils. So all their great marketing copy is worthless when you consider how the product itself has been largely destroyed by heat.
If you're not getting cold-processed oils, you're not getting what you're paying for. And if you don't check out the eco-sustainability and purity of the oils, you might end up inadvertently supporting a company whose harvesting methods negative impact the environment (or whose oils are contaminated). So do your homework and ask tough questions of any supplier of fish oils, krill oil or other omega-3 oil sources.
Authors' Quotes on Omega-3 and Prostate Cancer
Below, you'll find selected quotes from noted authors on Omega-3 oils and Prostate Cancer. Feel free to quote these in your own work provided you give proper credit to both the original author quoted here and this NaturalNews page.
Omega-3 consumption in the Western diet has become so low that researchers can't find it in lab sample tissues. A study of men found higher concentrations of omega-3s in blood serum samples taken from healthy males, with lower concentrations taken from men with prostatitis. The lowest rates were found in men with prostate cancer. Fish oil has about 30% omega-3 oil while flaxseed oil has about 60% omega-3 oil. So flax is the only oil that can correct the imbalance in omega-3 & 6 oils in the Western diet.
- You Don't Have to be Afraid of Cancer Anymore by Bill Sardi
- Available on Amazon.com
Reducing total fat intake and increasing the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids in the diet may be particularly useful for groups at a relatively high risk of cancer, and may also be useful after surgery to help prevent disease recurrence. Prostate cancer dietary intake of essential fatty acids may play a role in prostate cancer cell proliferation. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that men whose dietary intake is high in omega-6 fatty acids have a higher incidence of clinical prostate cancer. Diets high in omega-3 fatty acids may have protective effects.
- The New Encyclopedia of Vitamins, Minerals, Supplements and Herbs by Nicola Reavley
- Available on Amazon.com
The percentages of serum total PUFAs were similar in the six regions, though there was an almost threefold difference in omega-3 content between Brazil (3.9 percent) and Japan (10.9 percent). The frequency of total fish intake corresponded to serum omega-3 composition. The relationship between cancer mortality and serum omega-3 levels was not clear, though an inverse association between prostate cancer and serum omega-3 levels appeared to exist.
- Natural Cancer Cures: The Definitive Guide to Using Dietary Supplements to Fight and Prevent Cancer by Freedom Press
- Available on Amazon.com
Omega-3 oils, provided either as pure omega-3 from algae or from flaxseed oil which has the highest natural ratio of omega-3 over omega-6 oil (1-2 tablespoons, 3000-6000 mg), will provide omega-3 oils that inhibit prostate cancer cell growth. Folic acid (vitamin B9) supplements appear to be called for. About 800 mcg per day is a commonly recommended dosage. Lycopene is a promising anti-cancer agent, both for prevention and treatment.
- You Don't Have to be Afraid of Cancer Anymore by Bill Sardi
- Available on Amazon.com
Animal studies have demonstrated that polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acids stimulate carcinogenesis and tumor growth and metastasis, whereas long-chain omega-3 fatty acids inhibit these processes. Reducing total fat intake and increasing the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids in the diet may be particularly useful for groups at a relatively high risk for breast or prostate cancer, and may also be useful after surgery to help prevent disease recurrence. Dietary intake of essential fatty acids may play a role in prostate cancer cell proliferation.
- The New Encyclopedia of Vitamins, Minerals, Supplements and Herbs by Nicola Reavley
- Available on Amazon.com
The consequences of low omega-3 levels (or a high omega-6 to omega-3 ratio) are hormonal imbalances as well as a host of serious chronic illnesses. Studies conducted at the San Francisco VA Medical Center found that omega-6 fatty acids, such as those found in corn and similar oils, increased the growth rate of prostate cancer cells in the laboratory. According to the study's author, a diet high in omega-6 and low in omega-3 can turn on a cascade of events that can lead to an increased risk of developing prostate, colorectal, and some breast cancers.
- The New Encyclopedia of Vitamins, Minerals, Supplements and Herbs by Nicola Reavley
- Available on Amazon.com
Some good plant sources of omega-3 are in order of highest omega-3 content: flaxseed, extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, and avocados. Organic butter or cheese made from the milk of grass-fed cows is also a good source. The best animal sources are cold-water fish like salmon. Several studies have found a solid correlation between the consumption of fish oils and a decreased risk of developing prostate cancer. Fish oil's main components are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), both of which are omega-3 fatty acids.
- The New Encyclopedia of Vitamins, Minerals, Supplements and Herbs by Nicola Reavley
- Available on Amazon.com
Researchers are trying to figure out how omega-3 oils have such a profound desirable effect on cancer cells. The evidence they have to consider is impressive. For example, results of animal studies have demonstrated that the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids can slow the growth of cancer grafts, increase the efficacy of chemotherapy, and reduce the side effects of chemotherapy or of cancer itself. In prostate cancer cells studied in lab experiments, omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids have demonstrated promotional and inhibitory effects, respectively.
- Natural Cancer Cures: The Definitive Guide to Using Dietary Supplements to Fight and Prevent Cancer by Freedom Press
- Available on Amazon.com
Omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon, sardines, tuna, and mackerel inhibit prostate tumor growth and metastasis. Citrus fruit and strawberries reduce the risk of prostate cancer and inhibit the growth of prostate tumors. Saw palmetto berries prevent the conversion of testosterone to a compound that promotes prostate inflammation and prostate cancer.
- Permanent Remissions by Robert Hass, M.S.
- Available on Amazon.com
More recently, researchers have cited Westernization of diets and decreased intake of cold-water fish high in omega-3 fats and vitamin D as partial reasons for rising rates of prostate cancer in Japanese and Koreans. Vitamin D suppresses tumor growth and promotes differentiation in prostate cancer similar to the way it works with breast cancer. In prostate cancer cell lines, vitamin D stimulates the tumor-suppressor genes that increase the production of proteins that slow the cell life cycle.
- The Vitamin D Cure by James Dowd and Diane Stafford
- Available on Amazon.com
Evidence suggests that the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids should be no greater than 4:1, and 3:1 is even better. Most Americans have an omega-6 to omega-3 profile of 10:1 or greater. Evidence suggests that an imbalance of this type may increase the level of inflammation in the body and increase the risk of heart disease, arthritis, and certain types of cancer, including prostate cancer. For millions of years, humans evolved on a diet rich in natural omega-3 food sources, including free-range game, fish, marine mammals, nuts, and fresh seaweed.
- What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Diabetes: An Innovative Program to Prevent, Treat, and Beat This Controllable Disease by Steven V. Joyal
- Available on Amazon.com
The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are thought by some researchers to be the components of fish responsible for protection against cancer. Low-fat diet and prevention when combined with a low-fiber diet, men consuming a high-fat diet have been reported to have higher levels of testosterone, which might increase their risk of prostate cancer. The risk of prostate cancer correlates with dietary fat from country to country, a finding supported in some but not all preliminary trials.
- The Natural Pharmacy: Complete A-Z Reference to Natural Treatments for Common Health Conditions by Alan R. Gaby, M.D., Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., Forrest Batz, Pharm.D. Rick Chester, RPh., N.D., DipLAc. George Constantine, R.Ph., Ph.D. Linnea D. Thompson, Pharm.D., N.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
This advantage can be doubled by giving the pregnant and breast-feeding mother a supplement of omega-3 fish oils. Milk consumption is strongly linked with increased risk for cardiovascular disease and also breast and prostate cancer. The higher a country's intake of milk, the higher its incidence of cardiovascular disease. Why is this? Well, contrary to popular opinion, it may not be because of the fat content in milk.
- The New Optimum Nutrition Bible by Patrick Holford
- Available on Amazon.com
A number of investigators have reported that omega-3 supplementation decreases PGE2 production by tumor cells and inhibits their growth. An EPA and DHA mixture inhibited the growth of human lung tumors in mice by 45%. The mixture reduced the content of arachidonic acid in the tumor cells by 50%, and increased the content of omega-3 fatty acids three to fivefold. PGE2 levels in the tumor were reduced over sevenfold (De Bravo et al., 1991). EPA/DHA mixtures also decreased the production of PGE2 and decreased the growth of human prostate cancer xenografts in mice (Karmali et al., 1987).
- Cancer & Natural Medicine: A Textbook of Basic Science and Clinical Research by John Boik
- Available on Amazon.com
In combination with the historically low ingestion of omega-3 fatty acids over the past 100 years, is why omnivores actually have higher tissue levels of ALA than vegetarians. Therefore, omnivores with a high meat diet will have slightly more omega-3s in their tissues than moderate meat eaters and vegetarians. Some have misinterpreted this to associate ALA with prostate cancer risk.
- Natural Cancer Cures: The Definitive Guide to Using Dietary Supplements to Fight and Prevent Cancer by Freedom Press
- Available on Amazon.com
Omega-3 fish oils help the body in many ways. Omega-3 fish oil is an essential fatty acid. Some claim that it helps protect against a large number of diseases such as cancer, arthritis, heart disease, and many others. Of course, watch your diet and your weight. By all means, take a good multivitamin and mineral supplement every day. Be sure that you get vitamins and supplements from a trusted resource. There is no guarantee that following a healthy diet can prevent BPH or prostate cancer, but it will reduce the odds based on a plethora of published research data.
- Disease Prevention and Treatment by The Life Extension Editorial Staff
- Available on Amazon.com
Corn oil has an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 60:1, and safflower oil a ratio of 77:1 far from the evolutionary balance of 1:1. Human studies are consistent with animal studies showing that omega-3 fish oils protect against cancer. Paul Terry, Ph.D., and his colleagues at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, tracked the health of more than six thousand male twins who were, on average, in their mid-fifties when the study began. Terry found that men who regularly ate fish had one-half to one-third the risk of prostate cancer, compared with those who ate no fish.
- The Inflammation Syndrome: The Complete Nutritional Program to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, Arthritis, Diabetes, Allergies, and Asthma by Jack Challem
- Available on Amazon.com
It is high in a particular type of omega-3, ALA, which the body needs. And unlike fish oil, flax seed oil can be used in salad dressings, which provides an easy way to ingest significant doses. Furthermore, unlike fish oil, unrefined flax seed oil contains lignan, a plant fiber that is associated with reduced incidence of breast, colon, and prostate cancers. The human body converts omega-3 fats into DHA, a nutrient that is needed by all of us, and one that is especially critical for the brain development of fetuses and newborns.
- Food Revolution: How your diet can help save your life and our world by John Robbins
- Available on Amazon.com
Using omega-3 fatty acids to prevent cancer and boost traditional cancer therapies as you can see, there is growing evidence that enriching your diet with omega-3 fatty acids may be one of the keys to cancer prevention. Dr. S. Roy MacKintosh, an oncologist and professor of internal medicine at the University of Nevada, believes that these nutrients might reduce the risk of prostate cancer in men who show an early warning sign of the disease.
- The Omega Diet: The Lifesaving Nutritional Program Based on the Diet of the Island of Crete by Artemis P. Simopoulos, M.D., and Jo Robinson
- Available on Amazon.com
You start adding up all that omega-3 fatty acids might do for a cancer patient," says Pardini," and it becomes astounding. Yet the current protocol for physicians is to put their cancer patients on low-fat diets. And nobody cares what kind of fat. " Meanwhile, Pardini and MacKintosh (both from the University of Nevada) are discussing plans to treat prostate cancer patients with a combination of fish oil and chemotherapy. According to MacKintosh, "At the present time, only 25 percent of the men with prostate cancer benefit from chemotherapy.
- The Omega Diet: The Lifesaving Nutritional Program Based on the Diet of the Island of Crete by Artemis P. Simopoulos, M.D., and Jo Robinson
- Available on Amazon.com
Flaxseed Oil (for Men), although flaxseeds are a great source of one of the omega-3 fats (alpha linolenic acid, probably the least important of the three omega-3s we care about), several recent disturbing studies have found a small but surprising relationship between alpha linolenic acid intake and prostate cancer in 108-110 men. Though there may well turn out to be an explanation for this, until we know more, I don't recommend flaxseed oil for men, though it's fine for women.
- Living the Low Carb Life: Controlled Carbohydrate Eating for Long-Term Weight Loss by Jonny Bowden, M.A., C.N.S.
- Available on Amazon.com
Still other researchers relate high rates of prostate cancer - all types of cancer, for that matter - to eating far too much Omega-6 essential fatty acid (EFA) in widely used safflower, sunflower, peanut, and soy oils and margarines made from them in ratio to omega-3, a lopsided 25 to 30 parts to one. More about the seriousness of this imbalance in contributing to critical physical, emotional and mental disorders later.
- The Garlic Cure by James F. Scheer, Lynn Allison and Charlie Fox
- Available on Amazon.com
Lignans in flaxseed oil protect against hormone-sensitive cancers. But the benefits of flax are not limited to the omega-3 content. The oil, and especially the seeds, are a great source of something called lignans, which have a whole host of health benefits of their own, for both men and women. Lignans have a protective effect against cancer, especially those that are hormone-sensitive like breast, uterine, and prostate cancers. Lignans increase sex-hormone binding globidin (SHBG), which binds to estrogen and helps get it out of the body.
- The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Why by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
- Available on Amazon.com
Considering the prevalent super-high intake of linoleic acid (omega-6) in contrast with omega-3, they state that some biochemists suggest that linoleic acid is the fatty acid responsible for generating prostate cancer. Garlic appears to lower the danger from stomach and bladder cancers, as well. Sharp evidence of protection comes from an epidemiological study conducted in Cangshan and Quixia counties of China. Cangshan residents eat 20 grams of garlic daily, that's almost an ounce. Those in Quixia county rarely eat it.
- The Garlic Cure by James F. Scheer, Lynn Allison and Charlie Fox
- Available on Amazon.com
Not all types of fat appear to promote cancer however, and the beneficial effects of omega-3 fatty acids will be discussed later in this chapter. Increased Bioavailability Of Sex Hormones Dietary fat may promote carcinogenesis by increasing the bioavailability of sex hormones (reviewed by Dwyer, 1992; Fernandes and Venkatraman, 1992). This may account for the association between high fat intake and high incidence of estrogen-responsive cancers such as breast and endometrial cancers, and androgenresponsive cancers such as prostate cancer.
- Cancer & Natural Medicine: A Textbook of Basic Science and Clinical Research by John Boik
- Available on Amazon.com
In contrast, oleic acid (OA) and the omega-3 fatty acid, EPA, inhibit growth in cell cultures of the human prostate cancer cell line PC-3, expression of the c-fos gene and the early COX-2 gene is increased within minutes of adding AA. This expression is dependent upon the amount of AA present, that is, it is dose dependent. We also know that PGE2 is associated with the stimulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and thus with angiogenesis and tumor growth. These findings have huge implications for medical strategies.
- Disease Prevention and Treatment by The Life Extension Editorial Staff
- Available on Amazon.com
Some research also suggests that the omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation in the digestive tract and may reduce the risk of colon cancer. Many anti-inflammatory nutrients have been directly linked to lower rates of specific cancers. For example, fish oils are associated with a lower risk of colon cancer. Lycopene lowers the risk of prostate cancer, and one study found that it reduced the size of prostate tumors in men scheduled for surgery.
- The Inflammation Syndrome: The Complete Nutritional Program to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, Arthritis, Diabetes, Allergies, and Asthma by Jack Challem
- Available on Amazon.com
Just like hormone ratios, it is the balance between omega-6 and omega-3 that is critical. Both are essential and necessary for life. Critical vitamines: Vitamin A, there have been numerous studies of vitamin A or retinal. Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is needed for many functions in the body, including normal cell growth, cell reproduction, and visual acuity. Some studies have linked vitamin A deficiencies to the development of tumors while others have reported increased risk for prostate cancer with excessive vitamin A intake.
- The Inflammation Syndrome: The Complete Nutritional Program to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, Arthritis, Diabetes, Allergies, and Asthma by Jack Challem
- Available on Amazon.com
They contain high amounts of omega-3 EFAs, protein, amino acids, iron, phosphorous, and zinc, all of which have significant value for prostate health. Historically, pumpkin seeds have been used in many cultures, including Native Americans, to eliminate intestinal parasites and to treat BPH and prostatitis. There is evidence that they may also help control prostate cancer.
- The Inflammation Syndrome: The Complete Nutritional Program to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, Arthritis, Diabetes, Allergies, and Asthma by Jack Challem
- Available on Amazon.com
A healthy ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 in the range of 3:1 may be especially relevant for heart health, the health of the developing infant brain, and possibly for cancer prevention. Certain omega-6 fatty acids, such as alpha-linolenic acid from meat, have been a prime suspect in prostate cancer. Interestingly, this doesn't hold true for the same fat from plants. It may be that there are other protective compounds in plants that reduce this effect.
- The Okinawa Program : How the World's Longest-Lived People Achieve Everlasting Health by Bradley J. Willcox, D. Craig Willcox, and Makoto Suzuki
- Available on Amazon.com
Some studies also examined specific fatty acids (including several omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids), based either on dietary intake data or biochemical measurements in blood or adipose tissue. A few studies suggested that consumption of fatty fish containing abundant long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids may be protective. This conclusion was supported by studies showing that eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were inversely associated with prostate cancer, though other studies did not reproduce this finding.
- Nutrition in the Prevention and Treatment of Disease by Ann M. Coulston and Carol J. Boushey
- Available on Amazon.com
The abundance of essential omega-3 fatty acids present in flaxseed may be linked to its use in the promotion of heart and circulatory health and in helping to maintain healthy cholesterol and blood pressure levels. In particular, flaxseed holds a special role in protection against pancreatic, colon, breast and prostate cancers, as well as helping to forestall the spread of melanoma.
- Natural Cancer Cures: The Definitive Guide to Using Dietary Supplements to Fight and Prevent Cancer by Freedom Press
- Available on Amazon.com
The omega-3 fatty acids go into the synthesis of prostaglandins that reduce inflammation. Bee pollen, working up to 2 teaspoons or 10 caps daily. (Clinically this is indicated, though it's not well studied. It's believed to be antiinflammatory.) Licorice root increases ability of the adrenals to produce corticosteroids (anti-inflammatory hormones). One of its active compounds, glycyrrhizin, also prevents the formation of a testosterone by product that may encourage the growth of prostate cancer.
- Herbal Defense by Robyn Landis
- Available on Amazon.com
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