Fish Oil Causes Cancer Now???
Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.
This one is mainly for the men in the audience…
Because some new medical evidence is bringing into question the health benefits we may have presumed we get with fish oil…
… and the possibility that it may actually increase risk of prostate cancer.
So… Does Fish Oil Cause Cancer?
The news has been going strong for the past month or so, but here is a link to an article on Fitocracy, that I think remains pretty objective.
As you’ll see, important points to keep in mind about the research are:
“This is not an intervention study with a placebo group and drug group. It is a case-cohort study (a one time survey and data crunching of the answers to find correlations). While the method of analysis and only taking participants with baseline values suggests that they did establish a time-dependent relationship, there was still no active fish oil arm of the study and thus this study would be best not used to argue for or against fish oil supplementation; just for plasma fish oil concentrations (something else!)”
It’s important to remember, too, that studies done in the past have actually investigated the direct relationship between fish oil supplementation and prostate cancer. And even though the new study claims a 71% increased risk of prostate cancer from fish oil use, that number is not as clear as it seems…
“The 71% increase was the median value; the range of possible values with a 5% margin of error (otherwise known as the 95% confidence interval) was 0-192%. The huge variance makes it hard to take the data at face value, and future studies are needed to see whether the rate is closer to 0% or closer to 192% (completely different issues if either are proven to be more likely)”
What Supplements – Including Fish Oil – Do I Use?
Now, while I’m a proud promoter of Truestar, and I look to their team of health experts (including MDs and naturopaths like Dr. Andi) to guide my supplementation decisions, I figured I’d at least comment on this topic. Especially since a close buddy of mine who is a physician (and he’s actually created a whole content-based website designed to empower people with reliable health information), had this to say about fish oil supplementation, in the wake of all this recent news:
“Despite this one study, eating fish and other seafood is always going to be a healthy strategy. If we could positively – like for sure, with certainty – say that the benefits of eating seafood comes entirely from omega-3 fats alone, then tossing back bottles of fish oil pills would be an alternative to eating fish. Well, it’s not. It’s more than likely that we need the entire spectrum of fish fats, vitamins, minerals, and supportive molecules, rather than just omega-3′s like EPA and DHA.
The same is true of nutrition, in general. Taking a handful of supplements is never a substitute for the wealth of nutrients you get from eating whole, real foods like lean meats, fresh fruits and leafy vegetables. [NOTE FROM FIDDY: Dr. Mahdi provides more elaborate info here…]
So what most men want to know at this point is what to do if they are already currently taking fish oil. Well, I’d say that if your doctor prescribed them – since they’re an approved and effective treatment for people with high blood triglyceride levels – follow his or her instructions until you can have a direct conversation about your fish oil supplementation.
But if you’re taking them on your own because you simply think they’re good for you, you may want to think twice. You can get omega-3′s from whole food sources, even if you don’t eat fish or other seafood. Ground flaxseed or flaxseed oil, chia seeds, and walnuts are all great sources. In fact, one to two servings per day can help prevent deficiency of omega-3′s in most people.”
— Dr. Mahdi
I also think the end of that Fitocracy article shares important points:
Due to past literature finding no influence of fish oil in causing prostate cancer in people without tumors, and a reduction in mortality associated with fish oil supplementation, the overall clinical relevance of this new study is not clear. There doesn’t appear to be a need for persons without prostate cancer to omit supplementation right now, but in those with prostate cancer supplementation seems to currently be associated with increased disease progression yet less mortality (somewhat contradictory).
Even if we assume that this study is the best ever, it does not directly apply to oral supplementation of fish oil and was not an intervention. It also only investigated those already with prostate cancer, so saying fish oil is a cancer augmenting agent rather than a cancer causing agent may be a bit more valid (although even that claim needs more evidence).
While you can bet I’ll still keep taking my Truestar supps, you should always make your own decisions – but make sure you’re not operating on limited information…
Be True,
“Fiddy”
P.S. I gotta take this opportunity to remind you that I’m actively set on helping 50 people make remarkable physical transformations by the end of the year, with help from Truestar. And I’m going to guide them to expanding their exposure, sharing their progress to inspire the whole world, all through blogging. What’s more is that because of my leadership position with Team Take Massive Action, I’m going to get those 50 people each to monetize their blogs to the tune of – but as with anything, results will vary because people vary. And if you want atypical, remarkable results, you may just need to be an atypical, remarkable person… Read the income disclaimer, and then join my team and work with me directly to finish 2013 stronger than you ever could have imagined.