Omega 3 Fatty Acid Supplements linked to Prostrate Cancer

David Stifle

David Stifle

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Nov 20, 2008
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I've taken fish oil supplements for about ten years, based on the medical communities recommendations. Now, a recent study (the third one in a row) has linked a deadly, usually fatal form of prostate cancer to the use of fish oil supplements, or, more accurately, to omega 3 fatty acid supplements. Doctors are even recommending no more than two servings of fatty fish such as salmon, per week.

The only other supplement I take is baby aspirin. I suppose a study will come out saying that too is life threatening.

While the omega 3 study seems to be unquestioned, there is no explanantion offered as to why fish oil may cause prostate cancer.

I wonder why all the folks on the Meditterean diet are so healthy? Do you take omega 3 supplements and how are you going to respond to this study? I know one thing, I'm going to get tested the next time I go to the Dr. It's a simple blood test.
 
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This study is taking a lot of heat, because it merely suggests a correlation and not a cause-effect. For example, men with prostate cancer may be statistically more like to drive Fords than Chevys, but that doesn't mean that driving a Ford causes prostate cancer. Additionally, the study did not take into account when the men began taking fish oil. Did the men with prostate cancer begin taking fish oil after the diagnosis? We don't know, and the study didn't take it into account. That fact alone really prevents us from findings a cause and effect. The study merely found that men with prostate cancer had a higher level of fish oil in their bloodstreams. Maybe when these men were diagnosed, they began taking their health more seriously and began taking supplements including fish oil. Again, this was completely ignored by the study.

My father had prostate cancer, and I'm afraid of it. And I'm going to stop taking fish oil, even though I really doubt that there is a cause and effect going on here. But it really jazzes me that a half-baked study like this can make me question things like this, and merely raises more questions than it answers.

Check this: link.
 
Not to worry my friend this has been debunked already, this idiot says this and every single moron on main stream media runs with it. I wish I could give you some links, but not sure if I can. It's false, not true, no proof just some professor that wants some attention. More media scare tactics, they are getting desperate now.
 
Krav said:
Not to worry my friend this has been debunked already, this idiot says this and every single moron on main stream media runs with it. I wish I could give you some links, but not sure if I can. It's false, not true, no proof just some professor that wants some attention. More media scare tactics, they are getting desperate now.
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I'm not aware of any data that has debunked this study. It is being challenged, most certainly, but no one can yet say the study has no validity.
 
working in the oncology field 80% of my time is spent explaining that you can't believe everything you read.
 
rmbonham said:
working in the oncology field 80% of my time is spent explaining that you can't believe everything you read.
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I can understand that. What do you think of this study? Is there enough of a causal effect for you to stop taking omega 3 supplements? If you in fact do.
 
I'd like to thank Dave and Stuart for the info they sent me via Pm's. Very informative. Other links posted, such as Brisket's, have made me think this whole study over a bit more. Here's the facts--from my perspective, as I mentioned in my initial post, I've been taking fish oil for about ten years, as well as having fish a couple of times a week. That's a fairly high doseage, and hopefully, I'm fine. One of the links also talked about cultures who eat a lot of seafood and just generally consume high omega 3 diets. There is not an abnormally high level of cancer in those cultures. Converesly, if you beleive the study there should be low levels of cancer in cultures who do not have high omega 3 diets, and that too isn't true. I'll probably cut back, but well, just practice moderation, right? Thanks for the input, guys.
 
Having read all the links supplied here, including the reporting of the study (not the actual study, yet) I am highly skeptical of the "conclusions" drawn from the initial correlation study. It seems as if someone just took a couple graphs and laid them over each other, saw that a small rise in the Omega-3 [0.2%] was in the same region as a rise in the cancer deaths from highgrade prostate cancer.

Not enough control variables were accounted for, the increase in lipids in th blood is still within normal baseline levels and tremendous claims have been made with no solid foundation. Now, I'm not saying one should completely dissregard this study, but should hope that it does spur further and more more accountable research.

At this point, I'm not going to reduce my suppliment regime, but am always conscious of the levels of vitamins and like that I consume. Too often, our bodies just cannot process the high levels of suppliments and they are just excreted as waste.


-Xander
 
The joys of taking supplements. ever heard of the too much of a good thing.

I personally have taken the supplements before to lower my cholesterol. BUT have any of you guys looked into how the fish oil supplements are made and what goes into that? Basically every time man messes with something they generally 99% of the time make it worse for you or unhealthier. I would just say look into how the particular supplements are made. Supplements are a very expensive item and not being regulated by the FDA (not that that makes it safe or anything) is a huge money maker and hence becomes something that is hard to trust.

A well balanced diet of things like kale/spinach/green cabages, soy nuts, walnuts, fresh fish (salmon, things like tuna usually dont have much of the omega 3, the fish that have the most usually are the oily ones which most people dont eat because of the fishy taste). Things like walnuts have omega 3 that rival the soy and salmon, they are actually higher in omega 3 then tuna and halibut.

My thoughts are make your diet a well balanced one and you will get all the nutrients you need, after that living longer will IMHO depend more on your stress level, environment, genetic makeup, and luck of the draw.
 
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