Omega-3′s Could Prevent Colon Cancer (And Many Other Health Woes)
We've all heard about antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids and their benefits for almost any health related condition, perhaps to the point where we begin to doubt it as "hype", but there is overwhelming scientific evidence that these substances help with many of today's most difficult diseases, including fighting and preventing cancer.
A recent Reuters Health article talks about these friendly fatty acids, and how new research may show specifically how they could cut the risk of colon cancer.
Recent studies by Dr. Sangmi Kim of the National Institute of the Environmental Health Sciences and other researchers looked at the relationship between consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acid and bowel cancer risk in roughly 1,870 people, and found that those who had higher intakes of omega-3's had half the risk of colon cancer.
Researchers were looking primarily at the two major fatty acids in fish oil–eicosapentaenoic acids and docosahexaenoic acids. Other sources of omega-3's include seed oils like walnut and flax-seed oils and leafy green vegetables, as well as grass fed meats, a fact that wasn't included in the Reuters article or the study, however one which is commonly known in the holistic healing and organic community.
They also found that people who had a higher omega-6 fatty acid intake in relation to omega-3's were more likely to have colon cancer.
One other fact to keep in mind about fish oils, however, is the level of PCB's from pollution present in some fish oil products. PCB's, resulting from the partial breakdown of petroleum products including plastics are highly carcinogenic; therefore fish oil products that are not purified or carefully harvested could contribute to a greater risk of cancer.