Too Much Fish Oil Might Boost Prostate Cancer Risk

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Steven Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, July 10 (HealthDay News) — Eating a lot of oily fish or taking potentfish oil supplements may increase a man’s risk of developing prostate cancer, new research suggests.

Moreover, marine sources of omega-3 fatty acids may also raise the risk for aggressive prostate cancer, according to the study by scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

“These anti-inflammatory omega-3s were associated with a 43 percent increased risk for prostate cancer overall, and a 71 percent increased risk in aggressive prostate cancer,” said study lead author Theodore Brasky, a research assistant professor at Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center in Columbus, who was at Hutchinson at the time of the study.

Aggressive prostate cancer is often fatal, he added.

Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish such as salmon, trout and fresh tuna and in fish oil capsules, are widely reputed to have health benefits because of their anti-inflammatory properties.

But this new research, published online July 11 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, confirms damaging evidence reported in two prior studies.

Just why are these omega-3 fatty acids associated with prostate cancer? “That’s the million dollar question,” Brasky said.

Omega-3 fatty acids may have properties that aren’t well understood and in high doses could cause oxidative stress, which can lead to DNA damage, possibly increasing the risk for prostate cancer, he speculated.

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