A Natural Way to Lower Prostate Cancer Risk?

Are you getting enough omega-3s in your diet? While its important for everyone to get the health benefits omega-3 fatty acids, it may be particularly critical if youre a male. According to a new study, omega-3s may help to reduce prostate cancer risk, a cancer that affects up to one in six men. The chances of a man developing prostate cancer over the course of his lifetime are higher than the chances of a woman contracting breast cancer. Obviously with a disease this common, its important to look for ways to lower prostate cancer risk and omega-3s could offer some additional protection against this all too common cancer.

In this study, which was published in Clinical Cancer Research, the researchers found that men who had the highest intakes of omega-3s in their diet had a sixty-three percent lower prostate cancer risk than those who consumed the least omega-3s. This is good news if youre a fish lover since fatty fish are one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids around.

How might omega-3s reduce prostate cancer risk? Researchers believe that omega-3s helps to reduce prostate inflammation which, over time, can lead to formation of a prostate cancer. It appears to do this by altering the activity of an enzyme known as Cox-2 which is involved in the inflammatory process that can eventually lead to cancer. How much omega-3 was needed to see this effect? This study showed a benefit when men increased their intake of omega-3s by only a half gram per day. Animal studies have also showed a lower prostate cancer risk when omega-3s were added to their diet.

While fatty fish are one of the best sources of omega-3s, if you dont enjoy the taste of sea creatures, you still have options. If you enjoy the crunchy taste of nuts, walnuts are an excellent source of omega-3s which may lower prostate cancer risk. Other good sources are ground flaxseed, canola oil, and foods that have been fortified with omega-3 such as eggs and milk.

Because omega-3s arent found in a great variety of foods, some people choose to use supplements. This can be a good option if you buy them from a reputable company who tests for the presence of contaminants such as mercury sometimes found in the bodies of fatty fish. Generally, omega-3 supplements are not significant sources of mercury or other contaminants since processing removes them. You can also buy vegetarian omega-3 supplements that arent derived from fish.

If youre a male, you may want to consider adding more omega-3s to your diet. Not only could it lower prostate cancer risk, but it may have other beneficial properties such as reducing the risk of heart disease. If you have a history of a bleeding disorder or take a blood thinner, talk to your doctor before taking omega-3 supplements.