Earlier Omega 3 supplements were considered good for certain cancers. But a new study shows these supplements only increase the risk of certain types of cancers rather than reduce it.
Omega-3 supplements are said to decrease the effects of certain heart diseases. But two reviews in Cancer and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews said that Omega 3 supplements slightly increased the risk of prostate cancer. Lead author Lee Hooper said that the information was gathered from a large number of people over a long period. Lee Hooper works with University of East Anglia’s Norwich Medical School in Britain.
He noted that omega 3 supplements slightly reduced the risk of heart diseases. However, it was found to slightly increase the risk of certain cancers, he added.
The reviews also said that the effect of Omega 3 supplements in people was also minimal. Only three people out of a thousand people who took omega 3 supplements for four years can avoid the risk of death from heart disease. Whereas three people could develop prostate cancer, the study said.
A type of fat, Omega-3in small amounts are needed for good health. These supplements are got from the food that we eat such as fatty fish, seeds and nuts.
In the study, 47 trials were conducted that involved people who were at an increased risk of cancer or had an earlier cancer diagnosis and who did not have cancer. The researchers also held 86 trials on heart related events. About a lakh people were asked to maintain their usual omega 3 supplement intake. In the study, the researchers found that the people who died were diagnosed of cancer, heart issues such as attack or stroke.
