Omega-3, omega-6 fatty acids may protect against several cancers
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Key takeaways:
- High levels of omega-3 and omega-6 appeared linked to lower risk for cancer.
- Results did show a link between higher omega-3 levels and greater prostate cancer risk.
Higher omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid levels may help reduce cancer risk, according to study findings.
Results showed a protective benefit against cancer overall, as well as modest but statistically significant protective benefits for most site-specific cancers.
Higher levels of omega-3s appeared linked to lower rates of colon, stomach and lung cancers, whereas higher levels of omega-6s appeared linked to lower rates of brain cancer, malignant melanoma and bladder cancer.
“These findings suggest that the average person should focus on getting more of these fatty acids in their diets,” Yuchen Zhang, doctoral student in University of Georgia’s College of Public Health, said in a press release.
Prior studies have yielded inconclusive evidence regarding a potential association between polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and cancer incidence. PUFAs include omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are found in nuts, fatty fish and some plant oils.
The majority of Americans likely do not eat enough of these foods to consume recommended amounts, according to investigators. However, many use fish oil supplements, which are among the most widely used dietary pills.
Zhang and colleagues conducted a population-based cohort study to evaluate the potential association between plasma omega-3 and omega-6 PUFAs with overall cancer incidence and 19 site-specific cancers.
The analysis included data from 253,138 eligible participants in the UK Biobank, which contains de-identified biological samples and health-related data from a half-million people.
After mean follow-up of 12.9 years, 29,838 people received a cancer diagnosis.
Researchers observed inverse associations between overall cancer incidence and levels of both omega-3s (HR per standard deviation [SD] = 0.98; 95% CI, 0.96-0.99) and omega-6s (HR per SD = 0.99; 95% CI, 0.97-1).
Investigators also analyzed associations with 19 site-specific cancers.
Results showed inverse associations between omega-6 levels and 14 cancer types, including esophagus (HR per SD = 0.93; 95% CI, 0.89-0.97), hepatobiliary (HR per SD = 0.93; 95% CI, 0.89-0.97), lung (HR per SD = 0.93; 95% CI, 0.9-0.96) and thyroid cancers (HR per SD = 0.94; 95% CI, 0.9-0.99).
Results showed a stronger beneficial effect of omega-6 among younger individuals, especially women.
Data also showed inverse associations between omega-3 levels and five cancer types, including lung (HR = per SD 0.92; 95% CI, 0.89-0.96), hepatobiliary (HR per SD = 0.93; 95% CI, 0.9-0.97), stomach (HR per SD = 0.94; 95% CI, 0.9-0.98), colon (HR per SD = 0.96; 95% CI, 0.92-0.99) and uterus cancers (HR per SD = 0.96; 95% CI, 0.92-0.99).
However, higher levels of omega-3 appeared associated with increased risk for prostate cancer (HR per SD = 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01-1.05).
References:
- University of Georgia. High levels of omega-6, omega-6 may protect against cancer (press release). Available at: https://news.uga.edu/fish-oil-protects-against-cancer/. Published Oct. 17, 2024. Accessed Nov. 5, 2024.
- Zhang Y, et al. Int J Cancer. 2024;doi:10.1002/ijc.35226.
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