Fish oil hope for fighting breast cancer
Thursday July 8th, 2010
Women who take fish oil supplements may be helping to cut their risk of developing breast cancer, researchers have claimed.
A study found that regular users reduced their risk of developing the disease by nearly a third.
The
findings come from a study of more than 35,000 women conducted in Seattle,
Washington, USA.
The women had all passed the menopause and were free of breast cancer at the outset.
After six years, some 880 women had contracted breast cancer.
Researchers found that women who reported high use of fish oil supplements had a 32 per cent lower risk than others of developing cancer. The effect was mostly on a common type of breast cancer called invasive ductal breast cancer.
The findings have been reported in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
Researcher Dr Emily White said: "It may be that the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil supplements are higher than most people would typically get from their diet."
She said the study did not prove that fish oil supplements cut breast cancer risk - as there could be other explanations for the connection.
Tags: Cancer | Diet & Food | UK News | Women’s Health & Gynaecology
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