Omega-3 and Omega-6 are associated with a reduced risk of cancers

New research published V International Journal of Cancerfound that high plasma levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids may be associated with a reduced risk of certain types of cancer. This work is based on data from almost 260 thousand participants from British Biobank.

The researchers examined the relationship between levels of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and cancer risk, including 19 cancer sites such as head and neck, esophagus, stomach , bowel and lung tumors.

The average age of the participants was 56.4 years, and the majority (nearly 91%) were Caucasian. During the 13-year follow-up period, approximately 30,000 participants were diagnosed with cancer.

The results of the study showed that high omega-3 plasma levels were associated with a reduced risk of 5 of the 19 cancers studied, including colon, stomach and lung cancers. At the same time, higher levels of omega-6 reduced the risk of 14 types of cancer, such as brain cancer, bladder cancer and malignant melanoma. However, the study also identified a possible link between higher omega-3 levels and a slightly higher risk of prostate cancer.

According to the authors, this study lays the foundation for further investigation of the role of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the etiology of different types of cancer and may help to develop new prevention strategies.

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