5.03.07 Omega 3s And Prostate Cancer, Fish Oil and Prostate Cancer, PCA Diet

Studies show that the more fish you eat, the lower your risk of developing a variety of cancers. In the case of prostate cancer, the most detailed population study was done by Augustsson, et al., which followed more than 47,000 men for twelve years. While fish consumption tended to reduce the overall prostate cancer risk, the most dramatic impact was on metastatic prostate cancer risk. For each 500 mg increase in daily fish oil consumption, there was a 24% reduction in risk of metastatic prostate cancer.

With regard to prostate cancer, the issue is a bit more complicated because detailed information is only available for fish consumption, not fish oil capsules. My best guess is that 4-6,000 mg per day would again be sufficient to give you most of the benefits.

You may ask: how much fish oil can someone take safely? Are there any serious side effects from high doses? One side effect I’ve found is fish oil’s propensity to reduce the tendency for people to develop clots in their arteries. Questions then arise: what about the impact on normal clotting? Does fish oil increase the risk of bleeding? While I have repeatedly heard these concerns expressed, I can find no evidence to support this worry. Some also claim that it’s not safe to combine fish oil with drugs that alter blood clotting, such as aspirin or coumadin. Again, I can find no evidence to support this claim.

But there is some indication that fish oil can lessen weight loss associated with advanced cancer. One clinical trial gave increasing amounts of fish oil to patients with advanced cancer who were losing weight. They found that these patients could consume up to twenty-one 1,000 mg capsules with minimal problems. The complaints were limited to some gastric distress from the large amount of fat and of a “fishy” odor. Based on my experience, the only way advanced cancer patients would be able to take twenty-one 1,000 mg capsules is if the oil was a very high quality product.

Fresh fish and fish oil capsules spoil quickly if not handled properly. Fish fat readily turns rancid. A strong “fishy” smell represents a sure sign of rancid or spoiled fish fat. Lack of a strong “fishy” odor is an excellent sign of quality fish and fish oil. Needless to say, you should avoid any supplements with this odor. This is a serious problem with many cheap brands of fish oil capsules, and I’ve spent considerable time hunting for quality brands. To obtain good fish oil, you need to process the fish while it’s fresh and protect the oil from heat and light. You also need to fortify the fish oil with antioxidants to prevent it from turning rancid. Oil from even the best vendor can turn rancid if it’s stored or shipped inappropriately. It’s important that the oil be kept in a cool, dark place. Once opened, store your bottle in the refrigerator or freezer. While I cannot claim to have tested every product on the market, there are several that appear to be consistently high quality: Nordic Naturals, Life Extension Foundation, and Barry Sears OmegaRx brands. I think you will find these products worth the extra cost.

What If You’re A Vegetarian Or Vegan?

You face a unique problem: common plant sources of omega 3 fats are rich in ALA, but lack DHA and EPA. But humans—especially men—do a very poor job of converting ALA to EPA and DHA. So strict vegans and vegetarians risk developing serious omega 3 deficiencies.
Others are reluctant to eat fish because of possible environmental contaminants like mercury, dioxin, or PCBs, and have asked if there’s a plant-based alternative to fish oil. Fish don’t make their own EPA and DHA, but obtain DHA from algae. It stands to reason, then, that we too can obtain our DHA from algae.

In fact, Martek Pharmaceuticals has patented a process of growing a DHA-producing microalgae (crypthecodinium cohnii) and extracting the omega 3 fatty acid. Much of the DHA Martek produces is used in infant feeding formulas as well as in animal feed, but it’s also available in 100 and 200 mg capsules under the trade name Neuromins®. If you want to use plant sources of omega 3 fats, Neuromins® represents a much higher quality product than flax seed oil or any other plant-based omega 3 fat source.

For a more detailed discussion see Prostate Forum Vol 8 #6 & #7: Omega 3s: Fish or Flax I & II.

To read about other supplements essential for Prostate Cancer patients, click here to purchase Vol 9 # 3.