Fish Oil Lessens Cancer's Damage

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http://www.mercola.com/2004/aug/25/fish_oil_cancer.htm

 

Fish Oil Lessens Cancer's Damage

 

 

Low doses of fish oil supplements taken regularly give

cancer patients a better chance to stabilize their

weight or even spur gains, according to a study.

Previous research and clinical investigations have

found the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil

protects against cachexia, a weight-loss condition

connected to a chronic disease.

 

Omega-3s work three ways to fight against cachexia:

 

* Inhibiting the secretion of inflammatory

compounds

* Blocking the process by which tumors promote

cachexia

* Slowing protein degradation and fat breakdown

 

More than 40 cancer patients with severe or moderate

malnutrition were given high doses of omega-3

supplements daily, depending on his or her body weight

to take with breakfast and lunch. (A patient weighing

150 pounds would take 11 1-gram capsules, for

example.) Originally, researchers started by giving

patients twice the number of supplements, but lowered

dosages because many couldn’t or wouldn’t take that

many capsules.

 

Six of the 36 participants who took some of the

supplements either gained the weight they previously

lost or added an extra 5 percent, and 24 more

stabilized their weights, meaning these patients

gained or lost no more than 5 percent. The remaining

patients lost more than 5 percent of their weight.

 

Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea were common side

effects. The capsule size was also difficult for some

patients to swallow. Side effects forced 19 patients

to stop taking omega-3, but others tolerated the trial

with few difficulties.

 

Researchers envision future studies of fish oil for

treating cachexia that begin at a point when patients

are less severely ill, and last for longer than 30

days, may have more positive results, scientists said.

 

News August 6, 2004

 

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

 

If you’ve been reading my newsletter for any length of

time, you already know fish oil and cod liver oil does

some pretty amazing things, and it’s a wonderful

source of omega-3, a fat that is essential for good

health.

 

Americans consume a dangerously insufficient amount of

omega-3, a fat essential to good health but only found

in fish and cod liver oil and a few other foods.

Meanwhile, our intake of omega-6, another fat found in

corn, soy, sunflower and other oils, is far too high.

The ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 should be 1:1,

but the typical ratio ranges from 20:1 to 50:1!

 

Aside from the benefits to cancer patients, fish oils

protect your body in a number of ways:

 

* Helps fight and prevent heart disease, cancer,

Alzheimer's, arthritis, diabetes, ulcers, depression,

hyperactivity and many other diseases

* Increases your energy level and ability to

concentrate

* Provides greater resistance to common illnesses

such as flu and cold

* Helps pregnant women avoid premature births, low

birth weight and other complications

 

Fish oils also provide a healthier alternative to

eating fresh fish, many of which are contaminated by

mercury. In fact, avoiding mercury by taking fish oil

supercedes any advantage you might have by eating

tainted fish.

 

My general rule: Take cod liver oil from autumn to

early spring, and fish oil from late spring through

the end of summer. You will need to adjust your fish

oil intake depending on where you live in relation to

the equator, but the best way to know whether you need

cod liver oil, which contains vitamin D, is to have

your levels tested.