Omega-3 fatty acids have previously been linked to protective benefits against heart disease and Alzheimer’s. Now one study is showing that eating the fatty acids found in fish oils may increase the risk of prostate cancer for men.
The study showed that men who consume a lot of EPA, DPA and DHA — three anti-inflammatory, metabolically-related fatty acids that come from fatty fish and fish-oil supplements — have a 43 percent increased chance of developing prostate cancer. Men with diets high in fatty acids were also shown to have a 71 percent increased risk of developing high-grade prostate cancer, and a 44 percent higher chance of having low-grade prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer will affect an estimated 238,590 new patients in 2013, according to the National Cancer Institute. About 29,720 prostate cancer patients will die from the disease this year.
