Should you take omega-3 pills? Or try to have two to servings of omega-3 rich fish a week, as the American Heart Association recommends?
It may seem a bit murky if you follow headlines about nutrition and health.
In two new studies, researchers found that omega-3 continues to show protection against heart disease-related death, without increasing prostate cancer risk.
The research was conducted by a team at the Intermountain Healthcare Heart Institute in Salt Lake City
The team focused on the potential benefits and risks of this popular supplement, especially when it comes to prostate cancer risk and heart health.
In one study, the team identified 87 patients who were part of the Intermountain INSPIRE Registry and had developed prostate cancer.
These patients were also tested for plasma levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which are two common omega-3 fatty acids.
When compared to a matched control group of 149 men, the researchers found that higher omega-3 levels were not linked with elevated prostate cancer risk.
In the second study, the team looked at 894 patients undergoing coronary angiography (a test that shows how blood flows through the arteries in the heart).
These patients had no prior history of heart attack or coronary artery disease, however, upon their first angiogram, about 40% of those patients had severe disease and about 10% had a three-vessel disease.
The researchers also measured patients’ plasma levels of omega-3 metabolites, including DHA and EPA. Those patients were then followed to see who had a subsequent heart attack, stroke, heart failure, or who died.
The researchers found that patients who higher rates of omega-3 metabolites had a lower risk of those follow up adverse effects regardless of whether they had severe disease or not on their initial angiogram.
The team says the findings show that omega-3 supplements have some protective effects on heart health and that there is no clear link between the supplements and prostate cancer risk.
One author of the study is Viet T. Le, MPAS, PA, a researcher, and physician assistant.
The study was presented at the 2019 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.
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