Monday, September 20, 2010

Can You Use Omega 3 Fatty Acids To Combat Pancreatic Cancer?

Pancreatic cancer is a severe cancer. It is estimated that almost 37,000 people will die from pancreatic cancer every year. Will using fish oil dietary supplements that contain daily fish oil supplements help prevent pancreatic cancer?
While cancers like prostate cancer and breast cancer are commonly in the news pancreatic cancer just isn't. But it is the 4th greatest killer in the US when it comes to cancers. Sadly the prognosis for people who experience cancer of the pancreas isn't great, and just like all cancers it is much better to prevent pancreatic cancer than it is to try to cure it.
There is a growing body of data that many cancers could well be positively benefited from a rise in the consumption of the mega 3 essential fatty acids DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) and EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid). These are known as important fatty acids because they are essential for good health, however they cannot be made in the body and must be taken in through the diet.
And during the last hundred years our consumption of Omega3 high foods has dropped considerably. The two most important of the fatty acids are EPA and DHA, and these are found mainly in seafood and in particular in oily fish, and our intakes of fish and seafood in general have dropped considerably. Other sources of the omega3 fatty acids have included grass fed beef and free range eggs, however our beef has become mainly grain fed, which decreases the Omega 3 content, and the same pertains to our eggs.
A new study done on inhabitants of the San Francisco Bay Area finds that improving the intake of omega 3 fatty acids, in conjunction with an increase in intake of vitamin E and vitamin C may lessen the risks of pancreatic cancer by up to 30 %.
Plus the study noted also that a high intake of saturated fat may in fact increase the risk of pancreatic cancer by anywhere up to 60 percent.
Obviously it is always difficult to say when this is sufficiently proved, and clearly more studies are needed, however this also lines up with other research suggesting that increasing the consumption of omega 3 fats could help prevent other cancers, in particular breast cancers and bowel cancer.
Even so the health benefits of taking high quality Omega 3 supplements are much more than just the chance of preventing pancreatic cancer. Lots of the health benefits of an increased intake of essential fatty acids are now accepted by mainstream medicine, and mainstream organizations such as the American Heart Association are suggesting that we should ımprove our intake of the essential fatty acids to avoid such health conditions as heart disease.
So whether you are worried about pancreatic cancer or you're not there's numerous benefits to be gained from increasing your intake of essential fatty acids. You do that if you take high quality fishoil dietary supplements containing Omega 3 daily.