Can Omega 3 Cause Prostate Cancer?

Despite the fact that study after study is coming out demonstrating the benefits of increasing your intake of the omega 3 essential fatty acids, not all studies published recently do that. In fact a recent study has suggested that having plenty of omega 3 fatty acids in your blood could be a problem for men, as it could cause prostate cancer. In fact it suggested a 70 percent increase in risk of prostate cancer for men with higher levels of Omega3 in their blood.

This is in direct contradiction to some earlier studies which have suggested that in fact more omega 3 can reduce your risk of prostate cancer.

So does this mean that we should all now be throwing our fish oil supplements in the trash? Or at least those amongst us of the male persuasion?

Not yet. Despite the fact that this study has gained some exposure online and in the press, there are many critics who maintain that the study does not establish on any causation, namely that it does not establish that the omega 3 actually caused the prostate cancer.

This is a debate which is bound to go on for some time, and obviously is of considerable interest to men, particularly older men who are more likely to contract prostate cancer.

So if you're interested in finding out more about omega 3 prostate cancer here are some good places to start reading.

Here's some articles that all provide some interesting reading.

http://www.naturalproductsinsider.com/news/2009/04/omega-3s-may-protect-against-prostate-cancer.aspx

http://bestfishoilsupplements.net/does-omega-3-fish-oil-protect-you-against-prostate-cancer-or-cause-prostate-cancer/

http://www.naturalproductsinsider.com/news/2013/07/industry-defends-omega-3-supplements-against-canc.aspx

http://www.naturalproductsinsider.com/news/2013/07/industry-defends-omega-3-supplements-against-canc.aspx

How Do You Choose the Best Fish Oil Supplements?

Because Not All Fish Oil Supplements Are The Same

There's a massive number of fish oil supplements available to buy. Over the last few years there has been considerable attention paid in the popular press to the research around the health benefits of the omega 3 essential fatty acids, and as a result sales of omega 3 supplements are growing in volume like just about no other health supplement in history.

If you go online you'll find so many different supplements available. Are they all the same and if not how do you choose between them?

First I should say that we have spent quite some time researching this, as we talk about it on this site and also take fish oil supplements ourselves. We have been amazed at what we have discovered about the differences between the different brands of fish oil supplements.

These differences can be summarised as follows, and we will discuss each in more detail further below.

1. How much DHA you are getting in your capsules, because it varies hugely, and the cheaper supplements are not necessarily best value.

2. The risks of PCB and mercury contamination in your supplements

3. The freshness and purity of the fish oil used in the supplements

How Much Omega 3 Are You Really Getting?

You assume when you buy omega 3 supplements that they are full of omega 3 essential fatty acids. But none of them are "full" of omega 3 fats, all of them have other ingredients which are there to help carry the omega 3.

So if you're not getting a full capsule of omega 3 fats how do you know how much you're getting? Good question.

Most supplements are what are called 18/12 supplements. This means that they are 18 percent EPA and 12 percent DHA. In other words only 12 percent of what is in the capsule is DHA, and 18 percent is EPA, and these are the 2 most important omega 3 fats, though it seems generally agreed that DHA is more important.

This means that in 1000 milligram capsules you're getting 120 milligrams of DHA, which isn't a lot.

Not all capsules are the 18/12 type. The best fish oil supplements in fact contain 300 milligrams of DHA, which is about 2 1/2 times as much as what you find in 18/12 capsules. But they're not 2 1/2 times the price of the cheaper capsules, so in reality they represent better value.

The Risks of PCB and Mercury Contamination in Your Supplements

It may not have come to your attention however it is a sad fact that much of the fish in our oceans is contaminated with man-made contaminants such as PCBs and mercury. In fact the government warns about this, particularly in relation to pregnant women, suggesting that for this reason we should be careful about our intake of fish, particularly some types.

And sadly some brands of fish oil supplements have also been found to contain such contaminants. To find out more click here and here. In fact there's even a lawsuit about it, to find out more click here.

That is concerning. Some fish oil supplement manufacturers will source their fish oil from wholesale sources, and in many cases these fish are caught in areas close to large bodies of population, for example the Atlantic Ocean, between Europe and North America. Fish caught there are at higher risk of contamination than fish caught near Antarctica for example, for obvious reasons.

The fish oil supplements we choose are manufactured from oil from fish caught way down in the southern ocean. The company manufacturing them specifically contracts the fishermen directly to supply these fish from this area.

They are therefore much lower in any form of contamination, in fact it's not there. Not only that but every single batch of fish oil used in their supplements is tested for contamination by rigourous testing process under very strict guidelines, and the results are posted on their website for everyone to see. You can be confident you're not eating any PCBs or mercury or anything else nasty.

The Freshness and Purity of the Fish Oil Used in the Supplements

Have you ever had "fishy burps" from fish oil supplements? No one should assume that this will happen because it's because the fish oil used in the supplements is stale, or rancid. Fish oil sourced from wholesale sources can be old, and like anything else fish oil goes off with time.

Our preferred supplements are sourced from fish which are taken directly from the fishing boats to the factory for processing as fast as possible. You will not get fishy burps.

And You Get a Money Back Guarantee

Our preferred supplier of fish oil supplements also offers a full 100 percent 365 day satisfaction guarantee. If you're unhappy for any reason send them back for a refund. Try getting that from some of the other manufacturers of fish oil supplements.

So to conclude, as you can see, not all fish oil supplements are the same. There are some serious matters which you need to consider before buying your Omega3 capsules.

And for a much fuller explanation of all of this visit http://bestfishoilsupplements.net/

To your good health.