Fish (Oil) vs Breast Cancer

You are what you eat.  How many times have you heard that phrase?  Chances are you won't turn into a hot dog or potato chip but study after study demonstrates the impact of good nutrition on our health.  Most observational studies demonstrate benefit to making better choices and even a recent randomized controlled trial was able to demonstrate cause & effect benefit from the Mediterranean diet.  In general, the studies looking at fish (oil) have suggested heart disease & memory benefit.  But what about cancer?

Well, in a meta-analysis of 21 prospective cohort studies published less than 2 weeks ago in the British Medical Journal, the authors arrived at a rather interesting conclusion: while fish (and alpha linolenic acid for vegans) consumption was not linked to breast cancer risk, total intake of marine omega-3 poly-unsaturated fatty acids was inversely linked to breast cancer, such that every 0.1g/d of fish oil was linked to 5% risk reduction in breast cancer.

Sure, they looked at 687,770 participants regarding fish intake, 527,392 regarding omega 3 PUFA intake, and 405,592 regarding ALA intake.  So just how does marine-derived omega 3 PUFA get linked to lower breast cancer risk while fish intake doesn't?  Let's remember that the devil is in the details.  Not every fish is chock full of omega 3 PUFA.  Unfortunately, a meal comprised of fish & chips won't help.  And my guess is that farm-raised salmon won't either.  You need the wild-caught salmon that's been feasting naturally in order to get your fill of omega 3 PUFA.  Think about that the next time you look for fish in your grocery store.

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