Identify, target and kill cancer with the help of Omega 3 fish oil even during chemotherapy
April 27th, 2010 at 6:23 am (Health News)
Most people know of the many benefits which omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil can provide. Improved cardiovascular health, blood pressure, cognitive performance, skin, and joint health are just a few. However, omega 3 fish oil also offers significant benefits if a health crisis like cancer emerges.
Studies noting the benefit of omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil in relation to cancer have been going on for many years. Several human trial studies have found that omega 3 oils are not only anti-inflammatory, they also discourage the proliferation of cancer by inhibiting its cellular development and ability to capture blood supply. In short, omega 3 fatty acids act as anti-cancer agents in humans.
Some studies combined omega 3 fish oil with Vitamin D3 and observed interesting cancer-fighting benefits. Other studies found that omega 3 fish oil assists chemotherapy treatments by increasing the sensitivity of chemo-resistant cancer cells and triggering apoptosis (natural cell death) in the cancerous cells.
Dr. Elaine Hardman and Dr. Ivan Cameron conducted research for the American Institute of Cancer Research (AICR) from the University of Texas Health Science Center. They explain this ability of omega 3 fish oil to target chemoresistant cancer cells as follows:
The AICR trials noted that normal healthy cells were unaffected by the omega 3 fatty acids while the cancerous cells regressed and died.
AICR Vice President, Ritva Butrum stated:
In addition, high quality omega 3 fish oil fatty acids were found to reduce side effects related to chemotherapy like dry mouth, sore throat, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and weight loss. Participants using omega 3 fish oil had lower side effects plus improved appetite and energy levels. “Increasing the amount of fish oil in a patient’s diet may delay or eliminate such side-effects,” says Dr. Hardman, “allowing effective doses of chemotherapeutic drugs to be administered with a greater margin of safety than ever before.”
When selecting an omega 3 fish oil there are some important factors to consider. First, small body fish are preferable because they have shorter lives and harbor much lower heavy metal and/or mercury levels. Sardine and anchovy are better sources of high quality omega 3 oil than large fish like cod or krill (which are tiny but lower in omega 3 fatty acids) . An omega 3 fish oil should also have independent laboratory analysis that verifies its content, purity, and potency. Finally, a therapeutic amount of daily omega 3 fish oil is 3 grams (not milligrams). Heart Health™ Essential Omega III Fish Oil with Vitamin E possesses all of these attributes. If you’d prefer a non-capsule omega3, the Might-A-Mins® Spectrum Omega 3 is a delicious, cream,y orange-vanilla, whipped pudding-like option.