Omega-3s for cancer prevention

Omega-3s from fish is better than flaxseed and other oils for cancer prevention, according to a first-ever University of Guelph study. Prof. David Ma has discovered that marine-based omega-3s are eight times more effective at inhibiting tumour development and growth. This study is the first to compare the cancer-fighting potency of plant- versus marine-derived omega-3s on breast tumour development.

There is evidence that both omega-3s from plants and marine sources are protective against cancer and we wanted to determine which form is more effective. There are three types of omega-3 fatty acids : a-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). ALA is plant-based and found in such edible seeds as flaxseed and in oils, such as soy, canola and hemp oil. EPA and DHA are found in marine life, such as fish, algae and phytoplankton.

The study involved feeding the different types of omega-3s to mice with a highly aggressive form of human breast cancer called HER-2. HER-2 affects 25per cent of women and has a poor prognosis. Researchers exposed the mice to either the plant-based or the marine-based omega-3s, beginning in utero. The mice were exposed to the different omega-3s even before tumours developed, which allowed comparing how effective the fatty acids are at prevention.

EPA and DHA can inhibit breast tumour growth, but no one has looked directly at how effective these omega-3s are compared to ALA, exposure to marine-based omega-3s reduced the size of the tumours by 60 to 70 per cent and the number of tumours by 30 per cent. However, higher doses of the plant-based fatty acid were required to deliver the same impact as the marine-based omega-3s.

Omega-3s prevent and fight cancer by turning on genes associated with the immune system and blocking tumour growth pathways. Humans should consume two to three servings of fish a week to have the same effect. Besides certain foods containing EPA and DHA, supplements and functional foods, such as omega-3 eggs or DHA milk, can offer similar cancer prevention effects.
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Fish consumption linked to higher IQ

Children who eat fish at least once a week sleep better and have IQ scores that are 4 points higher, on average, than those who consume fish less frequently or not at all. Previous studies showed a relationship between omega-3s, the fatty acids in many types of fish and improved intelligence, as well as omega-3s and better sleep. But they've never all been connected before.

This work, conducted by Jianghong Liu, Jennifer Pinto-Martin and Alexandra Hanlon of the School of Nursing and Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor Adrian Raine, reveals sleep as a possible mediating pathway, the potential missing link between fish and intelligence.

For the work, a cohort of 541 9- to 11-year-olds in China, 54 percent boys and 46 percent girls, completed a questionnaire about how often they consumed fish in the past month, with options ranging from "never" to "at least once per week." They also took the Chinese version of an IQ test called the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised, which examines verbal and non-verbal skills such as vocabulary and coding.

Their parents then answered questions about sleep quality using the standardized Children Sleep Habits Questionnaire, which included topics such as sleep duration and frequency of night waking or daytime sleepiness. Finally, the researchers controlled for demographic information, including parental education, occupation and marital status and number of
children in the home.

Analyzing these data points, the Penn team found that children who reported eating fish weekly scored 4.8 points higher on the IQ exams than those who said they "seldom" or "never" consumed fish. Those whose meals sometimes included fish scored 3.3 points higher. In addition, increased fish consumption was associated with fewer disturbances of sleep, which the researchers say indicates better overall sleep quality. Lack of sleep is associated with antisocial behavior; poor cognition is associated with antisocial behavior, fish consumption has positive health benefits. Children should be introduced to it early on.
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