Concentrated Fish Oil - Protect Yourself From Prostate Cancer

Over 100 studies in the literature now link prostate cancer with high levels of arachidonic acid in the blood. Arachidonic acid is an omega 6 polyunsaturated fatty acid which is essential in the body. However, an excess of this acid can cause serious health problems such as inflammation, heart disease and prostate cancer.

The latest research shows that arachidonic acid increases the aggressiveness of prostate cancer by being converted into a powerful hormones such as prostaglandins, which in turn feed the cancer.

Concentrated fish oil is rich in EPA and DHA. These fatty acids, also known as omega-3 fatty acids, are very effective at inhibiting the conversion of arachidonic acid into its dangerous metabolites, thereby offering a protective shield against prostate cancer. In one study, each 500 mg of fish that consumed led to a decrease of 24% in metastatic cancers originating from the prostate.

This is not an isolated finding. A very large study, involving 47.866 male health professionals in the United States, and conducted by the National Cancer Institute, the Harvard Medical School, the Harvard school of public health and the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, found a significant protective effect associated with fish oil consumption.

Specifically, men who took at least 470 mg per day of EPA and DHA were 11% less likely to get cancer of the prostate than men who took about 125 mg per day. The researchers found that when the prostate cancer was more advanced, the benefits of concentrated fish oil were even higher

Researchers in New Zealand have backed up these findings. In a study published in the British Journal of cancer in December of 1999, researchers found not only support for the previous findings, but also that the lower one's intake of lycopene, the greater one's chances of developing prostate cancer. Lycopene is the red pigment found in tomatoes.

After many years as a health sciences researcher, I've come to the conclusion that taking a daily supplement of a concentrated fish oil which also contains adequate amounts of lycopene, is the best way to protect oneself from prostate cancer. The key decision is choosing the right supplement for the job. The fish oil capsules should be packaged in an airtight, opaque container, it should be made using fish from the cleanest seas possible, such as those found in the Southern Ocean of New Zealand and should have a certificate of analysis available to the public, ensuring the product's potency and purity.