<p>Hello, wondering what everyone else thought of this latest study? </p>
<p>I actually had both my husband and son stop taking it as soon as I saw it.</p>
<p>[Fish</a> oils linked to higher risk of prostate cancer | TIME.com](<a href=“http://healthland.time.com/2013/07/11/hold-the-salmon-omega-3-fatty-acids-linked-to-higher-risk-of-cancer/]Fish”>Fish oils linked to higher risk of prostate cancer | TIME.com)</p>
<p>I saw the article, too, and passed it along to my husband, who is a research chemist at a major pharmaceutical and is taking fish oil.</p>
<p>He stopped taking it.</p>
<p>The study did not include men who were taking fish oil supplements. In fact, the levels of omega 3s measured in the study participants was very low across the board. Much lower than you would see from even low dose fish oil users and a fraction of the levels seen in fish eating populations like Japanese men – where prostate cancer rates are low.</p>
<p>How this study translated into a headline that “fish oil causes cancer” is pretty tough to comprehend. It really highlights the abysmal way the media and the research community work together to confuse the hell out of people about health and fitness.</p>
<p>Because the levels of omega 3 measured were so low across the board, the difference in levels between the cancer and non-cancer groups was miniscule.</p>
<p>Very questionable study. Even if they had studied men who actually used fish oil and found an association with prostrate cancer that has not been seen in hundreds of previous studies, there’s a bigger issue. Almost nobody dies of prostate cancer. So, what do you chose: a slightly higher risk of prostate cancer or a higher risk of cardiovascular disease that is one of the biggest killers?</p>
<p>I look on the bright side. The price of the fish oil capsules I buy probably just went down. :)</p>
<p>On the other hand, as time goes on, the evidence that omega-3s protect against heart disease seems to get less and less impressive. </p>
<p>[Omega</a> 3 Fatty acids and cardio… [Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes. 2012] - PubMed - NCBI](<a href=“Omega 3 Fatty acids and cardiovascular outcomes: systematic review and meta-analysis - PubMed”>Omega 3 Fatty acids and cardiovascular outcomes: systematic review and meta-analysis - PubMed)</p>
<p>[Association</a> between omega-3 fatty acid supplementation … [JAMA. 2012] - PubMed - NCBI](<a href=“Association between omega-3 fatty acid supplementation and risk of major cardiovascular disease events: a systematic review and meta-analysis - PubMed”>Association between omega-3 fatty acid supplementation and risk of major cardiovascular disease events: a systematic review and meta-analysis - PubMed)</p>
<p>So why spend money on fish oil supplements at all?</p>
<p>Taking fish oil helps my cholesterol, which keeps my doctor from pushing statins on me. My H (also a research chemist) is still taking fish oil. </p>
<p>I don’t think any one study would cause me to change what I am doing. How many times do you see studies show something is bad for you, then later shown to be good for you?</p>
<p>How about just eating fish?</p>
<p>Without digging up the receipts, I think the last batch of fish oil I bought cost me about 25 cents a day for the four capsules I take (4800 mg), so it’s not a major expense.</p>
<p>I don’t know for sure that it does anything good for me; however, the preponderance of evidence suggests that higher levels of omega 3 and lower levels of omega 6 (vegetable oils) are associated with beneficial things. My cholesterol ratios started improving pretty dramatically when I began taking fish oil and fiber and have stayed exceptionally good ever since. So, I figure, if it ain’t broke, why fix it… I guess I could stop taking the fish oil and see what happens to my outstanding HDL and triglyceride numbers/ratios after a year. Or, I could just keep doing what I’m doing and leave well enough alone… :)</p>
<p>I take four supplements daily: fish oil, fiber, Vitamin D, and a multivitamin. I figure that all four fall in the range of harmless to maybe doing some good. I think the case for vitamin D is probably the most compelling, since I live far enough north that it is almost impossible for me to make any from sun exposure (although I have backed off on the sunscreen in an effort to make at least a little bit in the summer time).</p>
<p>On the oil front, I try to be extremely healthy. Zero transfats. Virtually no vegetable oils. I cook entirely with olive oil, butter, lard, and bacon grease.</p>
<hr>
<p>If you really believe this sensational new Omega 3 prostate cancer study, then you’ve got to stop eating fish. The levels of omega 3s in these study participants were so low that their “increased cancer risk” was really associated with levels you would see eating fish maybe once a week.</p>