A new study published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry concluded that a lifetime diet of omega-3 fatty acids can inhibit breast cancer tumors by 30 per cent. The researchers said “We show that lifelong exposure to omega-3s has a beneficial role in disease prevention–in this case, breast cancer prevention. What’s important is that we have proven that omega-3s are the driving force and not something else.”
In the study, researchers created a novel transgenic mouse that both produces omega-3 fatty acids and develops aggressive mammary tumors. The researchers compared these mice to others genetically modified only to develop aggressive mammary tumors. Thus, researchers had a purely genetic approach to determine effect of lifelong exposure to omega-3s on development of mammary tumors. Mice producing omega -3s developed only two thirds as many tumors and the tumors were 30% smaller when compared to the tumor only group. Researchers concluded “The difference can be solely attributed to the presence of omega-3s in the transgenic mice.”
Tags: breast cancer, omega-3s, prevention, research