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Omega-3s may increase a man's risk of prostate cancer

Category: Prostate

For years experts have said that consuming more omega-3 fatty acids may reduce an individual's risk of developing heart disease. However, a new study has shown that this may increase a man's odds of receiving a positive PSA test for prostate cancer.

Researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center found that men who had the high levels of decosahexaenoic acid, a common form of omega-3 fat, were two and a half times more likely to develop aggressive high-grade prostate cancer than men with the lowest levels.

Conversely, those who had the highest levels of trans fat, which has been shown to cause inflammation and heart disease, had the lowest risk of developing prostate cancer. The researchers said that the seemingly paradoxical findings may indicate that what is good for the heart is not necessarily good for the prostate.

"Our findings turn what we know - or rather what we think we know - about diet, inflammation and the development of prostate cancer on its head and shine a light on the complexity of studying the association between nutrition and the risk of various chronic diseases," said Theodore Braskey, who led the study.