Fish oil helps prevent breast cancer

By Jimmy Downs

Women whose mothers used a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids from fish during pregnancy and lactation may have a lower risk of breast cancer compared to those who whose mothers used a diet high in omega 6 fatty acids, a new study suggests.

Taiwanese scientists H.M. Su and colleagues reported in the Nov 30 2009 of Journal of Nutrition and Biochemistry that the timing of dietary fat intake may modify breast cancer risk.

They found a high omega-6 fatty acid rich diet used by pregnant and lactating rats raised the breast cancer risk in their female offspring while use of fish oil high omega-3 fatty acids may help reduce the risk of breast cancer boosted by consuming a diet high in omega-6 fat.

Specifically, the scientists found in their study that female rats whose mothers used a high omega 6 fat diet supplemented with fish oil were less likely to acquire carcinogen-induced breast cancer than those whose mothers used a high omega 6 fat without the fish oil supplementation.

They also discovered that high omega-6 fat diet used during pregnancy raised a greater risk of breast cancer in female offspring than a high omega 6 fat diet used by the mother during lactation.

Fish oil supplementation during puberty or adulthood does not reduce carcinogen-induced breast cancer risk.