Fish Oil News - the latest research links

See the summary of the major symposium on fish oil in June, 2006. Given the historical articles below, I now recommend everyone take fish oil tablets - every day, and many each day when you are mature.

From the Cytokine Bulletin, R&D Systems, fall, 2005

Inflammation is a critical defense mechanism...These processes require tight regulation...Molecules with important roles in inflammation include proinflammatory leukotrienes and prostaglandins. These are produced from conversion of the omega-6 fatty acids...In contrast, it has long been known that omega-3 fatty acids enriched in fish oils have beneficial anti-inflammatory properties...the discovery of ...a receptor provides evidence for a novel mechnanims underlying [fish oil's] anti-inflammatory activity... Adminstration ...suppresses leukocyte infiltration, and proinflammatory cytokine and chemokine production...

Review of the International Research Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Cancer, 2004 1

Helen A. Norman2, Vay Liang W. Go* and Ritva R. Butrum

"More than 400 attendees from 24 different countries... Human health studies have linked higher calorie intakes to increased risk of developing prostate, breast, gastrointestinal tract, and brain cancer... The (n-3) fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid have been shown to inhibit the proliferation of breast and prostate cell lines in vitro and to reduce the risk and progression of these tumors in animal models. However, as discussed by the first speaker in this session, the data from epidemiological studies does not consistently support these findings. Most studies have not shown an association between fish consumption or marine fatty acid intake and risk of hormone-related cancers...  The fourth presentation discussed the potential efficacy of (n-3) fatty acids used in combination with standard therapies to improve cancer treatment outcomes and to suppress cachexia and improve quality of life in cancer patients.

Adler, AJ, and Holub, BJ, "Effect of garlic and fish-oil supplementation on serum lipid and lipoprotein concentrations in hypercholesterolemic men", AJCN 65: 445-50 (1997)

"50 male subjects...900 mg garlic/d + 12 g fish oil/d...In summary, garlic supplementation significantly decreased both total cholesterol and LDL-C whereas fish-oil supplementation significantly decreased triacylglycerol concentrations and increased LDL-C concentrations in hypercholesterolemic men."