Omega-6 and Omega-3 Fatty Acid Levels Inversely Tied to Cancer Incidence

THURSDAY, Nov. 7, 2024 (HealthDay News) — There is a small inverse association between plasma omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and cancer, according to a study published online Oct. 17 in the International Journal of Cancer.

Yuchen Zhang, from the University of Georgia in Athens, and colleagues investigated the associations of plasma omega-3 and omega-6 PUFAs with the incidence of cancer (overall and 19 site-specific cancers). The analysis included 253,138 eligible U.K. Biobank participants followed for 12.9 years.

The researchers found that both omega-6 and omega-3 as percentages of total fatty acids were inversely associated with overall cancer incidence (hazard ratios [95 percent confidence intervals] per standard deviation [SD], 0.98 [0.96 to 0.99] and 0.99 [0.97 to 1.00], respectively). Fourteen of the 19 site-specific cancers available were associated with omega-6 percentage and five were associated with omega-3 percentage, all indicating inverse associations, with the exception that prostate cancer was positively associated with omega-3 percentage (hazard ratio per SD, 1.03; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.01 to 1.05).

“Higher omega-3 and omega-6 levels were associated with lower rates of cancer,” Zhang said in a statement. “These findings suggest that the average person should focus on getting more of these fatty acids in their diets.” 

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