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

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Nov 7, 2024.

via HealthDay

THURSDAY, Nov. 7, 2024 -- 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."

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

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