Omega-6 and Omega-3 Fatty Acid Levels Inversely Tied to Cancer Incidence
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
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."
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.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted November 2024
Read this next
Women Have Worse Outcomes Than Men With Beta-Blockers After Acute MI
TUESDAY, Sept. 2, 2025 -- For women with myocardial infarction (MI), beta-blocker therapy is associated with worse outcomes, according to a study published online Aug. 30 in the...
Medical Debt in Collections Persists After Cancer Diagnosis
TUESDAY, Sept. 2, 2025 -- Modest amounts of medical debt in collections persist for years after cancer diagnosis, according to a study published online Aug. 28 in JAMA...
Child's ZIP Code Tied to Odds of Being Injured, Killed by a Firearm
TUESDAY, Sept. 2, 2025 -- Where a child lives is tied to a their odds of being injured or killed by a firearm, according to a study published online Aug. 25...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.