Combined Vitamin D Omega
Objective: The aim of this study was to test the individual and combined benefit of vitamin D, omega-3, and a simple home strength exercise program on the risk of any invasive cancer.
Design: The DO-HEALTH trial is a three-year, multicenter, 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design double-blind, randomized-controlled trial to test the individual and combined benefit of three public health interventions.
Setting: The trial was conducted between December 2012 and December 2017 in five European countries.
Participants: Generally healthy community-dwelling adults 70 years were recruited.
Interventions: Supplemental 2000 IU/day of vitamin D3, and/or 1 g/day of marine omega-3s, and/or a simple home strength exercise programme compared to placebo and control exercise.
Main outcome: In this pre-defined exploratory analysis, time-to-development of any verified invasive cancer was the primary outcome in an adjusted, intent-to-treat analysis.
Results: In total, 2,157 participants were randomized. Over a median follow-up of 2.99 years, 81 invasive cancer cases were diagnosed and verified. For the three individual treatments, the adjusted hazard ratios were 0.76 for vitamin D3, 0.70 for omega-3s, and 0.74 for SHEP. For combinations of two treatments, adjusted HRs were 0.53 for omega-3s plus vitamin D3 0.56 for vitamin D3 plus SHEP and 0.52 for omega-3s plus SHEP. For all three treatments combined, the adjusted HR was 0.39 .
Any Verified Invasive Cancer
Among 2,157 participants and 5,562.4 person-years of follow-up , 119 invasive cancer events were self-reported during the in-person interviews every 3 months . Of those, 29 could not be verified with a medical report, and for three cases, the independent physician committee could not decide if the neoplasm was benign or malignant. Furthermore, for six reported cancer cases, a medical report verified a noncancerous nature of the neoplasm. This left 81 cases with verified invasive cancer for the main intent-to-treat analysis.
FIGURE 1. Flow chart cancer cases DO-HEALTH.
Given that there was no significant effect modification of the treatment effects by pre-defined subgroups, we did not proceed with subgroup analyses .
Fish And Prostate Cancer Risk: Fact Or Fiction
Several scientific studies have found a reduction in prostate cancer associated with increased omega-3intake.1-11A recent report purportedly showed the opposite.12
This report was based on a single blood test of plasma fatty acids in a group of 834 men who were followed up to six years to assess prostate cancer risk . A smaller group of 75 men was followed up to nine years to assess only high-grade prostate cancer risk.
The results showed that slightly higher omega-3 plasma percentages from this single blood test were associated with a greater risk of low-grade and high-grade prostate cancers over the multi-year follow-up.
This report was turned into news stories with headlines blaring Omega-3 fatty acids may raise prostate cancer risk.
Omitted from the media frenzy was the fact that this study was not about fish oil supplement users. The authors admitted they did not know how the study participants achieved what turned out to be very low omega-3 plasma percentages in all groups.
In fact, omega-3 plasma levels were only about 40% of what would be expected in health conscious people taking the proper dose of fish oil.12,13 The insufficient levels of plasma omega-3s in all the study subjects were overlooked by the media. Had these very low plasma levels of omega-3s been recognized, it would have been apparent that this report had no meaning for those who boost their omega-3 consumption through diet and supplements.
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Fish Oil Increases Risk Of Prostate Cancer
A new study has been making its rounds online that suggests a connection between omega-3 fats and prostate cancer risk. Since fish oil is an enriched source of omega-3 fats, many have taken this study to mean that fish oil causes prostate cancer. Is this true, or possibly just another case of the research literature being sensationalized in the popular media in a grab for headlines? Let us examine.
The study in question is one that appears to be a study based off of the SELECT trials which initially did not find a protective effect of supplementation on prostate cancer, but say an increased risk associated with vitamin E occurred during prolonged follow-up. This led to the current study.
A new study found that fish oil supplementation is associated with increased risk for increased prostate cancer. The study was a observational, and used participants from a previous large scale intervention called SELECT.
Green Tea: Questions And Answers
In This Section
Tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. The way tea leaves are processed determines whether green tea, black tea, or oolong tea is made. Green tea is made by steaming and drying the leaves.
The health benefits studied in green tea are thought to be from compounds called polyphenols. Polyphenols are a group of plant chemicals that include catechins . Catechins make up most of the polyphenols in green tea and vary based on the source of the tea leaves and how they are processed. This makes it hard to identify most of the chemical factors linked to the health benefits of green tea.
Some studies have suggested that green tea may protect against heart and blood vessel disease.
People usually drink green tea or take it as a dietary supplement.
For information on laboratory and animal studies done using green tea, see the Laboratory/Animal/Preclinical Studies section of the health professional version of Prostate Cancer, Nutrition, and Dietary Supplements.
Clinical trials
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In Vitro Cell Culture Experiment
PC3 and DU145 human prostate cancer cell lines were directly purchased from the ATCC and cultured in EMEM with 20% FBS . TRAMP-C2 cells were obtained from the ATCC and cultured in DMEM media 5% FBS added with 5% NUserum growth medium supplement , 0.03% insulin and 0.01 nmol/L dihydrotestosterone . All cell lines used in experiments were Mycoplasmas-free and regularly tested using PCR. Cells were cultured for 812 passages after been thawed. For cell proliferation assay 12,500 cells/well were seeded in 12-well plates. The day after, cells were treated with 6.12 and 12.5 mol/L MAGEPA and MAGAA along with HOSO and vehicle control . MAGDHA was used at 3 mol/L because cell death was observed at higher concentration. Proliferation was measured by cell count using Cytation-5 scanner plate . For spheroids assay, 1,500 cells were plated on agarose pre-coated 96-well plates to promote cellcell adhesion, plates were swirled and the next day each well contained a single spheroid mass. Tumor spheroid size was assessed via bright field imaging using Zeiss Axio Vert or Motic microscope. Spheroid diameter was measured every 48 hours and media changed at the same frequency. For the endothelial cell tube formation assay, immortalized human umbilical vein endothelial vascular cells cells, kindly provided by Dr. Olivier Barbier , were seeded on Matrigel . HUVECs were incubated with serum-free conditioned media from prostate cancer cells pretreated with MAGEPA or control HOSO.
Clinically Relevant Dose Of Purified 3 Fatty Acids Reduces Prostate Tumor Growth
End point fatty acid profiles were generated from RBC membranes and prostate tumor tissues samples . Both RBC and tumors were significantly enriched for DHA and EPA following targeted supplementation. MAGAA-supplemented mice showed no significant change in AA levels compared with HOSO but displayed marked increase of LC6:LC3 ratio. Conversely, MAGDHA and MAGEPA supplementation significantly decreased LC6:LC3 ratios in RBC membranes and tumor samples . Overall, the results confirmed that a clinically relevant dose of a pure fatty acid can be accumulated in tumors and impacts prostate cancer growth.
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Questions To Ask Your Health Care Provider About Cam
When considering complementary and alternative therapies, patients should ask their health care provider the following questions:
- What side effects can be expected?
- What are the risks related to this therapy?
- What benefits can be expected from this therapy?
- Do the known benefits outweigh the risks?
- Will the therapy affect conventional treatment?
- Is this therapy part of a clinical trial?
- If so, who is the sponsor of the trial?
- Will the therapy be covered by health insurance?
What Did The Research Really Find
The researchers, led by Dr Alan Kristal at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in the US, used data and specimens collected from men for another study. This trial was designed to test whether selenium and vitamin E reduced prostate cancer risk. Kristals researchers analysed blood plasma omega-3 levels in 834 men who had subsequently been diagnosed with prostate cancer and compared this to 1393 men from the study with similar characteristics who did not have prostate cancer. The researchers found an association between omega-3 levels and prostate cancer. This was reported as omega 3 increases your cancer risk.
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What Research Has Found About Omega
Two recent important studies on omega-3 fatty acids found that people who took omega-3 supplements did not have lower risks of having cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks or strokes.
The STRENGTH study looked at the effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplements in people who already had high risks of having cardiovascular events. This randomized trial included more than 13,000 people who were randomly assigned to take omega-3 supplements or a placebo. Between the two groups, there were no significant differences of major cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks or strokes, after three and a half years of follow- up. The authors concluded that their trial results did not support using omega-3 fatty acid supplements to reduce these risks.
Also, the DO-HEALTH clinical trial tested whether vitamin E, omega-3s, and/or strength-training exercises improved the health of more than 2,100 older adults. The study found that none of these interventions, including omega-3s, improved blood pressure, which is indicative of cardiovascular health.
Earlier studies also had similar findings. For example, in 2019 the VITAL study of supplements found that taking omega-3 supplements did not lead to lower risks of cardiovascular events. A 2018 analysis of clinical trials looked at data of nearly 78,000 patients with a history of heart disease, stroke, or diabetes and found no association between omega-3 fatty acids and a reduced risk of heart disease or major vascular events.
Vitamin D: Questions And Answers
In This Section
A persons vitamin D level is checked by measuring the amount of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the blood.
Vitamin D is made by the body when exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D may also be eaten in food or taken in dietary supplements.
For information on laboratory and animal studies done using vitamin D, see the Laboratory/Animal/Preclinical Studies section of the health professional version of Prostate Cancer, Nutrition, and Dietary Supplements.
Population studies and clinical trials have been done to study the effects of vitamin D on prostate cancer. The results of these studies have been mixed. Some studies have shown a link between Vitamin D levels and prostate cancer, and others have not. There is not enough evidence to know whether vitamin D can prevent prostate cancer.
Combined studies
Population studies
Clinical trials
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How To Use Fish Oil
Although you may expect fish oil to be a liquid, its available in softgel form. You can generally find fish oil supplements at your local pharmacy or grocery store.
Its important to remember that the omega-3s in the fish oil are whats important. A standard 1,000-milligram dose of fish oil only contains about 300 milligrams of omega-3s. A 500-milligram dose of omega-3s is considered average. To meet the average dose, you may need to take more than one fish oil softgel.
If youre interested in adding fish oil to your regimen, you should meet with your doctor. They can help guide you through the process and discuss any potential risks.
Magepa Blunts Vegf Synthesis And Cancer Growth In An Avascular Tumor Spheroid Assay
Cancer cells promote de novo angiogenesis to sustain their unlimited growth. To reconcile the tumor-specific anti-angiogenic phenotype of MAGEPA, we tested for a growth factordependent effect of MAGEPA in TRAMP-C2 cells. First, we observed that serum-deprivation induced an increase in VEGF level, a bona fide pro-angiogenic signaling molecule . More importantly, MAGEPA treatment restrained the ability of TRAMP-C2 cells to stimulate VEGF expression in serum-deprived condition, suggesting that MAGEPA was directly restraining the paracrine activity of cancer cells to foster tumor angiogenesis . Next, we tested whether MAGEPA was sufficient to alter in vitro tumor cell growth independently of vasculature. Using an avascular spheroid assay, we observed that TRAMP-C2 spheroid tumor growth was blocked by MAGEPA in a dose-dependent manner . This effect on tumor growth was confirmed in 3 fatty acid desaturase 1 expressing TRAMP-C2 cells , which convert 6 in 3 fatty acids. The resulting increase of endogenous 3 fatty acid levels reversibly reduced prostate cancer cell growth , blocked tumor spheroid growth without affecting cell viability , altogether supporting that 3 fatty acids can directly hinder prostate tumor cell growth. VEGF secretion by spheroids was also affected by MAGEPA treatment .
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Benefit Clearly Outweighs Risk For Fish Oil Supplementation Among Men
Overwhelming evidence currently available strongly favors fish oil supplementation for most aging humans.
Fish oil and greater marine omega-3 intake have repeatedly and consistently been shown to reduce cardiovascular risk across multiple types of studies. For example:
A randomized, placebo-controlled trial found 1,800mg of combined EPA plus DHA was associated with a 10% lower rate of cardiac events, 12% lower rate of non-fatal infarctions, and an almost 11% lower rate of cardiac deaths.47
In a large intervention study, 18,000 patients were randomized to receive either a statin medication alone or a statin plus 1,800mg of EPA-fish oil daily. After five years, those with a history of coronary artery disease had a 19% lower rate of major coronary events in the statin-plus EPA-fish oil group compared to the statin-only group.48
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with chronic hemodialysis patients found that 1,700mg of omega-3 fatty acids daily was associated with a 70% reduction in the relative risk of myocardial infarction.49
A randomized, controlled trial using 3,300mg of EPA and DHA found a trend toward lower cardiovascular event occurrence with fish oil supplementation. Seven cardiovascular events occurred in the placebo group while only two cardiovascular events occurred in the fish oil-supplemented group during the study.50
A 2008 meta-analysis found a significant reduction in death from cardiac causes with fish oil supplementation.58
Prostate Cancer Nutrition And Dietary Supplements Patient Version
On This Page
Complementary and alternative medicine is a form of treatment used in addition to or instead of standard treatments.
In the United States, about 1 out of every 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. It is the most second-most common cancer in men in the United States. CAM use among men with prostate cancer is common. Studies of why men with prostate cancer decide to use CAM show that their choice is based on medical history, beliefs about the safety and side effects of CAM compared to standard treatments, and a need to feel in control of their treatment.
CAM treatments used by men with prostate cancer include certain foods, dietary supplements, herbs, vitamins, and minerals.
Different types of research have been done to study the use of CAM in prostate cancer. These study types include the following:
CAM treatments have been studied to see if their use lowers the risk of prostate cancer, kills prostate cancer cells, or lowers the risk that cancer will come back after treatment. Most of these studies used prostate-specific antigen levels to find out whether the treatment worked. This is a weaker measure of how well the treatment works than direct measures, such as fewer new cases of prostate cancer, or smaller tumor size or lower rate of recurrence after treatment for prostate cancer.
This PDQ summary has sections about the use of specific foods and dietary supplements to prevent or treat prostate cancer:
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Modulation Of Prostate Cancer Genetic Risk By Omega
1Department of Cancer Biology, 2Department of Pathology, 3Department of Biochemistry, 4Comprehensive Cancer Center, and 5Department of Biostatistical Science, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA. 6Laboratory of Food Biotechnology, School of Food Science and Technology, Southern Yangtze University, Wuxi, Peoples Republic of China. 7Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA. 8Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Address correspondence to: Yong Q. Chen, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157, USA. Phone: 713-7655 Fax: 713-7660 E-mail: .
Find articles byBerquin, I.in: |PubMed |
1Department of Cancer Biology, 2Department of Pathology, 3Department of Biochemistry, 4Comprehensive Cancer Center, and 5Department of Biostatistical Science, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA. 6Laboratory of Food Biotechnology, School of Food Science and Technology, Southern Yangtze University, Wuxi, Peoples Republic of China. 7Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA. 8Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Find articles byMin, Y.in:JCI |PubMed |