Now fish oil is bad

[boatfishandnature]

There is more to this story for those who would like to read further.
The forbes article says fish oil capsules were not used in the study cited -

Link To Prostate Cancer Brings More Bad News For Fish Oil Story - Forbes

and there is this from Dr Geo -

Something is Fishy about Omega 3′s causing aggressive Prostate Cancer | Dr. Geo's Natural Health Blog

And the JNCI abstract -

Plasma Phospholipid Fatty Acids and Prostate Cancer Risk in the SELECT Trial

Dr. Geo's article above is a fact-based, great critique of the study. Don't miss it!

 

[bjorn2bwild]

Who can you trust for solid health information? Apparently nobody.

Sensationalized drive-by journalism like the NBC and a lesser extent the Forbes article do not help in this regard.
At the very least, they should have made it more clear that the aforementioned studies were not specifically designed to discover whether or not taking fish oil supplements contribute to prostate cancer risk and why that is important. Also a link to the full study, and peer critique should have be included.
The fish oil/prostate cancer link is a good question to ask.

 

[BigNick]

Honestly, we are all suffering from study overload and they each contradict each other, so pick your own poison

The first part of that statement is fairly true. The second isn't really. The problem is mostly with what the reporting does to the study. Very few studies actually show *anything* very formally, but ever since we finally accepted that smoking is bad (which took *lots* of studies over many years, with Big Tobacco fighting every step of the way), the paradigm has been "scientists can tell us what to eat". In most cases the research shows small effect sizes and there are lots of potential confounding factors. If you read the studies, they generally point all this out, but the reporters (and the promoters of the supplements) are looking to push a definite "magic bullet" solution, and lots of consumers are looking to buy such a solution.

For the OP to give up fish oil on the basis of this report would exactly as rational as his or her decision to start taking fish oil in the first place.

 

[Texas Proud]

The first part of that statement is fairly true. The second isn't really. The problem is mostly with what the reporting does to the study. Very few studies actually show *anything* very formally, but ever since we finally accepted that smoking is bad (which took *lots* of studies over many years, with Big Tobacco fighting every step of the way), the paradigm has been "scientists can tell us what to eat". In most cases the research shows small effect sizes and there are lots of potential confounding factors. If you read the studies, they generally point all this out, but the reporters (and the promoters of the supplements) are looking to push a definite "magic bullet" solution, and lots of consumers are looking to buy such a solution.

For the OP to give up fish oil on the basis of this report would exactly as rational as his or her decision to start taking fish oil in the first place.

One of the big problems is that usually they do not tell us actual risk....

So, if there is a risk of .0000001% and it goes up to .000001%, that is a
10X increase in your risk.... but do we really care

 

[harley]

I was able to find this old study I remember from college. It pretty well explains my feeling about these studies.

Two Denver Doctors Get in Their 10 Cents' Worth Against the F.D.A.'s Cancer Warnings : People.com

 

[SJ1_]

but you can now eat salt!

My doc thinks the stuff does wonders for everything, especially joint health.

So I've been popping one a day. It is just fish oil, what's the harm?

Now a new study says it is a prostate cancer risk. I think I give up. Just going to go back to my one a week salmon serving.

Fish oils may raise prostate cancer risks, study confirms - NBC News.com

..the study found, “…the committee found no consistent evidence to support an association between sodium intake and either a beneficial or adverse effect on on most health outcomes.”..

And not getting enough might be bad for you

?The report warns that reducing our salt intake below 1 tsp per day could actually be a negative?

I remb. when eggs were bad for you and how my 96 yr old grand father loved eggs and poured tons of salt on them..

CDC Admits There Is No Benefit In Reducing Salt | WREG.com

 

[ER Eddie]

One of the big problems is that usually they do not tell us actual risk....

So, if there is a risk of .0000001% and it goes up to .000001%, that is a
10X increase in your risk.... but do we really care

Yeah, with a big enough sample size, you can find statistically significant effects in just about anything. Whether those statistically significant effects are actually significant in real world terms is another issue...

As for these studies ... seems like this has been going on for as long as I can remember. One of the lessons I've learned is to never take a single study very seriously. It is the overall pattern of results from multiple studies that matter. Journalists get all excited about the results of a single study ... and then the next study (which contradicts the first) ... etc. It's kind of a circus.

 

[Chuckanut]

Here is another article:

Study: Omega-3 fatty acids linked to higher risk of prostate cancer | Q13 FOX News

I heard an interview with a researcher from the same center, thought it may not be the person quoted in the above article. His recommendation: Eat real fish.

 

[rbmrtn]

Kristal was interviewed on cnbc friday Fish oils may raise prostate cancer risks, study confirms

The study did not look at supplements specifically. If fish consumption is bad that would seem to go against population studies that show low PC with high fish consumption, like much of asia.

This study seems to have an opposite conclusion A 22-y prospective study of fish intake in relation to prostate cancer incidence and mortality

 

[slaternuthink]

Well then, at least half the population can continue to take fish oil supplements with a clear consciense.

 

[bjorn2bwild]

Well then, at least half the population can continue to take fish oil supplements with a clear consciense edit - reckless abandon.

Not so fast.
If you sift through enough studies with a fine enough filter you will find that no one is safe from this menace.

 

[RAE]

Dr. Geo's article above is a fact-based, great critique of the study. Don't miss it!

Several others have refuted the study also. Here is one from Dr. Barry Sears:

fish oil | Zone Diet | Dr. Barry Sears

 

[jflynn4]

Studies have shown that worrying about something killing you leads to higher death rates from stress.

 

[Chuckanut]

Here is an article critical of the study that started this thread.

Experts slam omega-3 link to prostate cancer as 'scaremongering'

According to this article if one believes the study, men should not only reduce Omega-3 consumption, but also start smoking. And drink more alcoholic beverages.

No sure what women should do.

 

[CoolChange]

Here is an article critical of the study that started this thread.

Experts slam omega-3 link to prostate cancer as 'scaremongering'

According to this article if one believes the study, men should not only reduce Omega-3 consumption, but also start smoking. And drink more alcoholic beverages.

No sure what women should do.

Finally, a bit of this study that does seem like a reasonable health plan for me.

 

[timo2]

I suppose it depends upon one's situation. In my case, a higher level of fish oil assists with heart health, and since I've had one heart attack, I'm more interested in that benefit than I am in conflicting studies about prostates. Besides, the way I understand it, every human male, if they live long enough, will have an enlarged prostate. They will have died of some other cause, but still the prostate is enlarged.

 

[timo2]

One other thing: One of the big drivers for people to take the fish oil capsules is Mercury in fish. At my age I'm not sure that matters, but children clearly need limit the mercury. So there are recommended upper limits on the amount of fish to consume a week. What You Need to Know about Mercury in Fish and Shellfish | Outreach & Communication | US EPA

BTW, according to my own personal research (that makes it suspect right there!) , the mercury in the fish came from burning coal the last several hundred years. ON the other hand, if we had not burned that coal, we might not have the technological wherewithal to detect the mercury caused by the coal burning

 

[Notmuchlonger]

Sticking with my bacon plan. It counteracts the fish oil I take in the morning. Then around 3..the tequila plan kicks in. Which probably destroys any good the other two do. Unless a few months from now we get the article on how good tequila is for you..

 

[bld999]

One of John Ioannidis' gems:

"Why Most Published Research Findings Are false" [and he really means it, not a joke]

Why Most Published Research Findings Are False


Open the bacon valve and stand back!

 

[JoeWras]

One of John Ioannidis' gems:

"Why Most Published Research Findings Are false" [and he really means it, not a joke]

Why Most Published Research Findings Are False


Open the bacon valve and stand back!

But, but, but, is this study false too? My head is spinning.

 

[bld999]

I know, he isn't exempt just because it's his idea.

 

[Chuckanut]

Interesting interview on NPR's Science Friday with Dr. Kristal (sp?) the guy who headed up the recent research casting doubt on fish oil supplements.

One quote: "The data on dietary supplements doesn't support the use of Omega-3 fatty acids for anything. I want to emphasize, there is no good data."

Fish Oil: Too Much of a Good Thing?

He went on to talk about balance in nutrition and how difficult it is to do a good study. And he recommends most people just not take any supplements.
He is also getting a lot of unhappy email about this conclusion.

 

[FinanceDude]

And not getting enough might be bad for you[/B]

I am looking into this health secret...........

 

[FinanceDude]

I take fish oil every day. I have been doing that for almost 10 years. I feel better on fish oil than not on it, but YMMV..........