Use of Omega-3 Fatty Acids Tied to Increased Risk of Childhood Allergies and Prostate Cancer

Omega-3 fatty acids, taken as a supplement worldwide, may increase the risk of childhood allergies and prostate cancer, a new study claims

Omega-3 fatty acids, taken as a supplement worldwide, may increase the risk of childhood allergies and prostate cancer, a new study claims.

Newborns with high levels of unsaturated fats in their blood were more prone to develop an allergy than those with lower blood concentrations, according to a probe by three Swedish universities.

Crops Enhanced With Omega-3 Fatty Acids on the Anvil
Indian researchers are on the brink of growing crops enhanced with omega-3 fatty acids even as awareness about nutrition spreads in the society.

"It is already known that unsaturated fatty acids inhibit activation of the immune system. This can be useful when you are old," Agnes Wold, a physician at the clinical microbiology department of Gothenburg's Sahlgrenska University Hospital, said in a statement.

"But the baby's immune system needs to get a kick start, otherwise it does not develop properly," she said.

Previous research has indicated that children who at an early age were given fish, which is famously high in omega-3 fatty acids, were less likely to get an allergy.

Breastfeeding and Omega-3 Fatty Acids Help New Moms Fight Depression
Breastfeeding and the good fats in Omega-3 fatty acids help new moms fight depression, according to a new article.

Another author of the study, food science professor Ann-Sofie Sandberg, cautioned against avoiding fish on the basis of these findings.

"Fish is so much more than just omega-3 fatty acids. One cannot conclude from our study that pregnant women and young children should not eat fish," she said.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids may Help Heal Broken Hearts: Study
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3s) may decrease the inflammation associated with procedures like angioplasty, stenting and bypass surgery, finds study.

Separately, a large study published in Britain's Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that three omega-3 fatty acids were associated with an increase of between 43 and 71 percent in the risk of developing prostate cancer.

The biggest increase in risk was for so-called high-grade prostate cancer, whose tumours are more likely to be fatal.

The study, led by scientists at the US Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, amplifies previous findings in 2011 that suggested these fatty acids play an unexplained role in initiating prostate cancer.

"Recommendations to increase ... (omega-3) intake, in particular through supplementation, should consider its potential risks," said the paper.

In May, an Italian-led study showed that fish oil supplements rich in omega-3 fatty acids were not beneficial for patients at high risk of cardiovascular troubles and already under medication.

Previous clinical trials had suggested the supplements could reduce cardiovascular risks for patients suffering from cardiovascular disease or who had already suffered cardiac arrest.

Source-AFP