Hi everybody this is Monica Reinagel and you're listening to the

nutrition divas quick and dirty tips for eating well and feeling fabulous

today I want to talk about a recent study that linked omega-3 intake with an increased

risk of prostate cancer. Several of you wrote to ask whether you should be tossing those

fish oil capsules in the trash.

Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington,

recently reported that men with the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids in

their blood had a 44% increase in low-grade prostate cancer and, even scarier, a 71% increase in aggressive prostate cancer.

Before we delve into the details, let me just quickly review what it is that fish and or fish oil are supposed to do for you.

Many, but not all, studies have found that people who regularly eat fish have a lower risk of heart disease.

The general consensus is that the cardio protective benefits of fish and fish oil

are due to the omega-3 fats they contain.

Omega-3s may also confer some protection against certain kinds of brain aging,

cancers, eye disease, and kidney disease.

The American Heart Association, as well as other public health authorities,

recommend eating fish, especially fatty fish like salmon or sardines,

at least twice a week.

And for a long time, many assumed that a daily fish oil capsule

would accomplish the same benefits. Unfortunately this may have been a false

assumption while eating fish seems to be a good idea, research on the benefits of fish

oil supplements has been kind of disappointing. I think this is yet another case where the whole

is more than the sum of its parts. Simply taking a fish oil

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