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Health News and ResearchOmega-3's Breast Cancer Protection Mechanism ExplainedResearchers investigated the reasons why
Omega-3 fatty acids
appear to protect against breast cancer and found that these
fish-oil derived substances enable two tumor suppressor genes to
work efficiently. These studies were reported in the March and
April 2002 British Journal of Nutrition.
The researchers found that omega-3 fats, found in the fish-oil derived EPA and DHA fatty acids, affect the tumor suppressor genes BRCA1 (breast cancer gene 1) and BRCA2 (breast cancer gene 2). When functioning properly, these two tumor suppressor genes help repair DNA damage, warding off tumor development. However, in 1994, researchers discovered that mutations in these two genes are linked to a higher risk of developing both breast and ovarian cancer. Five percent of all breast cancer cases occur in women with BRCA1 mutations. The
researchers in the current study treated breast cell lines with
both omega-6 and omega-3 fats, then observed the expression of
BRCA1 and BRCA2. The Omega-3 fats DHA and EPA from fish oil
together blocked increases in BRCA1 and BRCA2 while omega-6 fats
did not.
Another recent study offered another suggestion as to how omega-3's protect against cancer. The researchers in this study found that omega-3 fats activate receptors that can influence breast cancer cell growth. References:British
Journal of Nutrition. April 2002; 87( 4): 281-289.
Key concepts: Omega-3 fatty acids, EPA, DHA, breast cancer |
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