Fish Oil Supplements Can Lower Breast Cancer Risk

Filed in archive Breast Cancer on July 9, 2010

© Stephen Cummings

According to a preliminary study reported in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, intake of fish oil supplements can help reduce the risk of breast cancer.

In the study of 35,016 older women with no history of breast cancer, those who reported currently taking fish oil supplements on a regular basis had a 32% reduced risk for developing invasive ductal breast cancer, compared with women who did not take fish oil supplements.

Though not fully understood, the effect of fish oil on breast cancer may be related to it's strong anti-inflammatory properties. As some research suggests that inflammation plays a role in the development of breast and other cancers, some studies have not found a link between eating more fatty fish and breast cancer risk. However, it could be that the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil supplements is much higher than what is normally found in the diet.