Breast Cancer Prevention And Omega -3

Breast cancer presently is the most common cancer in Indian women. The Indian Council of Medical Research has found that India is likely to have more than 17.3 lakh new cases of cancer and over 8.8 lakh deaths due to this disease by 2020. Breast cancer is the most common of the types of cancers in India followed by lung cancer and cervical cancer.
The data looks quite frightening. But as we all know that prevention is better than cure why not find out a few ways that can prevent breast cancer. Much research is going on in the field of breast cancer and many studies have shown that increasing the intake of omega-3 fatty acids can help.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Breast Cancer
Fish oil and high dietary consumption of fatty fish has constantly been linked with reduced incidence of breast cancer. As per a study done by scientists at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada and published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry omega-3 fatty acids derived from fish oil can be around eight times more effective for slowing the development of belligerent breast cancer tumors than those from plant-based sources. Your body doesn’t produce omega-3 fatty acids and you must get them from the food you consume. The highest concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids are found in cold water fish, such as salmon, sardines, tuna, herring, cod, mackerel, and shark.
The interest of omega-3 fatty acid and its effects on breast cancer started with a study that showed very low rates of breast cancer among women in Japan and natives of Alaska and Greenland. Here people have diets high in marine omega-3 fatty acid. This connection is reinforced by recent researches that showed that women with a high ratio of omega-3 fatty acids to omega-6 fatty acids had a lower risk of breast cancer. The study focused on omega-3s called EPA and DHA, which are found in fish oil.

Decreasing Breast Cancer Reappearance
The benefits of omega-3 also appear to limit the relapse of breast cancer. A study of over 3,000 women with early stage breast cancer found that those with higher intakes of EPA and DHA from dietary sources had a 25% reduction in the recurrence of their cancer. These women were also shown to have overall improved survival rates. Omega-3 fatty acids are known to reduce inflammation in the body. Many cancers have been linked to chronic inflammation and that is how a diet rich in omega 3 helps fight cancer. The exact way that omega-3 constrain breast cancer growth is not completely clear but there is evidence for more than a few different possible paths. The breast cancer cell when incubated with DHA and EPA lessen cell proliferation, and encourages cell death. It needs to be noted that normal breast cells are not sensitive to similar concentrations of EPA or DHA.

Omega 3 and Cancer Survival
It has been observed that an Omega -3 rich diet helps many cancer patient survivors in numerous ways. Various studies have proved the ability of omega-3 fatty acids to reduce pain and chronic inflammation.

These benefits are extended to cancer patients as well. Omega -3 is known to reduce stress, help in sleep and promote healthy hair growth and dry skin. Having an omega-3 rich diet helps cancer survivors to sleep well, be less stressed and improve the skin and hair quality.
Though more research is needed in this field, but we can safely say that Omega-3 does more good than harm in case of breast cancer patients. Omega-3 essential fatty acids are necessary for normal human growth and development. The fatty acids that help most in breast cancer prevention, treatment and survival are EPA and DHA, both come from cold water fatty fish. Other sources are algae and krill, some plants and nut oils.
You can also get EPA and DHA in the form of fish oil capsules, but you should only take supplements under the supervision of your healthcare provider because of possible side effects and interactions with medications. If you do take fish oil supplements, buy them from reputable company that certify their products are free of heavy metals, such as mercury, lead and cadmium.

Increase Your Omega 3 For A Robust Mental Health

Omega-3 is one of the most popular supplements worldwide. This essential fatty acid is found mainly in fatty fish like sardines, anchovies, mackerel and salmon and certain marine algae. Fish oil contains two forms of omega-3 fatty acids — eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
Almost everyone knows about the heart health and skin benefits of Omega 3 but Omega Boost Active Softgel also has an incredible impact on the brain, especially for mild memory loss, depression and anxiety.

How Do Omega-3s Affect Mental Health?

  • Omega 3 for Brain Development in Babies: Omega-3 fatty acids are important structural components of neural cell membranes. Studies have proved that the  consumption of omega-3 fatty acids is extremely vital during pregnancy as they are critical building blocks of fetal brain and retina. It has been confirmed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) that omega-3 fats are quite beneficial to the eye and cognitive development in babies. A review published in Nature scientific journal described two studies that showed neuro development scores were better in babies whose mothers ate good levels of oily fish. There are innumerable studies that highlight that infant development is enhanced from intake of optimum levels of DHA. Therefore,
    new babies through infancy and into childhood must have access to DHA through food.
  • Omega 3 for Depression
    It has been seen that depression is less common in tropical nations where people eat large amounts of fish. This has led scientists to believe that fish oils may prevent and/or treat depression and other mood disorders. Omega 3 fish oils have an enormous impact on the well-being of our brain. It checks
    inflammation and keeps the cells fluids which enables communication between neurons functional and effective. The American Psychiatric Association endorses Omega 3 as a supplementary treatment for clinical depression and also recommends Omega 3 for ailments like schizophrenia, borderline
    personality disorder and ADHD in children.  Gómez-Pinilla, a member of UCLA’s Brain Research Institute and Brain Injury Research Center says that, Omega-3 fatty acids provide many benefits, including improving learning and memory and helping to fight against such mental disorders as depression and mood disorders, schizophrenia, and dementia. [Source: Science Daily].
  • Omega 3 for Anxiety
    Some people are more prone to stress and anxiety than others. Studies have shown that deficiency of Omega 3 can be a major cause of raised anxiety levels. Few studies have established that omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids may have a beneficial effect for sufferers of anxiety disorders. In the Brazilian Longitudinal
    Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil), a population-based cohort study on diet and mental health, an association between anxiety disorders and consumption of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) was made. The study had a cross-sectional design, with a total sample of 12,268 adults and it was found that higher omega-3 intake was associated with decreased instances of anxiety. The British Journal of Nutrition also revealed supplementing the diet with fish oils aids lessen adrenal activation, caused by high levels of mental stress.
  • Omega 3 for Memory Loss and Alzheimer’s disease: Alzheimer’s disease is an ailment characterised by progressive loss of memory, reasoning, language and other cognitive functions. With no sure- shot medical cure, right now lifestyle changes and dietary variations have become a very important part of Alzheimer’s awareness and prevention programs. Ongoing researches suggest that omega-3 fatty acids may act as a possible protection factor for memory loss. In this context a research based article has been published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. This study draws an important co-relation between brain functions and Omega -3 intake. From the available evidence, it’s quite obvious that eating fish regularly as part of a balanced diet could reduce the age-related risk of cognitive decline and improve other aspects of general health. Combined with a healthy lifestyle, a positive attitude we believe that Omega 3 can really support a vigorous mental health and is a promising natural treatment for mood disorders. The simplest way is to incorporate more seafood, fatty fish and nuts into your daily diet. You can also add a well-known omega-3 supplement to your daily routine.

Can Omega 3 Fatty Acid Benefit in Obesity?

Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health and life. As per WHO (World Health Organisation) in the year 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults across the world were overweight. Of these over 650 million were obese. 41 million children under the age of 5 and 340 million children and adolescents aged 5-19 were overweight or obese in 2016. The American Medical Association recognises obesity as a disease and considers it a major public health problem.

Obesity increases morbidity and most obese people are at risk of heart attacks, strokes, Diabetes, musculo-skeletal disorders, especially osteoarthritis and even cancers. Obesity is not good and can be prevented but what role can omega 3 rich diet play in your weight loss program? Let’s find out.

What is Omega 3?
Omega 3 fatty acids are a group of healthy polyunsaturated fats. They are essential fatty acids and cannot be produced in the body so one needs to consume them through diet. The three main omega 3
fatty acids are: alpha linoleic acid (AHA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid(EPA).
DHA is a vital component of the cell membranes of retina and the brain. Omega 6 is the other essential fatty acids that our body needs, it causes inflammation and keeps us safe but to much of Omega 6 can be very harmful. But the modern diet has too much of omega 6 and very little of omega 3 and this increases the risk of developing diseases like heart problems, type 2 diabetes and even obesity. That is why the one needs to increase omega 3 intake either through diet or as supplements.

How Does Omega 3 Help in Obesity?
Fat is something obese people always want to stay away from but in case of Omega 3 fatty acids it’s just the opposite. Omega 3 may not be directly responsible for weight loss but is does help the obese
people. Research has shown that obese people have lesser Omega 3 in their bodies as compared to Omega 6 leading to more health complications. The main weight-loss benefit of this healthy fat is, in overweight and obese people it helps to-
 Improve glucose sensitivity
 Decrease insulin resistance
 Lessen markers of inflammation
 Speeds up fat oxidation by stimulating a precise receptor in the liver that affects fat

Another way fish oil omega-3s helps in weight loss is by improving your metabolism. Higher metabolic rate, means you burn more calories burn and that in turn makes it easier to lose weight. A recent study found that the healthy adult, who took 3 grams of fish oil per day for 12 weeks, had the metabolic rate augmented by an average of 5.3%. It has also been proved that Omega-3s lowers risk of stroke,
cardiovascular problems, joint pain and reduces inflammation, a major contributing factor to obesity. All this means that including some fish oil into your daily diet is actually a very good idea as it will not only improve your overall health but also aid in weight management.