What does Dr. Bernstein think about the article on Omega 3 and prostate cancer

Fish consumption and prostate cancer risk

This has been a busy week for the anti-omega 3 folks as I'm sure you have all heard in the press: The authors concluded there is an association between high levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood and high grade prostate cancer (this "study" did not measure actual intake, via supplements or diet, so as of this week after watching the news, eating oily fish or taking supplements is now dangerous if you believe the authors and much of the media. 

Dr Alan Kristal, one of the authors said the levels of omega-3 linked to the increased cancer risk would be reached by taking just one supplement a day, or three or four meals of fish such as salmon and mackerel each week. 

This researcher stated: "As we do more and more of these studies – and I have been involved in them most of my career – we find high doses of supplements have no effect or increase the risk of the disease you are trying to prevent."

"There is not really a single example of where taking a supplement lowers chronic disease risk."

It is obvious where Dr. Kristal's beliefs are in the whole nutritional arena simply by reading his commentary.

To add my own 2 cents, in reviewing what I can about this study critically, to best measure cause and effect, you have to study 2 groups of people: one group receives the drug (or supplement) and the group receives placebo. You determine what you are looking to compare in advance as a primary endpoint and you measure that and any secondary endpoints. Dr. Kristal's study did none of this. 

They took some 800 patients with known prostate cancer and measured their blood omega 3 levels and they compared them with blood levels from patients in a larger group that did not have prostate cancer and the prostate cancer group had higher omega 3 blood levels (no one checked to see if the prostate cancer group started or increased supplementation or ate more fish after diagnosis....or anything....I think with this kind of study, you can draw any conclusions that you wish to suit your fancy. It should also be noted that one of the co-authors of this study, Dr. Theodore Brasky previously commented to Consumer Lab acknowledging a 2010 study that showed that fish consumption was associated with a large reduction of late-state or fatal prostate cancer. (Szymanski, Am J Clin Nutr 2010) . I don't remember any media coverage when this study was released!

For those men who are now afraid to eat fish or take fish oil supplements, all I can say is I'm sorry you have been frightened by sloppy research.

I'm happily continuing my omega-3's and all my other supplements, because I know what is good for me based on the cumulative good research and would never be swayed by substandard research and their conclusions that simply grab headlines.