By Dr. Mercola -
Omega-3 rich fish oil is one of the most well-researched substances on the market. Its wide ranging health benefits have been repeatedly proven, and animal-based omega-3 is one of the few supplements I recommend for virtually everyone to improve overall health.
But omega-3 fat, naturally found in salmon and krill, which are both excellent sources, has received some undeservedly bad press coverage lately. You may have seen some of the following headlines:
Link Between Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Increased Prostate Cancer Risk Confirmed (Science Daily1)
Omega-3 Supplement Taken By Millions 'Linked to Aggressive Prostate Cancer' (Huffington Post2)
Men who take omega-3 supplements at 71% higher risk of prostate cancer(NY Daily News3)
Omega-3 supplements may trigger prostate cancer (Nursing Times4)
Hold the salmon: Omega-3 fatty acids linked to higher risk of cancer (Time Magazine5)
These headlines are perfect examples of gross misreporting of science by the media, and it is instances like this that demonstrate why you cannot trust the conventional press to keep you informed about health. In the words of Jonny Bowden,6 PhD, CNS, the media’s reporting on this particular study is “disgraceful, incompetent, and scientifically illiterate.” I couldn’t agree more.
The study raising all this hoopla was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute7 on July 10. This case-cohort study8 examined associations between omega-3 levels in blood and prostate cancer risk among participants in the "Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial," also known as SELECT.9
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