Health News: Flawed Study Leads To Fish Oil Confusion
The
January 25, 2006, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association contained
an article that came to the conclusion that omega-3 fatty acids have no benefit
in preventing cancer. A closer read of the same article presents a very different
interpretation, according to Dr. Barry Sears, creator of the Zone Diet and one
of the leading authorities on the use of high-dose fish oil. “This
study is obviously flawed since the levels of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids they
studied were basically at placebo levels,” Dr. Sears said. Another
problem with the authors’ conclusion is the nature of the fatty acids used
in various studies, Dr. Sears said. “Their review of
the literature combined both studies on short-chain omega-3 fatty acids, such
as alpha linolenic acid found in plant sources, as well as long-chain omega-3
fatty acids, such as eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, found only
in marine sources,” Dr. Sears said. “Animal studies clearly indicate
that short-chain omega-3 fatty acids are inferior to the long-chain omega-3 fatty
acids in terms of cancer benefits.”
The most telling
statements, however, come from the authors of the study, he said. They state that
their conclusion “appears to contrast with the findings from studies of laboratory
animals”. The authors continue with an assumption “that the high doses
of omega-3 fatty acids frequently used in animal studies could produce bleeding
if administered to humans.” Their sole reference to support that assumption
comes from another meta-analysis of animal studies that has nothing to do with
humans.
“There are numerous clinical studies in humans that exceptionally
high levels of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids not only don’t cause bleeding,
but are the most effective ‘drug’ to reverse the wasting associated
with advanced cancer,” Dr. Sears said.
These human studies
were never mentioned in this review. “What should be
recommended is to do human clinical studies using the same high levels of long-chain
omega-3 fatty acids that are effective in animal studies. Until that time, the
conclusions of this paper should be considered without merit.” Dr.
Sears is one of the leading authorities on the clinical use of high-dose omega-3
fatty acids as described in his two latest books, The OmegaRx Zone and The Anti-Inflammation
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