Sherrie
21-04-2006, 07:03 AM
Omega-3 Fats Curb the Growth and Spread of Liver Cancer
Two new studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acids could inhibit the growth of liver cancer cells, suggesting that they could be an effective therapy for treating and preventing liver cancers.
Programmed Cell Death
The first study examined the effects omega-3 and omega-6 fats in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Hepatocellular carcinoma accounts for as much as 90 percent of all liver cancers and is usually quickly fatal. The omega-6 fats had no effect on cancer cells, but the omega-3s -- in the form of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) -- induced apoptosis (programmed cellular death).
Works on Two Kinds of Cancer
In the second study, omega-3 fats proved just as effective in treating cholangiocarcinoma tumor cells, an aggressive and fatal type of liver cancer that forms in bile ducts.
A Treatment and a Preventative Measure
The researchers stated that omega-3 fatty acids could not only be an effective therapy for liver cancers but could also protect the liver from steatohepatitis, a chronic liver disease believed to be a precursor to cancer.
RxPG News (http://www.rxpgnews.com/research/cardiology/omega-3-fatty-acids/article_3891.shtml) April 3, 2006
Nutra Ingredients.com (http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?n=66816-omega-dha-cancer) April 4, 2006
Dr. Mercola's Comment:
If you subscribe to my newsletter, you already know how omega-3 fats prevent the spread of prostate cancer. Looks like they may be just as effective for liver cancer.
One of the best things you can do for your health and to reduce your risk of cancer and heart disease is to take a high quality omega-3 oil. This is one of the most non-controversial recommendations to improve your health that I know of.
Fish would be a perfect solution to obtain your omega-3 fats, but I can't recommend it because most all commercial fish have been tainted with mercury and toxic solvents like PCBs for the last few decades.
That is one of the reasons I am so happy to have recently learned about krill oil.
Krill is at the bottom of the food chain and is free of all of the heavy metals like mercury, and PCBs and dioxins that are present in many fish. It is simply one of the most amazing clean source of omega-3 fats.Krill only grow about to one inch or so and are harvested in the pristine clean waters of the Antarctic.
They also are present in a phospholipid form which radically increases their absorption which allows them to work more effectively in your brain. This form virtually eliminates any belching or burping fish oil taste. It also increases absorption so you only need two small capsules a day
If you are interested in the way I now consume my omega-3 oils you can read more about krill oil here.
As for cancer in general, since it is now the number one cause of death for most Americans you will also want to review the detailed checklist I wrote last year to help you radically lower your cancer risk:
1. Control your insulin levels: Make certain that you limit your intake of processed foods and sugars as much as possible.
2. Of course, get appropriate amounts of animal-based omega-3 fats.
3. Get appropriate exercise. One of the primary reasons exercise works is that it drives your insulin levels down. Controlling insulin levels is one of the most powerful ways to reduce your cancer risks.
4. Normalize your vitamin D levels with safe amounts of sun exposure. This works primarily by optimizing your vitamin D level. If you have regular access to sun exposure then you should use fish oil, not cod liver oil, as your primary source of omega-3 fats. Ideally, it would be best to monitor your vitamin D levels.
5. Eat according to your metabolic type. The potent anti-cancer effects of this principle are very much underappreciated. When we treat cancer patients in our clinic this is one of the most powerful anti-cancer strategies we have.
6. Have a tool to permanently erase the neurological short-circuiting that can activate cancer genes. Even the CDC states that 85 percent of disease is caused by emotions. It is likely that this factor may be more important than all the other physical ones listed here, so make sure this is addressed. Energy psychology seems to be one of the best approaches and my particular favorite tool, as you may know, is the Emotional Freedom Technique.
7. Only 25 percent of people eat enough vegetables, so by all means eat as many vegetables as you are comfortable with. Ideally, they should be fresh and organic. However, please understand that, frequently, fresh conventionally grown vegetables are healthier than organic ones that are older and wilted in the grocery store. They are certainly better than no vegetables at all, so don't use that as an excuse. If you are a carb metabolic type you may need up to 300 percent more vegetables than a protein metabolic type.
8. Make sure you are not in the two-thirds of the population who are overweight and maintain an ideal body weight.
9. Get enough high-quality sleep.
10. Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides, household chemical cleaners, synthetic air fresheners and air pollution.
11. Boil, poach or steam your foods, rather than frying or charbroiling them.
Related Articles:
Click here (http://www.mercola.com/2006/apr/20/omega-3_fats_curb_the_growth_spread_of_liver_cancer.htm) for more.
----------------
©Copyright 2006 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Mercola is required.
Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.
Two new studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acids could inhibit the growth of liver cancer cells, suggesting that they could be an effective therapy for treating and preventing liver cancers.
Programmed Cell Death
The first study examined the effects omega-3 and omega-6 fats in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Hepatocellular carcinoma accounts for as much as 90 percent of all liver cancers and is usually quickly fatal. The omega-6 fats had no effect on cancer cells, but the omega-3s -- in the form of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) -- induced apoptosis (programmed cellular death).
Works on Two Kinds of Cancer
In the second study, omega-3 fats proved just as effective in treating cholangiocarcinoma tumor cells, an aggressive and fatal type of liver cancer that forms in bile ducts.
A Treatment and a Preventative Measure
The researchers stated that omega-3 fatty acids could not only be an effective therapy for liver cancers but could also protect the liver from steatohepatitis, a chronic liver disease believed to be a precursor to cancer.
RxPG News (http://www.rxpgnews.com/research/cardiology/omega-3-fatty-acids/article_3891.shtml) April 3, 2006
Nutra Ingredients.com (http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?n=66816-omega-dha-cancer) April 4, 2006
Dr. Mercola's Comment:
If you subscribe to my newsletter, you already know how omega-3 fats prevent the spread of prostate cancer. Looks like they may be just as effective for liver cancer.
One of the best things you can do for your health and to reduce your risk of cancer and heart disease is to take a high quality omega-3 oil. This is one of the most non-controversial recommendations to improve your health that I know of.
Fish would be a perfect solution to obtain your omega-3 fats, but I can't recommend it because most all commercial fish have been tainted with mercury and toxic solvents like PCBs for the last few decades.
That is one of the reasons I am so happy to have recently learned about krill oil.
Krill is at the bottom of the food chain and is free of all of the heavy metals like mercury, and PCBs and dioxins that are present in many fish. It is simply one of the most amazing clean source of omega-3 fats.Krill only grow about to one inch or so and are harvested in the pristine clean waters of the Antarctic.
They also are present in a phospholipid form which radically increases their absorption which allows them to work more effectively in your brain. This form virtually eliminates any belching or burping fish oil taste. It also increases absorption so you only need two small capsules a day
If you are interested in the way I now consume my omega-3 oils you can read more about krill oil here.
As for cancer in general, since it is now the number one cause of death for most Americans you will also want to review the detailed checklist I wrote last year to help you radically lower your cancer risk:
1. Control your insulin levels: Make certain that you limit your intake of processed foods and sugars as much as possible.
2. Of course, get appropriate amounts of animal-based omega-3 fats.
3. Get appropriate exercise. One of the primary reasons exercise works is that it drives your insulin levels down. Controlling insulin levels is one of the most powerful ways to reduce your cancer risks.
4. Normalize your vitamin D levels with safe amounts of sun exposure. This works primarily by optimizing your vitamin D level. If you have regular access to sun exposure then you should use fish oil, not cod liver oil, as your primary source of omega-3 fats. Ideally, it would be best to monitor your vitamin D levels.
5. Eat according to your metabolic type. The potent anti-cancer effects of this principle are very much underappreciated. When we treat cancer patients in our clinic this is one of the most powerful anti-cancer strategies we have.
6. Have a tool to permanently erase the neurological short-circuiting that can activate cancer genes. Even the CDC states that 85 percent of disease is caused by emotions. It is likely that this factor may be more important than all the other physical ones listed here, so make sure this is addressed. Energy psychology seems to be one of the best approaches and my particular favorite tool, as you may know, is the Emotional Freedom Technique.
7. Only 25 percent of people eat enough vegetables, so by all means eat as many vegetables as you are comfortable with. Ideally, they should be fresh and organic. However, please understand that, frequently, fresh conventionally grown vegetables are healthier than organic ones that are older and wilted in the grocery store. They are certainly better than no vegetables at all, so don't use that as an excuse. If you are a carb metabolic type you may need up to 300 percent more vegetables than a protein metabolic type.
8. Make sure you are not in the two-thirds of the population who are overweight and maintain an ideal body weight.
9. Get enough high-quality sleep.
10. Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides, household chemical cleaners, synthetic air fresheners and air pollution.
11. Boil, poach or steam your foods, rather than frying or charbroiling them.
Related Articles:
Click here (http://www.mercola.com/2006/apr/20/omega-3_fats_curb_the_growth_spread_of_liver_cancer.htm) for more.
----------------
©Copyright 2006 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Mercola is required.
Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.