HI Pink Girl there is some material here that you could show to your onc.

I do not recall the Princess Margaret study - Do you have a link?.

This is the result of an NCBI search on BC and flax seed and flaxseed
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/en...%20flax%20seed
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/en...cer%20flaxseed

These are previous posts on this site that are particulalry useful

http://her2support.org/vbulletin/sho...+seed+estrogen

http://her2support.org/vbulletin/sho...+seed+estrogen

http://www.her2support.org/vbulletin...highlight=flax

humm just read most of this post thank you R.B. again for some clarification especially about the veg oil one. Very informative! I had been eating lots of veg and some fish and like StephN I started to wonder if I still needed fish oil supplement..well I guess I do and will get my dose today.

Also just a little point on bioaccumulation of toxic in fish oil. You are right saying that small fish (often) contains less. If they are larger indeed they have more time to accumulate toxic. However an important factor is what they eat: if they are carnivorous and eat other fishes then they bioaccumulate much more toxic (since they take on the one of the fishes they have just absorbed). Other fishes such as the anchovy that "filter" the water are much less toxic. Therefore large predatory fish are generally the most toxic one.

Hi Full of Beans,

Thank you for your thoughts on pollution of fish. I had not thought about the difference between carnivores and filter feeders. Just lower down the food chain and so less levels of concentration of pollutants I guess is the point.

I suppose it also depends how polluted the waters are where they fish come from.

Re continued Omega 3 intake. Omega three is not heavily stored in fat under 1% for many but Omega Six is 10-25% of body fat in the west so a constant supply of Omega three in general terms is needed.

The often mentioned book is nearly nearly nearly finished - again!!, it is having its final set at the moment. I have just split it down into three and four sentence pars from bigger pars which heavy readers liked but occasional readers blanched at. I had not thought to show it to occasional readers. It has grown to about 370 pages - size 17cm by 24.4cm - 30 chapters each split into a number of small sections each covering a topic - over 800 refs, and hopefully understandable.

Hi

Sorry some how I posted twice so I have deleted the contents of one.

RB

Tongol Tuna
 

Very exciting RB! I understand being into the 100th edit, and I am far away from publishing! As Oscar Wilde said, "I have spent most of the day putting in a comma, and the rest of the day taking it out"... (Not to even mention Flori's comma woes!) Best of luck on your book, RB!!

My oncological nutritionist has told me to stay away from larger fish as they contain more mercury, having had more time to absorb it, just as FOB says. So I've been staying away from tuna. Today a friend told me about TONGOL TUNA! It is smaller, wild caught (as opposed to farm raised which has toxins and ?hormones). Any one hear about this? It's in all the health food stores around here. Whole Foods, etc.

They swim in Thailand and do not swim w/the dolphins, thus not endangering them.
Andi

The protective effect of early pregnancy against breast cancer and DHA EPA etc
 

Intriguing !

" Considerable evidence suggests strongly that the n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content of adipose breast tissue is inversely associated with an increased risk of breast cancer."

More questions than answers but these two trials do underline fats play important roles in breast function, which given breasts function is to supply nutrients including fats, is unsurprising.


Long chain Omega 3s DHA and EPA may be fundamental to function breasts in pregnancy, and may have a part in explaining lower rates in women that have been pregnant based on trials in mice.

Also FAS an enzyme critical to making fats from scratch is often hyperactive and over expressed in some aggressive breast cancers, and may be driven in the line of cells examined by HER2. Why does the breast switch on its fat making enzymes in cancer and what has it got do do with HER2? Omega 3s may turn down FAS.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...ractPlusDrugs1

"Activity and expression of fatty acid synthase (FAS), a critical enzyme in the de novo biosynthesis of fatty acids in mammals, is exquisitely sensitive to nutritional regulation of lipogenesis in liver or adipose tissue. Surprisingly, a number of studies have demonstrated hyperactivity and overexpression of FAS (oncogenic antigen-519) in a biologically aggressive subset of human breast carcinomas,"......"FAS overexpression in SK-Br3 breast cancer cells is driven by increases in HER-2/neu signaling,"......"GLA- and/or omega-3 PUFA-induced repression of tumor-associated FAS may represent a novel mechanism of PUFA-induced cytotoxicity clinically useful against breast carcinomas carrying overexpression of FAS enzyme;"


BUT if you don't eat it you don't have it as the body cannot make Omega 3s from other fats. The body just is not able to make Omega 3s. It can convert the mother fat found in vegetable sources to the long chain fats if the pathways are not blocked.

This trial below is essentially saying that if you could make your own Omega 3 your breasts would want to make more of it in pregnancy because that is what genetically altered mice that can make Omega 3s do.

And that Omega 3s have a big part to play in changing the status of fat producing cells in the breast.

The mouse referred to is a genetically altered mouse with genes from a worm that allows the mouse to convert Omega six to omega three (which we cannot do) and from vague memory even make its own Omega six which we also cannot do.


Activation of Stat5 and induction of a pregnancy-like mammary gland differentiation by eicosapentaenoic and docosapentaenoic omega-3 fatty acids.
Liu YE, Pu W, Wang J, Kang JX, Shi YE.

Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Department of Radiation Oncology, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, The Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New Hyde Park, NY 11040, USA.

The protective effect of early pregnancy against breast cancer can be attributed to the transition from undifferentiated cells in the nulliparous to the differentiated mature cells during pregnancy. Considerable evidence suggests strongly that the n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content of adipose breast tissue is inversely associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Here, we report that there was a decrease in the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio and a significant increase in concentration of n-3 PUFA docosapentaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid in the pregnant gland. The functional role of n-3 PUFAs on differentiation was supported by the studies in the fat-1 transgenic mouse, which converts endogenous n-6 to n-3 PUFAs. Alternation of the n-6/n-3 ratio in favor of n-3 PUFA, and particularly docosapentaenoic acid, in the mammary gland of fat-1 mouse resulted in development of lobulo-alveolar-like structure and milk protein beta-casein expression, mimicking the differentiated state of the pregnant gland. Docosapentaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid activated the Jak2/Stat5 signaling pathway and induced a functional differentiation with production of beta-casein. Expression of brain type fatty acid binding protein brain type fatty acid binding protein in virgin transgenic mice also resulted in a reduced ratio of n-6/n-3 PUFA, a robust increase in docosapentaenoic acid accumulation, and mammary differentiation. These data indicate a role of mammary derived growth inhibitor related gene for preferential accumulation of n-3 docosapentaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid in the differentiated gland during pregnancy. Thus, alternation of n-6/n-3 fatty acid compositional ratio in favor of n-3 PUFA, and particularly docosapentaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid, is one of the underlying mechanisms of pregnancy-induced mammary differentiation.

Pink Girl - One of `those coincidences' I came across this doing a spur of the moment search on google on flax and HER2 - it was my first pick on the 1st page and had no mention of the Princess Margaret hospital in the title (see above post) !



"The results of this clinical trial are in agreement with previous clinical and preclinical studies showing antitumor effects of flaxseed in prostate cancer patients (53), carcinogen-treated rats (32), athymic mice with established ER-positive (33), or ER-negative breast cancers (34, 35), and tumor-bearing transgenic mice (54). The 5% or 10% flaxseed diet used in the animal studies is approximately equivalent to 25 to 30 g of flaxseed given to patients with breast or prostate cancer, depending on the amount of other foods consumed. Our results are also in line with epidemiologic studies showing that high levels of lignan intake (26), plasma or urinary excretion of mammalian lignans (23–25) or high levels of {alpha}-linolenic acid in adipose tissues (28) are associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer."

Dietary Flaxseed Alters Tumor Biological Markers in Postmenopausal Breast Cancer
Lilian U. Thompson1, Jian Min Chen1, Tong Li2, Kathrin Strasser-Weippl2 and Paul E. Goss3

Authors' Affiliations: 1 Department of Nutritional Sciences, 2 Princess Margaret Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and 3 Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

http://clincancerres.aacrjournals.or...ull/11/10/3828

R.B. I did not know that you were writing a book on fats well done!

Well in that case if you need more precise info on pollutant bioaccumulation let me know. The actual issue is rather more complicated for example it also depends on migratory pattern, temperature (impact on their growth), spawning frequency (for example salmon spawn once in their life time other fish spawn several time a year) ect.. If I were you and if you wanted to touch on this subject I may consider to simply have a list of fish and their concurrent analysis of pollutant. From an ecological point of view I would also put whether the stock was fished in a sustainable manner, let's look after our ocean if we want to continue eating wild fish in the future.

I hope it helps

Whilst I am here ok I recently purchased a new fish oil supplement:
and the nutrition info is that out of the 500mg capsule: EPA 240 and DHA is 160mg. My old one (cheaper) was 1000mg with 165 mg EPA and 110DHA.

Obviously the recently purchased one seems much better doesn't it? I still however wonder: what is the rest made of? for example the recently purchase omg3 supplement has 38% omega 3, but what is the rest then; bearing in mind that the ratio of equilibrium mentioned seems to be much higher than that.

Whilst I am at it what fish oil sup would you recommend and how many per day should you take if you have a reasonably healthy diet? Many thanks

Super Potent Flax Seed Muffins

The following is the recipe used in clinical research on flax seed and breast cancer. The recipe yields a week¹s supply of muffins (7 muffins). Each muffin provides 25 grams of flax seed.

5/8 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup ground flaxseed
3/8 cup brown sugar
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups skim milk

Bake muffins at 350°F for 30 minutes.

Many Thanks Full of beans.

I would be fascinated.

There is a chapter on wider environmental source and supply issues including ocean sources and high demands / efficiency issues of fish farming - algal production, genetic manipulation of crops etc, but it is fairly general.

Maybe the next edition!

Pinkgirl
: 7 days supply..uh.. because it is for 7 muffins..uh..not in my neck of the wood!!! more like 2 days :-) if it is in my house..muffins enter at your own risks..

Also I may want to add that I would replace sugar with xylitol (it is natural wood sugar despite chemical sounding name) and milk with oat milk...

humm flax seeds I wonder how long do they last if they are kept in the freezer (once packet open),anyone?

I am taking MEGA EFA 1480 (EPA 400) (DHA 400) X 3 a day. This per nutritional oncologist. You can hardly turn on the news w/o hearing someone touting OMEGA 3s these days! RB's new book will be hitting the shelves at a most opportune time.

Remind us please, RB -- of the title we should be looking for. I know not yet, but sooooonnnn...

I know Salmon is full of Omega 3s. Anyone know about Chilean Sea Bass? I had it last night for dinner. It was delicious!
Andi http://cdn-cf.aol.com/se/smi/2b000001e1/06

Hi Full of Beans

I cannot make specific recommendations as to amounts.

Recommendations vary from 300mg of DHA to about 1.5 grams of DHA (2.7 grams DHA plus EPA). Some trials look at higher amounts. Regular intake is essential as the body does not store much Omega 3.

A trial suggested western women's uptake of DHA dropped off at about 2grams of DHA a day.

My personal take is that most in the west will have relatively high fat stores of Omega Six, and Omega six lurks everywhere in the processed food chain, nuts are generally high in Omega 6, so aim for a balance in the recognition the reality will be lower.

The vegetable based mother fats of Omega 6 and 3 and the long chain 3s need considering separately. The vegetable fats are both essential to body function and are about balanced in greens. Omega six mother fat is stored in fat between 5-25% dependent on dietary intake. The mother Omega three is not heavily stored. So it is a question of taking a sensible view on your Omega 3:6 mother fat balance taking into account existing fat stores in determining your intake of mother fats eg flax oil, olive oil, 369 oils etc.

The long chain fats can be made by the body from the mother Omega 3 but lots of things stop conversion. The body deals with all the fats differently and uses them for different things. I personally aim for 1.5 grams a day plus of DHA so 3tps plus of a quality fish oil. This is the best I have found so far http://www.vitacost.com/Carlson-Norw...igh-In-EPA-DHA
http://www.vitacost.com/Carlson-The-...inest-Fish-Oil

A mix of fish oil and cod liver will reduce the risk of excess A or D as fish oil does not contain significant A and D, although Cod liver does. Check labels for contents.

It is complex there are no absolute answers.

Fish oil composition details can be found on Nutritiondata.com
http://www.nutritiondata.com/

Please talk to your doctor about dietary change as fish oil can cause blood thinning and have other effects in a small number of people.

Andi BB - the book has come back, I have read it again!, - I think I am going word blind, - and gone back for hopefully the last few little bits - so soon!

RB

Thank you very much for the further information much appreciated!

Just bringing the thread back up for people that may not have seen it.

This video link is a bit complex in part but once it get past the PPARs it gives a fascinating insight into the growing appreciation that body functions all interlink and the potential impact of food in diet - gene expression - nutrigenomics - the effect of food on genes.

You can also see that those in commercial research are beginning to recognise a potential blurring of lines between drugs and food agents and the complications that causes for them.


http://videocast.nih.gov/launch.asp?13776

Interesting trial in lung cancer where the immune system is failing. The trial suggest fish oil fish oil may benefit and act as COX2 blocker. Fish oil has been shown to have the ability to intervene in the COX2 pathways.

RB


Effects of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic n-3 fatty acids from fish oil and preferential Cox-2 inhibition on systemic syndromes in patients with advanced lung cancer.
Cerchietti LC, Navigante AH, Castro MA.

Translational Research Unit, Angel H Roffo Cancer Institute, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina. lcerchie@aecom.yu.edu

"Under the common denomination of Systemic Immune-Metabolic Syndrome (SIMS), we grouped many symptoms that share a similar pathophysiologic background. SIMS is the result of the dysfunctional interaction of tumor cells, stroma cells, and the immune system, leading to the release of cytokines and other systemic mediators such as eicosanoids. SIMS includes systemic syndromes such as paraneoplastic hemopathies, hypercalcemia, coagulopathies, fatigue, weakness, cachexia, chronic nausea, anorexia, and early satiety among others.......Comparing both groups, patients receiving fish oil + celecoxib showed significantly lower C-RP levels (P = 0.005, t-test), higher muscle strength (P = 0.002, t-test) and body weight (P = 0.05, t-test) than patients receiving fish oil + placebo. The addition of celecoxib improved the control of the acute phase protein response, total body weight, and muscle strength. Additionally, the consistent nutritional support used in our patients could have helped to maximize the pharmacological effects of fish oil and/or celecoxib. This study shows that by modulating the eicosanoid metabolism using a combination of n-3 fatty acids and cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, some of the signs and symptoms associated with a SIMS could be ameliorated.

Just in case someone's curious, we are taking "Omega Ultra Marine" (brand is Designs for Health) that go heavy on the Omega 3's. They have another product that has more of a balance between 3 and 6's, but after reading RB's comments, I figured we were getting 6's in the diet and needed to lean towards the Omega 3's. This one has 550 mg per softgel with 300 mg EPA and 200 mg. Fish oil is from anchovy and sardine.

FYI -- I am taking OMEGA 3 EPA (800) w/ DHA (400) x 3 a day. I too feel I am getting Omega 6s naturally and need to boost my 3s. I get most of my supplements from Vitacost on the net.

Andi

Mechanisms by which DHA reduces colon cancer risk and inflammatory disorders of the intestine.


Good digestion is important to all.


This underlines again Omega 3 DHA is important in many ways in body function.

1: Chem Phys Lipids. 2008 Mar 4 [Epub ahead of print]Click here to read Links
Mechanisms by which docosahexaenoic acid and related fatty acids reduce colon cancer risk and inflammatory disorders of the intestine.
Chapkin RS, Seo J, McMurray DN, Lupton JR.

Center for Environmental and Rural Health, Texas A&M University, United States; Faculty of Nutrition, Texas A&M University, United States.

A growing body of epidemiological, clinical, and experimental evidence has underscored both the pharmacological potential and the nutritional value of dietary fish oil enriched in very long chain n-3 PUFAs such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6, n-3) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5, n-3). The broad health benefits of very long chain n-3 PUFAs and the pleiotropic effects of dietary fish oil and DHA have been proposed to involve alterations in membrane structure and function, eicosanoid metabolism, gene expression and the formation of lipid peroxidation products, although a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of action has yet to be elucidated. ............. Ultimately, this may allow organ systems such as the colon to optimally decode, respond, and adapt to the vagaries of an ever-changing extracellular environment.

Anticancer properties of oxidation products of docosahexaenoic acid.
Siddiqui RA, Harvey K, Stillwell W.




1: Chem Phys Lipids. 2008 Feb 23 [Epub ahead of print]Click here to read Links

Methodist Research Institute, Clarian Health Partners, Indianapolis, IN, United States; Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States; Department of Biology, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN, United States.

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is the longest, most unsaturated, and hence, most oxidizable fatty acid commonly found in nature. The mechanisms behind DHA's many biological functions remain a subject of much debate. Here we review one important, but often unstudied, aspect of DHA function, namely, the potential role of its many oxidation products. We divide this review into camps, enzymatic and non-enzymatic oxidations, and report their effects primarily on induction of apoptosis in cancer cells. We conclude that the study of the effects of lipid peroxidation products on biochemical function will be a difficult but highly rewarding area for future studies.

Encouraging Update
 

Hi All,

I am reclaiming my emotional & physical health slowly but surely!

And I promised I would let you know about my progress on the anti-inflammatory diet so here it is.

The first thing I noticed right off is that my usually dry scaly skin has improved. As I continued on the diet the joint swelling decreased and I am feeling better, I have not completely stopped taking Enbrel but have been able to push my dose back; instead of every 7 days I can spread(with the okay from my rheumatologist) it from 10-12 days without pain or swelling. It is a work in progress and my challenges have lied with feeding my family - as they are not as willing to eat some of my choices. Being away from home is challenging too, I wasn't as strict when we went to FL during Easter and there was a noticeable difference in how I felt.

Secondly, I have been on Lexapro for approx. a year I have decreased my dose from 10mg to 5mg with the hopes of eliminating it.

So glad for RB and all of you who keep this thread in the forefront & continue to inform and discuss the importance of dietary choices. I am confident the next health update will even be more encouraging.

Mar

Hi Mary,

Thanks for the encouraging update on yourself and the reminder to us all that taking care of ourselves is a good thing. Proper nutrition and exercise can make all the difference in how we feel and the quality of our lives.

Thanks .....

Mary Jo

Mgarr

Thanks for the feed back.

There are several trials suggesting the long chain Omega 3s may assist in reducing inflammation and Omega 6s increase it. There is also quite a boy of work on why. But trial are mixed, and maybe because trials are often only for short periods, use quite low doses, take no account of Omega 6 in the diet or body fat stores, do not account of possible dietary conversion blockers etc.

It is always interesting to hear peoples experience.

When you say anti inflammation diet can you tell us more?

Many thanks

R.B.

R.B. I would be happy to share what I have been doing. I started this not only because of breast cancer but the inflammatory arthritis I was diagnosed with 6 months after the end of my treatment.

I read what I could digest on Omega 3/6 (I'm right brained so it takes me some time) anyway, continued researching and came across a book called Too Young to Feel Old by rheumatologist, Richard Blau. Much of the book reiterated what has been discussed on this thread.

There is a section with a "28 day super menu" that is high in Omega 3 & low in 6, the ratio is below 5. I already ate many of the foods but as I kept reading I realized I did not know how to attain the proper ratio of fats.

Every day I take Carlson fish oil, flax oil or flax meal. Cook w/ walnut oil. Alot of anti-inflammatory foods & spices they include, almonds & walnuts, seafoods, lean organic meats, brown rice (lots of that, I miss my potatoes or "baked jacket") ginger, tumeric, cinnamon, garlic, onions, variety of fruits & veggies that have anti inflammatory properties.

More Specific Anti-Inflammatory Diet
 

Here is just a sample of what my daily menu looks like:

2 tbsp. Carlson (before breakfast & dinner)
V-8 juice & Omega Oatmeal whole grain oatmeal, dried cherries, cinnamon & flax meal

Ginger tuna salad on WW(flax oil, ginger, water chestnuts, sesame seeds)
carrots & celery

Chopped salad special dressing (garlic, flax oil & balsamic)
3 spice baked chicken breast
brown rice w/ turmeric
broccoli w/ garlic

Possible benefits <img src="http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n292/pjmailings/smilies/cheerleader.gif" alt="Cheerleaders 2" />of DHA [Long chain Omega 3 found in fish oil] with several anti cancer drugs.


RB



Inserm E-0211, Nutrition, Croissance et Cancer; Université François-Rabelais, Tours, France.

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, a lipid of marine origin) has been found to enhance the activity of several anticancer drugs through an oxidative mechanism. To examine the relation between chemosensitization by DHA and tumor cells antioxidant status, we used two breast cancer cell lines: MDA-MB-231, in which DHA increases sensitivity to doxorubicin, and MCF-7, which does not respond to DHA. Under these conditions, reactive oxygen species (ROS) level increased on anthracycline treatment only in MDA-MB-231. This was concomitant with a decreased cytosolic glutathione peroxidase (GPx1) activity, a crucial enzyme for protection against hydrogen and lipid peroxides, while major antioxidant enzyme activities increased in both cell lines in response to ROS. GPx-decreased activity was accompanied by an accumulation of glutathione, the GPx cosubstrate, and resulted from a decreased amount of GPx protein. In rat mammary tumors, when a DHA dietary supplementation led to an increased tumor sensitivity to anthracyclines, GPx1 activity was similarly decreased. Furthermore, vitamin E abolished both DHA effects on chemotherapy efficacy enhancement and on GPx1 inhibition. Thus, loss of GPx response to an oxidative stress in transformed cells may account for the ability of peroxidizable targets such as DHA to enhance tumor sensitivity to ROS-generating anticancer drugs.

Free Radic Biol Med. 2008 Apr 1;44(7):1483-91. Epub 2008 Jan 26.
Sensitization by docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) of breast cancer cells to anthracyclines through loss of glutathione peroxidase (GPx1) response.
Vibet S, Goupille C, Bougnoux P, Steghens JP, Goré J, Mahéo K.

More on Long chain Omega 3 DHA protecting against osteoporosis.

RB

1: Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2008 May;233(5):592-602. Epub 2008 Mar 28.Click here to read Links
Docosahexaenoic Acid and 17{beta}-Estradiol Co-Treatment Is More Effective Than 17{beta}-Estradiol Alone in Maintaining Bone Post-Ovariectomy.
Poulsen RC, Moughan PJ, Kruger MC.

Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand. M.C.Kruger@massey.ac.nz.


ABSTRACT

Bone-protective effects of combined treatment with long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) and estrogenic compounds following ovariectomy have previously been reported. Recent evidence suggests the n-3 LCPUFA docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) is particularly bone-protective. The aim of this study was to determine whether combined treatment with DHA and estrogenic compounds has a beneficial effect on bone mass in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. Rats were randomized into 9 groups and either ovariectomized (8 groups) or sham-operated (1 group). Using a 2x4 factorial design approach, OVX animals received either no estrogenic compound, genistein (20 mg/kg body weight/day), daidzein, (20 mg/kg body weight/day) or 17beta-estradiol (1 mug/day) with or without DHA (0.5 g/kg body weight/day) for 18 weeks. Bone mineral content (BMC), area (BA), and density (BMD), plasma osteocalcin and IL-6 concentrations, and red blood cell (RBC) fatty acid composition were measured. Femur BMC was significantly greater in animals treated with DHA or 17beta-estradiol than in ovariectomized controls. . . continues

1: Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2008 Apr 11 [Epub ahead of print]Click here to read Links
The Importance of the Omega-6/Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratio in Cardiovascular Disease and Other Chronic Diseases.
Simopoulos AP.

The Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health.

Abstract Several sources of information suggest that human beings evolved on a diet with a ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFA) of ~1 whereas in Western diets the ratio is 15/1 - 16.7/1. Western diets are deficient in omega-3 fatty acids, and have excessive amounts of omega-6 fatty acids compared with the diet on which human beings evolved and their genetic patterns were established. Excessive amounts of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and a very high omega-6/omega-3 ratio, as is found in today's Western diets, promote the pathogenesis of many diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, whereas increased levels of omega-3 PUFA (a lower omega-6/omega-3 ratio), exert suppressive effects. In the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, a ratio of 4/1 was associated with a 70% decrease in total mortality. A ratio of 2.5/1 reduced rectal cell proliferation in patients with colorectal cancer, whereas a ratio of 4/1 with the same amount of omega-3 PUFA had no effect. The lower omega-6/omega-3 ratio in women with breast cancer was associated with decreased risk. A ratio of 2-3/1 suppressed inflammation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and a ratio of 5/1 had a beneficial effect on patients with asthma, whereas a ratio of 10/1 had adverse consequences. These studies indicate that the optimal ratio may vary with the disease under consideration. This is consistent with the fact that chronic diseases are multigenic and multifactorial. Therefore, it is quite possible that the therapeutic dose of omega-3 fatty acids will depend on the degree of severity of disease resulting from the genetic predisposition. A lower ratio of omega-6/omega-3 fatty acids is more desirable in reducing the risk of many of the chronic diseases of high prevalence in Western societies, as well as in the developing countries.

Hi all,

If you see "goodvevil 2" in the text it should be one of these.

http://www.world-of-smilies.com/wos_...os_engell4.gif

You will find it on the Mozzilla free smileys section.

THIS ONE HAS DISAPPEARED TOO _ It was a smiley with good and evil represented on a see-saw. The fulcrum was a face that looked at good and evil as they rose and fell in turn. The balancing of goodness and badness is a very ancient human dilemma. I am not sure why somebody or some machine has seen fit to ban it.


Unfortunately a search will not refind each article and I do not have time at the moment to reread the posts to find where the images have disappeared and replace them.



RB

Diet and cancer
 

Hi,
Thanks for all the nutrition info everyone. I believe what we put in our bodies has a big impact on our overall health and our ability to keep cancer under control. Drugs are important, but they can't do all the work.

Int J Cancer. 2007 Jul 15;121(2):377-85.Click here to read Links
Breast cancer risk and erythrocyte compositions of n-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids in Japanese.
Kuriki K, Hirose K, Wakai K, Matsuo K, Ito H, Suzuki T, Hiraki A, Saito T, Iwata H, Tatematsu M, Tajima K.

Division of Epidemiology and Prevention, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, 1-1 Kanokoden, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8681, Japan. kkuriki@aichi-cc.jp


"Dietary intake of fish rich in n-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs), such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), has been proposed to decrease cancer risk. In contrast to results from laboratory studies, however, protective effects for breast cancer have proved equivocal in epidemiological studies. In the present case-control study, we examined associations between breast cancer risk and fatty acid compositions in erythrocyte membranes as biomarkers for those intakes. Dietary information and blood samples were collected from 103 incident breast cancer cases and 309 non-cancer controls (matched by age and season) and erythrocyte fatty acids were measured .....In conclusion, we showed that erythrocyte compositions of specific fatty acids derived from fish intake, as biomarkers, are associated with lower risk of breast cancer, but further studies are needed to investigate mechanisms linked to the etiology.

This is not a trial for BC but there may be common factors like a role for COX2 in supporting cancers, and the blocking of COX 2 inhibiting cancer development.

Here they are suggesting a role for Omega 3 in support of chemo.

There have been an number of other trials that suggest this may be an interesting idea for further trialling.

RB

1: Pancreas. 2008 May;36(4):353-62.Click here to read Links
Opposing effects of n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on pancreatic cancer growth.
Funahashi H, Satake M, Hasan S, Sawai H, Newman RA, Reber HA, Hines OJ, Eibl G.

Hirshberg Laboratories for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Department of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.

OBJECTIVES: Epidemiologic studies suggest that fish oil, rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), possesses antitumor activity, whereas n-6 PUFAs may stimulate the development of cancers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of n-6 and n-3 PUFAs on the growth of pancreatic cancer. METHODS: The n-6 PUFA arachidonic acid (AA) stimulated the growth of cyclooxygenase (COX) 2 positive human pancreatic cancer (PaCa) cells, which was mediated by COX-2 generated prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) binding to EP2 and EP4 receptors. In contrast, the n-3 PUFA eicosapentaenoic acid decreased the growth of COX-2-positive and COX-2-negative PaCa cells. The COX-2-dependent mechanism of eicosapentaenoic acid was mediated by binding of PGE3 to EP2 and EP4 receptors. Dietary intake of n-3 PUFAs decreased the growth of pancreatic cancers in a xenograft model, which was accompanied by a decrease of PGE2 and an increase of PGE3 in the tumors. CONCLUSIONS: Our studies provide evidence that n-3 PUFAs possess antitumor activities, whereas n-6 PUFAs stimulate pancreatic tumor growth. The opposite effects of n-3 and n-6 PUFAs are mediated by the formation of different prostaglandin species. n-3 PUFAs may prove beneficial as monotherapy or combination therapy with standard chemotherapeutic agents in pancreatic cancer patients.

Complicated and rather beyond me, but may suggest Omega 6 archidonic acid has an important role in early proliferation of cells in the BCs examined. The underline is mine.

Archidonic acid is made in the body from the mother Omega six linoleic acid, which is find in high levels in many vegetable oils (see rest of this thread)


RB


Arachidonic Acid-induced Ca2+ entry is involved in early steps of tumor angiogenesis.
Fiorio Pla A, Grange C, Antoniotti S, Tomatis C, Merlino A, Bussolati B, Munaron L.

Department of Animal and Human Biology, University of Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Turin, Italy. alessandra.fiorio@unito.it.


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...ubmed_RVDocSum

Growth factor-induced intracellular calcium signals in endothelial cells regulate cytosolic and nuclear events involved in the angiogenic process. Among the intracellular messengers released after proangiogenic stimulation, arachidonic acid (AA) plays a key role and its effects are strictly related to calcium homeostasis and cell proliferation. Here, we studied AA-induced intracellular calcium signals in endothelial cells derived from human breast carcinomas (B-TEC). AA promotes B-TEC proliferation and organization of vessel-like structures in vitro. The effect is directly mediated by the fatty acid without a significant contribution of its metabolites. AA induces Ca(2+)(i) signals in the entire capillary-like structure during the early phases of tubulogenesis in vitro. No such responses are detectable in B-TECs organized in more structured tubules. In B-TECs growing in monolayer, AA induces two different signals: a Ca(2+)(i) increase due to Ca(2+) entry and an inhibition of store-dependent Ca(2+) entry induced by thapsigargin or ATP. An inhibitor of Ca(2+) entry and angiogenesis, carboxyamidotriazole, significantly and specifically decreases AA-induced B-TEC tubulogenesis, as well as AA-induced Ca(2+) signals in B-TECs. We conclude that (a) AA-activated Ca(2+) entry is associated with the progression through the early phases of angiogenesis, mainly involving proliferation and tubulogenesis, and it is down-regulated during the reorganization of tumor-derived endothelial cells in capillary-like structures; and (b) inhibition of AA-induced Ca(2+) entry may contribute to the antiangiogenic action of carboxyamidotriazole. (Mol Cancer Res 2008;6(4):535-45).

Are the olive oil and other dietary lipids related to cancer?
 

1: Clin Transl Oncol. 2006 Dec;8(12):868-83.Links
Are the olive oil and other dietary lipids related to cancer? Experimental evidence.
Escrich E, Solanas M, Moral R, Costa I, Grau L.

Department of Cell Biology. Physiology and Immunology. Physiology Unit. Faculty of Medicine. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Bellaterra, Barcelona. Spain.

There is a wealth of evidence supporting the relationship between dietary lipids and cancer, particularly those of the breast, colon and rectum and prostate. The main support comes from the international correlational studies and, especially, from experimental ones. The evidence from human analytical studies is less consistent because of several conflicting findings, probably due to methodological issues. Experimentally, it has been clearly demonstrated that quantity and type of dietary lipids as well as the particular critical phases of the carcinogenesis in which they act, are the essential factors in this relationship. Thus, whereas high dietary intake of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), primarily LA, and saturated fat has tumor-enhancing effects, long chain n-3 PUFA, CLA and GLA have inhibitory effects. Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), mainly OA, present in high quantities in olive oil, seem to be protective although some inconsistent results have been reported. Bioactive compounds of virgin olive oil may also account for the protective effect of this oil, which is the main source of fat in the Mediterranean diet. Experimental studies have also provided evidence of several putative mechanisms of action of dietary lipids on cancer. Lipids can influence the hormonal status, modify cell membranes structure and function, cell signalling transduction pathways and gene expression, and modulate the function of the immune system. Although further studies are needed to evaluate and verify these mechanisms in humans, based on the multiple ways dietary lipids can act, they may have an important influence on tumorigenesis.

PMID: 17169760 [PubMed - in process]

: Clin Chim Acta. 2006 Nov;373(1-2):1-8. Epub 2006 May 16.

Omega-3 fatty acid effects on biochemical indices following cancer surgery.
Stehr SN, Heller AR.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...ubmed_RVDocSum

Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Fetscherstrasse 74, D-01309 Dresden, Germany.

Epidemiological studies have indicated that a high intake of saturated fat and/or animal fat increases the risk of colon and breast cancer. Laboratory and clinical investigations have shown a reduced risk of colon carcinogenesis after alimentation with omega-3 fatty acids, as found in fish oil. Mechanisms accounting for these anti-tumor effects are reduced levels of PGE(2) and inducible NO synthase as well as an increased lipid peroxidation, or translation inhibition with subsequent cell cycle arrest. Further, omega-3 eicosapentaenoic acid is capable of down-regulating the production and effect of a number of mediators of cachexia, such as IL-1, IL-6, TNF-alpha and proteolysis-inducing factor. In patients with advanced cancer, it is possible to increase energy and protein intake via an enteral or parenteral route, but this seems to have little impact on progressive weight loss. Fish oil administration improved patients' conditions in cancer cachexia and during radio- and chemotherapy. In patients undergoing tumor resection surgery we observed improvement of liver and pancreas biochemical indices when omega-3 fatty acids were administered. This paper is a review of recent developments in the field of nutrition in cancer patients with emphasis on the acute phase response following cancer surgery and the beneficial aspects of fish oil administration.

They have inserted genes into mice that allows them to make their own omega three.

The breasts of these mice make high levels of Omega 3.

Babies have a high need for Omega 3s.

Humans cannot make Omega 3 from scratch, but it would be reasonable to assume human breasts would make high levels of Omega 3s if they have the raw materials to do so. A possible consequences of a deficit of Omega 3 could be cellular misfunction.




http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...med_RVDocSum1: Lipids. 2006 Jan;41(1):35-9.Links
N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids endogenously synthesized in fat-1 mice are enriched in the mammary gland.
Ma DW, Ngo V, Huot PS, Kang JX.

Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. davidwl.ma@utoronto.ca

In this study, we determined the phospholipid FA composition in the mammary gland of the transgenic Fat-1 mouse. This is the first animal model developed that can endogenously synthesize n-3 PUFA. The synthesis of n-3 PUFA is achieved through the expression of the fat-1 transgene encoding for an n-3 desaturase from Caenorhabditis elegans, which utilizes n-6 PUFA as substrate. Wild-type and Fat-1 female mice were terminated at 7 wk of age and the fifth mammary gland was removed. Lipids were extracted and phospholipids were separated by TLC and converted to FAME for analysis by GC. There was no significant change in total saturated, monounsaturated, and PUFA composition. However, there was a significant increase in total n-3 PUFA and a corresponding decrease in n-6 PUFA. The major n-3 PUFA that were enriched included 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3. The n-6 PUFA that were reduced included 20:4n-6, 22:4n-6, and 22:5n-6. Overall, these findings demonstrate that female Fat-i mice have elevated levels of n-3 PUFA in the mammary gland. Moreover, the n-3 desaturase products are the same n-3 PUFA found in fish oil, which have been shown to have chemoprotective properties against breast cancer. Therefore, this newly developed mouse model may be highly useful for investigating molecular and cellular mechanisms by which n-3 PUFA prevents and inhibits breast cancer growth.

PMID: 16555469 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Bumping up

From one of the leaders in the Omega 3 6 field

Omega 6 in excess increases inflammatory pressures.


Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2008;17 Suppl 1:131-4.Links
The omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid ratio, genetic variation, and cardiovascular disease.
Simopoulos AP.

The Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health, 2001 S Street, NW, Suite 530, Washington, DC 20009 USA. cgnh@bellatlantic.net

A high omega-6/omega-3 ratio, as is found in today's Western diets, promotes the pathogenesis of many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease. Increased dietary intake of linoleic acid (LA) leads to oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), platelet aggregation, and interferes with the incorporation of essential fatty acids (EFA) in cell membrane phopholipids. Both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids influence gene expression. Omega-3 fatty acids have strong anti-inflammatory effects, suppress interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), whereas omega-6 fatty acids tend to be pro-inflammatory. Because inflammation is at the base of many chronic diseases, including coronary heart disease, dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids plays an important role in the manifestation of disease, particularly in persons with genetic variation, as for example in individuals with genetic variants at the 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO). Increased dietary arachidonic acid (AA) significantly enhances the apparent atherogenic effect of genotype, whereas increased dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) blunts this effect. The diet-gene interaction further suggests that dietary omega-6 fatty acids promote, whereas marine omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA inhibit leukotriene-mediated inflammation that leads to atherosclerosis in this subpopulation.

PMID: 18296320 [PubMed - in process]