In addition to lowering your cholesterol, keeping your brain healthy and improving mental health, new research from the University of Georgia suggests omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids may help ward off a variety of cancers. The study relied on data from more than 250,000 people and found that higher levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids were associated with a lower risk of developing cancer. The results are published in the International Journal of Cancer .
"Higher omega-3 and omega-6 levels were associated with lower rates of cancer," said Yuchen Zhang, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in UGA's College of Public Health. "These findings suggest that the average person should focus on getting more of these fatty acids in their diets." Participants with higher levels of omega-3s had lower rates of colon, stomach and lung cancer , in addition to lower rates of other digestive tract cancers.
High omega-6 levels led to lower rates of 14 different cancers, including brain, malignant melanoma, bladder and more. Healthy fats reduce risk of developing 19 types of cancer The study relied on data from a United Kingdom-based study of more than 250,000 people who were followed for more than a decade. Of those participants, almost 30,000 developed some form of cancer during the study period.
Some earlier research drew connections between levels of fatty acids and the risk of developing cancer. However, no studies could conclusively determine whether omega-3 and omega-6 fa.